Thanks so much for watching! Want to skip the X-ray, MRI, pills, shots or surgery and begin learning how to heal yourself naturally? Grab my FREE “Better Than an MRI DIY Diagnostic Guide” here- www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/diyguide
Dr. Johnson I fully agree with your observations and comments. I loved your video as I loved Dr Goobie's video. You guys are simply saying the truth. I do the same in my environment. Dr Goobie, you and I would function greatly working together with like-minded individuals. I have much more freedom to practice holistically where I live so I have been able to eliminate the frustrations that you and Dr Goobie have been exposed to with your practices and environment. When I entertained an active in-hospital practice I found that 94% of the spine patients I saw DID NOT NEED SURGERY. Now that I mainly head an outpatient neurobehavioral clinic 99% of the spine patients I encounter do not need surgery. I think I will also record on this topic soon when I do a next youtube video. Greetings from Belize in Central America. I am a neurosurgeon and spine surgeon in my country. Blessings.
Great vid and I watched Dr Goobie's as well. I have a question for you if you can answer it. Let me preface by saying I suffered several compression fractures(L2-L4)and a broken pelvis during a big get off from racing supercross and motocross. After my initial care I progressively got worse with back pain, drop foot and numbness in my left leg. I been through a ton of PT over the last 3 years but the pain always returns for 2-3 weeks about 6-7 time a year. I eat right, lift and ride my mtb but have had to quit racing. I've been offered surgery again but I'm hesitant and have turned it down...so far. For people with back issues and pain from injury is PT the best route still? (I know without looking at my MRI/Xrays/etc it's impossible to diagnose me, but is surgery always a no-go in your opinion?)
I am a physician working in Taiwan, but have received my medical education in Argentina. So. I have experienced professional training in both countries. I couldn't agree more with your points of view about the surgery, and I think the root of all this distorted way of practicing medicine is precisely our medical education system., where surgery always is been taught as the quickest and most efficient way of solution, and the most profitable way as well. Surgery is big business for a lot of peoples: doctors, hospitals, manufacturers of surgical equipments, pharmaceuticals and Wall Street. The only victim is the patients, because they don't hold the power of knowledge in their hands, we the doctors do, it's a sad truth.
Too many life stresses, poor diet, smoking, drinking, lack of movement, poor sleep leads to all kinds of health issues and Dis-ease. Being stressed all the time and in constant fight or flight mode is creating so many health problems. Fear is killing people.
Thats bs.... not all sick people eat bad, smoke, not exercise; know there are many very ill and they ate healthy, were very active, no drinking, no smoking had very happy productive lives. Sadly the medical communities demean and silence them as they are crippled and left in the streets but lets pretend these patients dont exist. Ill enlighten my doctors who cant seem to understand environmental hazards are also a huge growing cause of horrific crippling of many around the world, they also fail to treat infections soon enough so some end up injured from it and some die after years of suffering from what an antibiotic could of helped and in certain cases a rotation, monitored and proper treatment could of saved many however lets blame people doing things they may not even do to excuse why healthy doctors need to disregard the sick. I would be wanting to leave to if the way to cure someone isnt allowed or if crazy theories weren't entirely true and will say glad my surgeon didn't listen cause Id still be in 9+ pain loads having seizure without my surgical repair many said wouldnt help, but it did and I was able to leave a bed after 4 years in one very ill. Fully grateful to those doctors who hang tough and actually listen to a patient going above and beyond rather then wasting my life destroyed by several who refused to listen. Thank you! Thank you! As life wasnt worth it until one of you helped me and granted I still have certain issues Im battling, but Im closer to having a life not lived cripple in a bed bouncing in and out of unkind ERs who drug me sick to a bench seat and had to lie about calling a cab in worse pain then I had arrived. There is no one size fits all here we can have hidden genetic dispositions we have no control of, we can have exposures not looked into properly you cant lump us into the same situation or you fail your patients.
I worked for a physical medicine and rehab group in Denver. It was huge..6 offices...many mds and several chiropx and psycho tx doctors. They pushed and pushed treatments and PT and medications. It was busy. Then came financial crash in 2008. Then few pts came. I was fired in 2010 for old age. My boss had spinal surgery and it didnt work but he got onto special pain pads and he got hooked. He also had frequent injections and worked while under their influences. Definite personality change. Its good to know doctors med situation before seeing them.
