Guiding Patients Beyond the “Only Surgery” Message

Being told you “need back surgery” can feel like a verdict, especially when you’re in constant pain and an MRI report sounds final. We sit down with Dr. Peter Peduzzi of American Back Centers to unpack why that message is so common and why it’s often incomplete without a real conservative evaluation. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area or simply searching for non-surgical back pain treatment options, this conversation is built to help you slow down, get clear, and make a smarter next decision.

We walk through what drives people toward surgery recommendations, including imaging findings like a bulging disc, herniated disc, or degenerative disc disease, and why the odds can change with each additional spinal surgery. Dr. Peduzzi explains how patients find the clinic through primary care referrals, long-time word of mouth, and people seeking a second opinion after physical therapy, chiropractic care, or epidural injections fail to create lasting relief. We also break down the evaluation process step by step: reviewing imaging, taking a detailed history, performing a physical exam and neurological exam, and ruling out contraindications before any plan is suggested.

You’ll hear a powerful patient story that starts with being bedridden and ends with walking again, returning to school, and staying pain-free without surgery. We also cover what rehab can include, from structured physical therapy and core strengthening to balance training, cold laser therapy, and horizontal electrotherapy to support healing and reduce inflammation.

If back pain is slowing you down, listen through and share this with someone weighing surgery. Subscribe for more practical guidance, leave a review, and tell us what question you want answered before making a major spine decision.

To learn more about American Back Centers visit:
https://www.AmericanBackCenters.com
American Back Centers 
103 Bradford Rd, Wexford, PA 15090  
724-935-3300 

Transcript

Welcome And Show Mission

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to the Back Talk Podcast, where we talk about your back so it doesn't talk back to you. Hosted by Dr. Peter Paducci, Clinic Director of American Back Center. Each episode explores real solutions for back pain using non-invasive, non-surgical care designed to help you avoid spinal surgery. Helping people throughout the greater Pittsburgh area feel better naturally, without the hardware or the drama.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Many patients walk through the door believing surgery is their last hope until they learn what's actually possible with the right non-invasive approach. Welcome, I'm Julie Schwenzer, co-host and producer with Dr. Peter Paduzzi, Clinic Director at American Back Centers. Dr. Padozzi, it's great to speak with you again.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

It's great to be here. Thanks for having me again.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Yeah, we're so excited to chat with

Why Patients Get Told Surgery

SPEAKER_01 0:50

you. So for patients who have been told that surgery is their only option, what are some of the most common reasons you hear that this might be their only path forward?

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Many people are uh contemplating surgery. They're told they need surgery, either via an MRI or they go see a surgeon. And the surgeon tells them that's their only option. And in many cases, they're not even aware of this non-invasive, very safe, FJA-approved treatment option that we've helped people for over 20 years with, helping them avoid surgery. And with each subsequent spinal surgery, the success rate goes down and the rate of permanent complication goes up.

How Referrals And Word Of Mouth Work

SPEAKER_01 1:31

How do they find you? How do they get referred to you?

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Many people we lately we've been uh sending out uh progress reports to people's uh PCPs, primary care providers, so they're aware of the patient's progress and the success with the treatment. So we do get referrals that way as well. Uh many, many satisfied patients over the many, many years that refer their friends, uh family members, and people they know to us, especially when they hear that that person is contemplating surgery. And we do some advertising as well uh via social media, TV, and radio as well.

Evaluating For Non-Invasive Care

SPEAKER_01 2:07

So when somebody comes there and they are discouraged or they're afraid because of what they've experienced possibly before and the amount of pain, how do you begin evaluating whether they can go that route of non-invasive care?

SPEAKER_00 2:22

So we do encourage them to bring in any imaging, whether it's an X-ray or MRI. Of course, we do have x-ray uh procedures here that we can do right in the office. We have an MRI facility right across the street, so it's very convenient if we need that as well. But we do a detailed history. We sit down with them, answer all their questions first, um, ask them questions for their history to determine uh what's causing the problem, what may be triggering it, what's making it better or worse. And then we'll do a detailed history and uh, I should say, physical exam history and neurological examination as well to determine if they're a candidate for this procedure.

Who Makes A Good Candidate

SPEAKER_01 3:01

And what are some examples of somebody who could be a good candidate for this more conservative treatment?

