Surgery and Prescriptions Aren’t Always the Answer

Recently a reader asked about a news article she had seen that explained the most common surgeries that many seniors have that actually should be avoided.

She asked about alternatives specifically to a procedure whereby a stent is placed in a narrowing artery near the heart to keep it open.

What caught her attention was the specific phrase “stable angina.” This means that the narrowing will cause pain or tightness in the chest with exertion like exercise, although with no acute danger like you’d see in a heart attack.

A family member of hers had it done and apparently it went badly, as there were blood clot and bleeding issues involved that nearly did him in.

This scared her to her core so she started her quest to find an alternative to the knife.

Her doctor’s primary directive, which was echoed in the news article, was to get the cholesterol under control…NOW.

Her arteries were narrowing because of the glue-like sludge that was clogging them up. While a stent may help temporarily to alleviate the short-term problem in one part of the artery, it does nothing to correct the long-term issue. Her lifestyle was killing her.

Add to that the fact that stents used in this way actually don’t decrease the risk of heart attack, anyway. Even with the stent she’d have to make some major changes.

So my advice to her and to anyone who writes in facing dangerous drug therapies or a potential surgical intervention for a condition is to stop for a moment and consider all the facts.

While some surgeries can’t be avoided, a staggering number of them can.

Other examples from the story were fusion of the vertebrae for neck and back problems and knee arthroscopy.

For the fusion example, the more effective and less dangerous alternative is physical therapy combined with inflammation-reducing treatments such as acupuncture or guided neck exercises.

With arthroscopy, all the advice points to looking at less invasive alternatives first such as exercise, dietary supplementation, and other more natural treatments. All of this is outlined in Shelly Manning’s Arthritis Guide.

While not as invasive, prescription drugs are also extremely overused in most treatment plans, and many times patients are willing to accept the horrendous side effects because snapping up a pill seems easier than the work required to naturally correct a chronic condition.

The point of all this is not to tell you to never have surgery or take prescription drugs. Sometimes those are the only realistic treatment options.

However, and more to the actual point, it should always be part of your visits with the care provider to at least look at these treatments with a critical eye and a cautious attitude.

Open a very candid dialogue with your doctor, and also with those who will be caring for you while you recover from the surgeries or would suffer drug side effects right along with you regarding other reasonable options.

Sometimes doctors actually prefer that their patients go the natural route, because it is generally more effective, safer, and more permanent. But they are realists, too, and know that some patients simply just won’t commit to solve problems naturally.

If you are suffering some of conditions mentioned earlier and are ready to turn things around for yourself…naturally…have a look at our guides for beating Cholesterol, Arthritis, and Neck Pain today.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

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