I have had very threatening phone calls from MDs at University Hospitals that somehow their patients diabetes cleared up after working with me. I took the calls as compliments.
@@caridabaptiste9878 Nope, some very approved and accepted therapies that work on the nervous system. Although the trainers and teachers of a lot of these therapies have been watering them down.
Unfortunately I had an MRI already. After watching your video and Dr Goobie’s video, I’m not having the surgery or injection anymore. I’ll sleep,loose weight,eat better and move. Thank you ❤
I have been working my ass off to have my mother undergo the surgery after the insurance company refused to. I had covered them way back. My parents retired when I was just 11 and they were earning like $30 a month. Her procedure costs more than I have saved. I just turned 30.
My father started having back surgery in the late 70s. 8 back surgeries left him bent over, damaging hip joints. Totally unable to walk now, 86 years old. Living with me now. My back pain started at age 40, lifting. I refused back surgery. I have bad weeks. But still able to take care of Dad.
We have walked the same unfathomable path- as my Phd mother always said: unless you have absolute loss of function do not attempt any spine surgery: it is a literal Russian Roulette- why would anyone do that with their body. Desperation creates bad judgment Heroes like you lead us away from those bad decisions and will help many find a healing route❤.
Dr Sarno's Book "Healing The Back" stopped me from getting surgery when I was 35. I am 70 now and have no problems what so ever. May God Bless you and Loved ones.
Thank you for posting your truth. RU-vid has been hit with others in the medical field, debunking you and Dr. Goobie's post. Don't give up. You're helping people in the medical field as well as patients more than you know. Well done, sir! People need to hear the truth!!!! 👏
I just got done listening to Dr Goobies video and came across yours. Perfect timing 😊. I’m so grateful to both of you for coming out and explaining, educating us uninformed individuals on this topic. Millions of lives are destroyed from the big coverup (lies). Thanks 🙏 for your honesty and compassion.
many years ago... I had double herniated disc. Excruciating pain for 5 years. I couldn't afford the surgery, and then one day I fell down a flight of stairs hitting L4/L5 ... almost passed out from the pain... over the next 3 weeks.... pain went away. Went to the surgeon, who said get another MRI... which I did. Bulges totally disappeared. He said ... who did the surgery? I said no one. I fell... an then I got better? He said IMPOSSIBLE heheh
I injured my knee years ago, at my daughters 18th I was bringing food back inside wearing leather soled shoes, the ground was wet with dew. I stepped onto the aluminium track of the sliding door, my foot slipped and smacked my knee in the exact place to realign my knee issue. The universe heals in fascinating ways 😂 Glad you are feeling better!
This is my daily dilemma. I work in dentistry and I’ve really tried to dedicate my time in the field to trying to get down to the core of why people are getting cavities why they are developing periodontal disease. So much of western medicine is about putting a bandaid on the problem fix the symptoms but never down to core. His video resonated so much to me.
I am so glad to hear a professional and dentistry say that! Have you ever heard of xylitol gum to help the teeth be cleaner? I would be interested in a professional’s opinion.
@@wendywhite2642 xylitol won’t necessarily clean teeth but it helps aid in saliva production. So it is good for people with dry mouth to reduce the risk of increase cavities.
Know why people gets cavities and have dental issues? Acidic diets and then they have toxins/acids circulating in the body where toxins cannot escape through the teeth because they are capped off. Root canals are killing people, amalgam fillings with mercury, toothpaste and water with fluoride. Eat alkaline, more fruit and guess what no more issues. Amazing the changes that will occur. 👍😁
I've been a massage therapist for almost 20 years. I see a lot of people with sciatica symptoms. One of my pregnant clients, suffering with hip pain and dysfunction, went to 3 doctors (obgyn, GP & orthopedist). They all had different opinions and offered different treatments. But not a single one of these doctors actually touched her hip, nobody palpated the area. After one massage session she had marked improvement, she had tight muscles in just the right places. She may have also been helped by PT but nobody suggested that to her either. It's hard not to get disgusted by how medicine is practiced.
I woke up one morning with no ability to move. Pain - undescribable. It took 10 years of physiotherapy for me to walk/live again. Was worth it. Viva conscious awareness!!!
Thank you for speaking out there. Yes, I saw Dr Goobie vlog. And only few would tell the truth. I worked for 40 years as a nurse & I observed & believed it. Hope your videos will enlighten & teach many out there.
