Your Patients Are Googling Spine Surgery Right Now
In this presentation Jeff Langmaid warns chiropractors that once a patient has been in practice for more than a week they will start encountering a flood of online and media information about spine surgery—billboards, TV ads, internet searches, and jargon such as minimally invasive, fusion, disc space, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and degenerative changes. Patients become scared and begin asking their spine‑care providers questions about surgery. Langmaid emphasizes that chiropractors do not need to act as surgeons, but they must help patients formulate the right questions, evaluate options, and understand that conservative care remains a vital part of the broader spine‑care ecosystem. He cites a recent study that underscores three key variables—surgical approach, patient anatomy, and individual patient factors—and notes that “less invasive” techniques do not automatically translate to less pain in the short term. The overall message is that clinicians should be prepared to guide patients through the noisy information environment, reinforce the value of non‑surgical care, and set realistic expectations about surgical outcomes.
