My Doctor's Appointment with Dr. Frank Cammisa in New York


The pain came back two months ago, stronger than ever, so I travelled to New York to see one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the US: Dr. Frank Cammisa. Given the new MRI, I have degenerative disc disease and a herniated disc in L4/L5. The meeting was quick, cold, and a complete waste of time. All the information he gave me was online. I'm not saying he treated me badly, but I'm telling YOU guys to avoid going to see such an experienced doctor if you haven't tried the obvious things first. He recommended Epidural Steroid Injections before considering surgery (which he said would be a micro-discectomy, and if that doesn't work, an Artificial Disc Replacement). Given that the injections are seldom part of the solution (they only treat symptoms), I decided to go for alternative treatments before I give them a try. I did some research and found a machine called the DRX9000, which does Spinal Decompression, and I've decided to go for it. It claims to stretch your discs and create a vacuum effect thus pulling the herniation back in... sounds too good to be true but I'll try anything at this point. I had to go through another orthopedic surgeon for an 'approval process,' who basically determines if you have a herniated disc or not and if you'll be a 'candidate' for the treatment. The doctor from Costa Rica diagnosed the exact same thing the one from New York did, except this one charged $60 and the one from New York charged $600. He said surgery shouldn't be an option at my age.

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