I also appreciated his "raw and down-to-earth" approach to releasing his message. I was experiencing similar feelings about my job, old job now, too. I don't remember when he left his job, but I left mine last year, and now feel pretty much the same relief he's feeling.
I am a healthcare administrator (pretty young, 5 years in the field). I watch these videos to educate myself and others broaden my perspective so that I can better advocate for clinical experts. I appreciate the thoughts this video made me come away with to reflect on 🙏🏽
I have severe degenerative disc disease and thankfully had a neurosurgeon who told me that I should never get surgery because it would only hurt my condition. I had to really change my lifestyle!
15 years ago a very successful English medical practitioner told me stay away from people with knives, now this bloke was full of wisdom, I'm so grateful.
Thank you 4 ur info. I m retired nurse with arthritis in shoulder and both knees and disk protrusion in thoracic and lumbar area. I have never seen anyone improve from back surgery. Not for me I have always believed ur and other Dr theory of thought. I went to plant based diet. Increase my minerals vit, lost wt. All labs normal, no dibetes no heart disease. Exercise by walking. I m a senior and doing great. U and Dr dobie have the right ideal. B the captain of ur own ship. God bless take cate❤❤❤
I knew someone who was helped by getting a disc replacement and I know someone else who had cervical surgery who was helped but she was told the surgery she had only had good results in recent years due to improvements to the technique. I suspect some surgeons are not very good and some people are poor candidates for surgery and then of course some procedures have better success rates than others.
After high school I went straight to medical school, that was back in 1970 in a large European capital. A few things became obvious to me: med school learning was easy for me and I wanted other challenges every day in my life. Basic science was clearly more what I could live with happily. Also even so many years ago it was obvious to me that LIFE STYLE CHOICES were more often than not the reason for ill health. More often than not a GP would spend all his time giving prescriptions for pills that would just be palliatives for symptoms but never a cure. In fact these GPs were so busy they did not have time to keep up with advances in basic science😂. It is a decision that none of your best friends will fully understand: leaving med school in 3rd year for a new country and a new field and all your family and friends. But I was sure it was the right decision. I was sure science was the way to "save more people". I had decided to NEVER make any choice based on money because it will never really make sense to me. 50+ years later, the "life style issues" and the poison of the financial interests are more obvious than ever. A small portion of the population starts to understand that being healthy is a choice in a majority of cases.
@@jeanalice4732Ya, of course there's a place for surgery. Not everyone is in pain that a physical therapist(not an md) can deal with. A car accident leading to torn muscles and blood vessels or a horrible farm accident where a skilled surgeon needs to sew an arm back together is invaluable. He's being a bit hyperfocused saying no one needs an mri. In his field, sure, but in the ER for example when you need to find the damage asap, you do what you need to do. Also, many people with severe scoliosis would have been doomed without critical surgery.
I just watched his video, and now your video popped up. You've already taught me ways to take care of my back so that I am not stuck in pain. Thank you.
Me too! Had it in 2010, amazing results. I was at my wits end and didn’t want surgery but I could not live how I was living. Glad you also had a good result.
I have a PhD and an MD, and we have the same philosophy. My current focus is on applying my expertise in biomedical informatics and medicine to provide patients with individualized, evidence-based, research-driven, and unbiased cutting-edge science treatments targeted populations suffering from diverse diseases with high-unmet medical needs.
This sounds like an advertisement. People don't need all this scientific new, cutting-edge crap. We are sick and tired of being fooled & manipulated. If a person simply changes their lifestyle it will fix almost everything except things like broken bones. We just need you doctors to make us understand, to change our lifestyle. I did, and am off all 12 meds and just get 6 month Comprehensive Lab tests. No expensive imaging, etc. I Love my doctor for agreeing to go on this journey with me. He truly is a God send. I'm 70 and feel like I'm 35. When I was 35, I felt like 70. The Free key: God, truly Love and help others, Grass fed & Organic Keto or other Non-processed food diet, exercise, nature and socializing.
My husband experience is different. He had the back surgery in 2017. Before that, he suffered for sciatic pain for more than two years. They did the try everything first, including the acupuncture until they decided to do the back surgery. They braced the L-3, 4, and 5. His surgeon told him that L1&2 were also bad but just wanted the L3-5 first. On his appt after the surgery, he saw his surgeon and I heard the surgeon tell him “I dare you to break that titanium”. Ha! Three months later, my husband and I were working on our front and back yards taking out the sods and replacing them with artificial turf. It took us more than a month because of heat as it was summer. He was tired but the back held up. He still is doing fine and no more problems in the back. He’s one of those successful back surgeries.
