When Conservative Treatment Stops Working

Everyday pain has a way of seeping into every aspect of your life. From getting out of bed in the morning to participating in your favorite activities, nagging and constant pain follow you wherever you go.

While conservative treatments tend to work when started right away, what happens when they don’t? Or when your treatment options that used to work start to fail?

That’s when surgery becomes a viable option. Keep reading to learn more about why waiting with your pain isn’t the best option, and what to do when your conservative treatments stop working.

Why Waiting Through the Pain Doesn’t Work

Everyone has experienced a small pain in their life: a jolt in their knee or a tweak in their back when they first wake up. Because of our busy schedules, it’s easy to tell ourselves, “It’s just something small, it’ll go away soon,” and ignore the problem.

Sometimes that happens. But what happens when the pain doesn’t go away, and you continue to try and wait it out?

But ongoing discomfort does not equal healing. In fact, if there is something more seriously wrong, you could be causing even more long-term damage than before.

Studies have shown that people waiting for treatment often experience a lower quality of life and mental well-being the longer they hold off getting care.

That doesn’t even include the physical risks of waiting, including:

• Joint degeneration
• Muscle weakness
• Reduced mobility
• Long-term physical damage

Waiting it out is a dangerous game that’s likely to lead to more pain and injury in the future. As always, conservative treatment is the first option, but when that doesn’t work, other procedures may be necessary.

What is Conservative Treatment?

Conservative treatment refers to the non-invasive, non-surgical treatments that are often used to treat chronic pain or orthopedic injury. 

More often than not, these are the first line of defense when trying to relieve pain, and some of these activities can be done at home.

The common conservative treatment options include:

• Physical therapy
• Rest
• Anti-inflammatory or pain-relief medications
• Pain-relief injections
• Daily ice and heat treatments

Conservative treatment aims to reduce and/or remove pain without additional interventions. When new injuries arise or are caught early, conservative treatment works well.

Of course, conservative treatment doesn’t work for everyone, which is why the doctors at CORE Orthopedics are prepared to help you live a pain-free life as soon as possible.

Signs Conservative Treatment May No Longer Be Enough

Depending on your age, health, and injury type, conservative treatments may not be effective. Or, as we’ve seen with some patients, conservative treatments provide quick relief but, over time, yield less positive outcomes.

Here are four signs that your conservative treatment isn’t working.

Pain that comes back

After a few appointments, some patients come back telling us they’ve never felt better. But in the days and weeks that follow, the pain returns. Sometimes, even worse than before.

If, as soon as you return to regular activity, things continue to stay the same or get worse, it’s time to try different treatments.

Little to no improvement

If you’ve been following a physical therapy plan, resting and icing at home, and you’re still not seeing any improvement, then unfortunately, you may need something more than conservative treatment.

A lack of change is a clear sign from your body that you need more aggressive treatment.

Loss of strength, motion, or mobility

When dealing with pain for an extended period of time, it becomes easier to ignore it. But then one day, you suddenly realize you’ve lost some strength or mobility doing one of your everyday activities.

Any sort of loss of strength, motion, or mobility is a gigantic warning sign that you need to see a doctor right away.

Increased reliance on workarounds

Chronic pain often leads to finding workarounds to either limit or avoid the pain altogether. Sometimes that means leaning more heavily on one side of your body while walking, or avoiding certain motions altogether.

Not only could this lead to additional damage and discomfort, but it’s also a clear sign that whatever you’re doing for pain relief isn’t working as intended.

When Surgery Becomes the Right Conversation

If conservative treatment isn’t working, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time for surgery. There are a variety of treatment options available, but CORE Orthopedics is here to help when you need us most.

Understand that surgery isn’t a last resort, but more the next step for living a happy, healthier, pain-free life when conservative treatment stops working.

When the surgeons at CORE Orthopedics identify torn tendons, advanced joint degeneration, instability, or nerve compression, we recommend surgery, as these injuries do not heal on their own.

At CORE Orthopedics, our surgeons are experts in minimally invasive, outpatient surgeries that help you heal more quickly without sacrificing your health goals.

As pain becomes more chronic, or the quality of your life is getting worse, surgery provides a clear path forward with incredible long-term benefits.

At CORE Orthopedics, surgery is part of a thoughtful discussion that weighs diagnosis, lifestyle, goals, risks, and expected outcomes. The end goal is always ensuring you have the best possible quality of life in the future.

Struggling with Nonstop Pain? Call CORE Orthopedics Today.

When conservative treatment stops working, it’s easy for things to seem hopeless. The expert surgeons at CORE Orthopedics have the tools and expertise to help you live a pain-free life through minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Don’t let constant pain ruin your life; book an appointment at CORE Orthopedics today.