Dr. Ronald Lehman Quoted in U.S. News and World Report

Columbia Orthopedics Director of Degenerative & Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Director of Clinical Spine Research, Ronald A. Lehman, Jr., MD, was quoted in the U.S. News and World Report article “Which Doctor Can Help Me With Back Pain?” The article describes the different types of back pain and recommends specialists who can treat them. Dr. Lehman discussed numerous approaches to spine treatment, including nonoperative techniques:

Many studies have shown that a course of physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and sometimes injections will alleviate low back pain. If a patient has numbness, weakness, tingling or pain in the leg that does not improve with three to six months of conservative care, then some patients require operative intervention to decompress the nerves to alleviate the pressure.

He also discussed feeling comfortable with the surgeon selected for the procedure.

The patient and family should be comfortable that the surgeon has their best interests in mind, has proper training and gives them a transparent discussion about the risks and benefits of each intervention or surgery prior to their planned procedure.

For more insights on spine surgery, follow Dr. Lehman on Twitter and Facebook.