Artificial turf is evil. It cannot support life like the birds and bees our lives are deeply intertwined with. Worse it's anti life and health being toxic and pollutive.
See what dr goobie said that the surgeries helped some people and did not help some . It helped the people who had a better lifestyle like sleep , meditation, diet etc
I saw and loved Dr Goobie’s video and am loving yours, still watching. Glad you mentioned the exceptions to the rule; physical trauma that breaks bones can be fixed by neurosurgeons and provide almost instant relief. I am a retired nurse and have seen all these issues first hand. Age 18 I fractured pars bones L5 S1 in a gymnastics fall. Graduated nursing school, excited about working on a spinal cord injury rehab unit…or anywhere…no one would hire me! They xrayed my back and saw the fractures and slippage of vertebrae and knew that this would be a problem for a nurse. I convinced them to hire me, stayed a year and a half. Many other jobs but few that required physical care of patients. Age 25 the pain became severe. Plant based super healthy diet, exercising, doing everything I could to get out of pain but it kept getting worse. Chiropractors kept me functioning. Age 47, a neurosurgeon that worked at the same hospital as me repaired my back and my life completely changed, no more pain. Felt like a miracle. That was in 2010 and I can do handstands and live an amazing active life at 61. So there are exceptions, and I work very hard to stay fit so that this surgery was not wasted on me. Thank you for your courage in presenting this controversial information.
This is what we all hope for (those suffering with spinal-related pain). The benefit/risk assessment is often unpredictable. Very glad for you! Thanks for sharing.
I saw Dr Goobie's video and it really moved me. I am a PT. I started following his advice on healing. Not eating salt, eating less meat, drinking enough water, getting exercise and having a support system. I have seen alot of spine patients and Ive had good results with pilates. Pilates done with rehab background so its safe.
Everything you said is correct! As a breast cancer survivor, I was frightened into continuing to have chemo long after my cancer was gone. The doctors insisted that if I stopped taking chemo, MRIs, etc. that I would die. Fear is the only reason why I continued. Now, my bones are brittle, and I feel 20 years older. I changed my entire lifestyle by eating keto, exercising, mindfulness and avoiding toxic people. My cancer markers have been low for years. Yet, the oncologist continues to pressure me into taking chemo saying that the cancer could return if I don't take the poisonous meds. Well, I am healthy and keep telling him that I'll take chemo when the cancer returns. He didn't like that. So, I got a new oncologist. She doesn't pressure me into taking chemo BUT she keeps insisting on taking the MRIs. Not taking them. I've shrunk an inch and need extra dental work because my jawbone is deteriorating. Now, my teeth may fall out sooner rather than later. It is so sad but so true. It's all about them making money.
My breast cancer has never been touched by chemo or radiation or an MD although it was identified by a very expensive pet scan. I had a nurse through planned parenthood who found the lump. So I went, but I’ve lived happily ever after lo these last eight years because my partner helped me with researching diet and supplements and good things saffron and other stuff. No pain no loss of hair no money for doctors no big big money for the hospitals from me. And homeschooled my last one. And I’ve been drinking raw milk on my life, but I had to chase it. Chase the cows. Be brave it’s worth it.
Tapping for pain can be very helpful, also for many other things. Vit C and Magnesium helpful. All the best with positive change. Good bodywork Bowen, Network Chiro, Jin Shin Jyutus, reflexology, herbs can all help.
We are not alone all of us that have worked in health care have spent our lives serving others & speaking for myself I’ll always be proud of that but after spending over 30 years in health care I’m at a point where I’m realizing I haven’t served myself. I’m now in transition to where I don’t know but a change is needed, what that is I don’t know. It’s the fear of the unknown that bothers me being unsettled in life is not a good feeling & the older you are the more you feel it.
thanks for watching! Both fear and faith demand that you believe in something you cannot see. Choose faith! Thank you for your service- can totally relate to this!