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Any patient that's uh undergone uh physical therapy, chiropractic care, it hasn't worked for them. In many cases, those procedures work really well, but now they have a more serious issue issue. They have an MRI showing a hernited or bulged disc. They have degenerative disc disease that has progressed over many, many years. It's not responding to their conventional therapy. They've had an epidural injection, and we all know that's a band-aid. It's not really addressing the structural cause of the problem. Or they've been told they need surgery and they want a second opinion, or worse, they've already had a failed surgery and they don't want to do it again.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

And what is

Next Steps After The Assessment

SPEAKER_01 3:46

that like when somebody comes in? Like you assess them, like what are the next steps that they take after the assessment and your diagnosis?

SPEAKER_00 3:54

So when they come in, uh they may or may not come in with imaging, uh, MRI or X-ray. Um so after we do the evaluation and we go over uh their films with them. If they don't have films and we feel that they need further studies, like say an MRI, we can write their uh write them a prescription for an MRI and then we'll have that done. At that point, we roll out any contraindications, any reason why we would uh they would not be a candidate or we would harm them in any way, first and foremost, and then determine based off of the findings uh from the exam and the imaging if they're a candidate. And if they are a candidate, we'll give them the appropriate treatment plan that would be best suited for them.

A Patient Story Of Recovery

SPEAKER_01 4:38

And um can you share an example of a patient in particular, like their story, um his or hers, where they really thought that they they were gonna have to have surgery and you helped them see the light. Hey, you have another option.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Yeah, we've had many, many uh great uh success stories here, but one that comes to mind was a gentleman that was bedridden. He couldn't get out of bed. Uh, he would tell us how even the remote from the TV would fall off the bed and he couldn't even get out of bed because he was so crippled, so disabled with this condition, severe, severe pain. Uh, he went underwent the treatment. Uh, after a few uh weeks, it's not a few months of treatment, he was able to walk again. He was pain-free, and he even went back to school to get his engineering degree, and now he's an engineer, an electrical engineer now, and quite successful. And he continues to be pain-free and has never needed spinal surgery.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

Well, that's a wonderful story. Congratulations to all of you.

Setting Realistic Expectations

SPEAKER_01 5:40

And how do you set expectations for patients who they've already tried the traditional therapies and they haven't had success? How do you walk them through that?

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Um, well, we tell them that, you know, it it's not unusual to see that. I mean, we do do physical therapy and chiropractic care here at this office as well. But we see it time and time again, people going that route, you know, for many years with great success. Now all of a sudden they may have a more serious issue from, you know, these things have built up over time from heavy lifting, prolonged sitting, those type of things. Uh, and then they've they've been told to take pain meds or use epidural injections as band-aids. And now their condition progresses to a point where they have a more serious issue, and that's where we can help them in many cases avoid that surgery that's gonna be cutting into them very invasive procedure with a very successful, non-invasive approach.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

And um, you shared some, you know, great stories and examples of the success you've had with patients.

Confidence And Treating Root Causes

SPEAKER_01 6:43

Um, how much do you think it has to do with like also mindset and confidence, you know, that this could be an option for them, as well as, of course, the physical health of the person?

SPEAKER_00 6:54

Yeah, I mean, it definitely uh we we're number one, we're very confident what we do here because we have a great success rate, an over 90% success rate uh across the board. But really, and in reality, with this, it just makes sense. We're addressing the structural cause of the problem by actually opening up the spine and addressing the cause of the problem, not just treating symptoms, not putting band-aids on the problem, we're not cutting into them. There's no chance that the patient's gonna get worse or any type of um damage to them whatsoever. So we help patients and it's very successful, and we're addressing the cause of the problem, not just the symptoms.

Rehab Tools And Therapy Options

SPEAKER_01 7:35

And what's the therapy like or the therapy options there as part of the rehab?

SPEAKER_00 7:41

So we do do uh structured uh physical therapy and rehab. We do uh core strengthening, uh balance training. We have cold laser therapy too that really addresses and gets in there, it aids in the healing process and reducing inflammation. We have a very unique procedure called HECOMED. Um, it's horizontal electrotherapy, a little bit different than your standard uh EMS, electric muscle stimulation. Uh, very well researched, uh, very well documented, and has uh great, great success in enhancing the healing and uh helping with the severe pain that patients are experiencing with these very acute conditions.

Closing And How To Book

SPEAKER_01 8:22

Okay, well, Dr. Perduzzi, this has been very helpful. You clearly broke down a lot of the options that you have there. So thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Well, thank you so much for having me again.

SPEAKER_02 8:31

Thanks for listening to the Back Talk Podcast. If back pain is slowing you down or bossing you around, it may be time for a natural approach that works. Call 724 935 3300 to schedule a consultation with one of the doctors at American Back Centers or visit AmericanBackscenters.com.