Thank you for sharing your important story! You are what I thought all doctors were before I became a nurse. After 30yrs of hospital nursing, (last 20 years on a rehab unit) I know you are a very rare example of a real physician. Thank you for your integrity and courage! 🙏
Thank you so much for bringing to light the dark side of our medical practice. It takes a lot of courage, humility, and honesty to do that. As someone who has been in the healthcare profession for nearly two decades, I came to the conclusion that our healthcare practice is more geared at managing symptoms & keeping patients stable but sick enough to remain pharma dependent generating a lifetime of income for big pharma & prescribing providers. The way insurance companies are allowed to dictate what care patients are receiving is another horrible practice that has been working against patients olin our country. It's great to learn from your & Dr. Goobie's perspective how patients hurt by being subjected to have diagnostics & procedures they didn't need in the first place. Thank you so much for this eye opening video! I hope more & more professionals like you two will come out in droves driving maybe a revolutionary reform in our medical practice.
Never would I have imagined Goobie's video to show up on my youtube recommendation last week, but I would have even less imagined I would see a reaction to his video as well 😂 Loved listening to the first video, hope this react vid shares good stuff too!
Hello at the 36 minute mark in the video you state you got out of manual therapy yet later on in the video you still see people . I’m confused you’re in business or you’re exclusively a teacher. The vast majority of things throughout your speech, I agree with I’ve seen it with my own eyes. However, on the other hand, I’ve had multiple issues throughout my life. I will share one in particular I had a shoulder issue. I tried every thing conceivable to rehab it. I finally went to a radiologist who had seen a buildup of calcium in the joint and then proceeded to go in with a needle and remove the calcium. Happy today to say that experience was totally worth it. No shoulder pain. I could stay at home, possibly for the next 30 years, imagining that it will heal on its own with all my positive affirmations. I needed work and thank goodness someone had gotten it done for me. I clearly see the level of greed you are talking about in medical doctors and chiropractors unfortunately, they got zapped with a large bill at the end of their studies and they now need to pay it down . I get it I’ve seen it. What is the fix…
I believe the MIT graduate neurosurgeon’s opinion, life style changes do make a ton of difference in a person’s health, and he honestly presented the result of his observation as a practicing neurosurgeon. I have a sever back (spine) pain issues, I used to walk 3-5 miles in the mornings, 5 days per week, now I have a hard time walking quarter of a mile. I’ve firmly decided to follow the MIT neurosurgeon’s advice.
You decided to follow the neurosurgeons advice. Which was to optimize the healing environment mentally and physically as spine surgery doesn’t solve the root issue. This is exactly what I advocate. Am I missing something? Either way- glad you’re not getting surgery!
@@docrjay not trying to dodge the question here... but my first question would be, what type of tumor are we talking about and how can we be certain the tumor is the source of pain and not an incidental finding? For example, I see many people with neurofibromas who are able to relieve their pain naturally. They clearly have a "tumor" that they were told is the root issue of their problem... but became painfree using mind + movement as medicine (tumor still present... pain gone)... which tells us it wasn't the true source of symptoms. Essentially, how do we differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic tumors?
@@drcharliejohnson I should have been more specific with my question. Suppose the tumor is a plexiform nuerofibroma with intraspinal extension and the patient is exhibiting myelopathy. Should I refer to physical therapy, psychiatry, social work?
True story. Doctors given up cancer patients decided meet together and sing and enjoy the time left for them. Well! With six months all beat the cancer! These women even walked to first Camp in Himalaya mountain in Nepal. I literally cured(without knowing it) stage 4 stomach cancer patient who had 7 days to a month to live(if he is lucky, doctor had said). I began telling him beautiful happy life stories for him to imagine that could be for him. Instantly his breathing became normal and his expression became peaceful. He was discharged within 10-12 days of my visit. Love, compassion, and hope changes cancer cells to normal cells again. Cell Reversion is REAL!
@@smallbeginning2 I do things when I feel 'called' from Jesus. A lady was scheduled to have a mastectomy in 2 wks. I was asked to accompany a girl to follow her to the house to pray for her. Upon arrival, the patient's husband treated me as if I was a healer or something. I am a sinner, an ordinary person. I asked the patient to pray first.The way she prayed/talked to Jesus, I knew there would be a good news. As I was leaving the house she thanked me and hugged me. I turned around toward my car but I turned back to her and said, "You will be okay " I couldn't control myself. I learned that when she went to the hospital to have the surgery, her doctor said, " You don't need surgery. The lump has disappeared." after checking her for the surgery. Overjoyed, she decided to volunteer for her church. I have many more miraculous testimonies. Jesus is with us 24/7 literally. She was Lutheran. I am Catholic. Religion is not important but Jesus sees our hearts. All diseases can be healed w/o medicine.
Listening to you reminds me of a very honest and true statement from a radiologist I have worked with in the past. He said that doing a bunch of diagnostic tests, imaging, procedures, etc….”Only changes the INCOME, but not the outcome.”
I love your says *to show your parents they are wrong for not supporting you to college...a guidance counselor cosigned you a loan for college...wow! There are so many great people out there!
I had surgery on prolapsed disc (herniated disk) in my lower back. After 8 months of sciatica pain, during which time i tried all sorts of other therapies. The surgery gave me relief right away as soon as i got out of surgery. I hopped up out of bed the next morning and had myself checked out of the hospital ward, went home to a nice decent bed, and i made sure to go for a decent walk everyday. But didnt lift stuff for the first 6 weeks. I'm back to around 80% perfect. My back is a bit weaker, but mostly absolutely no sciatica pain other than very rarely. Before my surgery i couldn't go for a walk without the sciatica pain becoming terribly unbearable.
@slimdusty6328 Great that surgery has improved things for you. There is undoubtedly a place for this, along with adequate rehabilitation. The reality is that there are dishonest surgeons and others allied to healthcare, which is good business for someone but not necessarily the patients!
I am an RN x 35 years and saw this video and agree with all of you speaking up. Many nurses have been disabled because they tried to help patients.The patients generally treat nurses like inanimate objects to lift themselves up or the nurse cannot find assistive devices to turn or lift the patient and if they wait for it to be available or for another person to help they will lose time. They do not have time because of the quotas,etc. I myself had a few serious injuries, I had a cervical spine injury with a bulge rubbing on the spine and it honestly took 10 years before I stopped having pain. All of this is absolutely truth. I did not advocate for myself having surgery because I saw my coworkers become injured, do conservative measures and then surgery and then they did not recover. They became disabled.
Nursing 101-- the individuality of the patient. Ppl react differently to treatments. I'm sure you made the best decision for yourself. I'm sorry for your injuries. I was also injured at work assisting a patient. My life was never the same. That patient could never know how that effected the rest of my life. But it was my responsibility to care for her. I remain thankful for the opportunity to have protected her.
Dr Goobie has started a beautiful butterfly effect. Keep talking, cause you are the voice to transformational change, which needs to occur world wide! Suggestions run insidiously everywhere! We all need to BELIEVE in the self….
I Loved "Dr. Goobie's" talk...enthralling. He was completely altruistic, genuine & authentic ! I have a real life, Outside of my career. I am active in nature. And I attempt to focus 100% on my clients, even if at the detriment to my income. I can sleep bettet that way--doing my part.
With you 💯% as a fellow therapist assistant. Not sure if this is the right word to use, but i felt so vindicated when i saw Goobys video. It was like"finally" a DOCTOR, least of all a neurosurgeon, gets it - the veil has been lifted. I just hope more conversation like this will continue within the medical community bc the way insurance works like you said when it comes to reimbursing providers and hospitals is just so bad. I got burnt out from the outpatient clinic i worked at after only a few years for some of the issues you saw. I'm in the hospital now and we just unionized a few years back, so at least now they can't fire me for not being productive enough when I'm trying to help the understaffed nurses or educate my patients at the bedside.
I have moderate/severe scoliosis (~50 degrees) and have been adamant about refusing surgery. This video and Goobie's video make me feel better about my decision.
Thank you for being honest, Dr. Charlie. I am 57 and truthfully say that almost every professional I ever paid for a service or product has lied, manipulated, and/or stolen from me. I have figured majority of what you said out myself but it took me a long time and I lost a lot in the process. I will use what I learned from you and, hopefully, the next time I "move my back" never comes. Thank you for making this video.
For Neurofibromatosis 2, NF2, dealing with Vestibular Schwannomas (Acoustic Neuromas), spinal tumors, and tumors in andon the nerves throughout the body, there comes a point where surgery is the only safe option to stay alive (VS growing into brainstem), and surgical resection of various tumors, is the only hope for pain management, but only when it is worth the risk of possible death, disfigurement, disability, or possibly permanent nerve damage and more pain. The right neurosurgeon can save your quality of life. Physical therapy, however, is an essential part of staying functional, as much as possible. Quality of life, and function requires the patient to get good nutrition , and correct posture and exercise, or we become more crippled, faster. Pain management is essesntial, as well. Radiation and chemotherapy, too many surgeries for NF2 patients leads to more suffering, more disfigurement, more disability, sooner death. Patient taking responsibility for self care is essential for highest quality of life. Nothing fixes all pain, suffering, disability, sadly. But there is a clear correlation between staying as healthy and functional as possible, as long as possible.
Thanks for watching! Sure, surgery is valuable (or one could even say necessary for some of the things you describe)... luckily these pathologies are rare.
Thank you, Dr Johnson! You're right, according to my experience! I had a persistent pain in my cervical spine after awakening one morning. No idea why, just woke up one morning with it and no idea how to get relief. I worked at a reputable hospital system in IT, so I found an orthopedic doc specializing in the cervical spine. I took the soonest available appt after going to work, trying to "shake it off" since it seemed to do with the way I slept. I hardly slept because laying down was the worst. I got an MRI and it showed something but the doc said he sees a lot of people with a worse case than I had and they got PT. So he recommended PT. I had 2 weeks of PT, 3 times a week. All they had me do is a couple of exercises that took under a half hour: A weight cable triceps pull-down very light weight and there was this clock painted on a wall where I had to extend my arm on the bad side to reach each number on the clock one at a time. It was painful, hard and slow at first. I had doubts. After the first week, it was improving. After the second week, pain was gone. I still didn't have full range of motion on the arm but it no longer hurt. But over a few months, it completely returned to normal. Last year, I had a different problem with sciatica in my right hip, and limped for a couple of weeks, probably because I sit so much at my job. I had my PCP write an order for PT. This sciatica kept me from walking for exercise and was beginning to keep me from just everyday life walking. I had PT for 5 months, once a week. It got better gradually, but the problem moved from the glute to the IT band to the psoas. I had 5 exercises and others were added over time. Finally it was good enough to quit PT and start full body training at the gym. Now I walk 2-3 miles for exercise 5 days a week. I walked 45k steps last week. This week it was 40k steps. At first my avg mile pace was 28 minutes, today it was 19 minutes. That much improvement in 4 months. Without pain or soreness during walk or after. Before PT and gym, I was down to about 7k steps a week, barely able to limp from the work parking garage to my desk and back, and to the restroom or kitchen. It did take me almost a year to heal from the start of my issue, and I wasn't sure I'd ever be normal at a point, but I healed with a lot of help, blood, sweat and tears. I lost a lot of weight as well. Just graduated to normal bmi, waist and hip measurements from morbidly obese bmi. Still have a few more pounds to be mid-range normal bmi. I was lucky to find solutions to my problems without surgery, shots, pills, adjustments, or braces of any kind. My job had been very stressful. I retired at the end of my PT for sciatica to get rid of sitting all the time and stress. That was 4 months ago. The best decision! So yes, my job for the past 44 years involved sitting all day working a ton of hours in a stressful job. Being 71 where one loses muscle unless one resistance trains, I decided to take retirement and improve. So grateful to my orthopedic doc and my PCP, both of whom wrote me orders for PT. My personal trainer once a week is also a lifesaver. He noticed my posture alignment was bad and after correcting it, I was able to walk without pain at a faster pace more frequently. So what Dr Johnson says is true. What appears to be a physical problem may have a physical cause and/or a mental or spiritual cause. It can feel very defeating. Btw, in 2016, I had Ulcerative Colitis one time in my life and it's been in remission after antibiotics. In 2017, there was cancer caught early, now in remission 7 years after outpatient surgery without chemo or immunotherapy. Retiring and regaining the ability to be outside, exercise everyday and stay active all day, be around people who aren't stressed, eat healthy food and drop to normal weight, do regular meditation...all helped. No alcoholic or drugs, prescription or otherwise, for 8 years. My BP, A1C, Cholesterol are all good. Am I ever lucky! Perhaps someone will see this post and realize what can be possible when you are lucky and apply yourself some. I believe in the power of letting go of what already is, as well as the placebo effect. To believe you can overcome is the best thing you can do. Plus get the right kind of help of course!
I am a person with scoliosis in their 60s who could not have lived a normal life without my chiropractor! I don’t usually have to see him more than once or twice a year, but there have been many times (during pregnancy) where I couldn’t take a deep breath due to a pinched nerve, and I was relieved instantly by a chiropractic treatment. Now all chiropractors are not the same. The odd time I had to visit a different chiropractor when mine was away, I did not get instant relief and they always wanted to immediately schedule me for more visits.
There is no health care today. There is only meds and surgery. There is no holistic dietitians who truly care about health. They care about profit. If we really really cared, a lot of suffering would have ended by now and costs to the sick will have been less. But if you get sick, out of pocket costs will cause your early demise. Be healthy people. 🎉😊
Hi Charlie, I agree with you 100%! You are a real healer, and yes, I victimized myself (with groin/hip pain) and will somehow undo it. I don't know how yet and wish I could see you, but I am in Florida, far away from civilization. Thank you for all you do. Jane
Hey Jane thanks for watching. You're welcome! I know we may be far away distance wise- but I consult with folks virtually all over the world and would be happy to review your case if interested. If you'd like- just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply - select a time to chat, then follow instructions to submit a "case review." Okay? Hang in there Jane! Dr. Charlie PT
I am so inspired by how you treat patients. I had multiple health issues when I was in my 20's doctors were extremely dismissive and wanted to write prescriptions first usually the problems and pain needed antianxiety or antidepressants according to them. It helped nothing and symptoms got worse. It took years to find a holistic natural pathic doctor who has since retired. I don't go to doctor at all now except to treat my hypothroid once a year to test for natural thyroid medication. I now have back and leg pain flaring up that was never addressed then. Your videos have helped me to know maybe what is wrong and where to go if needed. Thank you so much
I had a low back, tailbone pain problem that made me unable to sit. I went to my gp who send me on to an orthopedist who sent me for an MRI, I was sent to a spine doctor and gave him my MRI CD (this was a while ago 😅). He looked at the results and I told him I had read them. Sensing my uneasiness he told me that MRI results always make you think your going to die. I wasn't in bad shape. He said you have the healthiest back I've seen in a 67 year old. He thought it was something muscular so he sent me to PT. The PT he sent me to did various tests and said I think you have a pelvic floor problem. I had no idea that women who've never had children could have a pelvic floor problem. He said, yep and men too. They think they have a testicular issue and it winds up being that. So, some physical therapy to strengthen and relax my pelvic floor and I was fixed. So....don't spend a long time sitting and keep on moving. I still have those exercise and still do them. I also weight train.
Just subscribed! Yes, I watched his RU-vid by accident just days ago. He was sitting by the mountain and happily talking about his stories. Kudos to you for sharing your experience.
I think these videos are overly unfair towards the surgeons. I’ve talked to people that can walk 4-5 kilometers after a spinal fusion , that couldn’t before. But some surgeries fail
One of my surgery my nerve was completely pitched Off and it was obvious from the mri, i wasn’t suppose to be able to walk in like I did, I was rushed into surgery the next day, my surgeon was concerned I drove myself to the appointment, I said if my right leg stops working I can just drive with my left leg. The pain was so great sometimes it made me drop to the ground, cry and blackout.
I am a former spine patient who ended up with 5 separate surgeries and I have 4 levels fused in my neck following years after an accident when I was 18. I am now 63 and I no longer look for answers from supposed experts, I have been the best advocate for my health and I guard it carefully. I know that when I took my health back into my hands and researched what I felt my issues were, I was able to overcome a lot and I am still active in my life because I took control and removed all the drugs etc…always believe in yourself first and foremost! ❤❤❤
Thanks for your medical advice and approach to solving the pain and suffering problem. As patients we are shown the way and the path to a healthier living and it is impossible to make our own course but with you and the MIT neurosurgeon we can see and find other alternatives. Once again, thanks.
I had spinal stenosis in my neck causing serious shoulder pain and after doing pt and shots first and it not working I had no choice but to do surgery if I wanted to get better. After discectomy and fusion my pain went away significantly and I’m doing very good now. I understand everyone has varying degrees of success depending on individual circumstances and I feel for those that it didn’t work out exactly the way it should have, but here’s my main point - I was told upfront and signed papers knowing that the surgery wasn’t a guarantee success and I was told I could even die in surgery although that was a very low chance but I had no illusions going in. At the same time it is also true that it is up to us to help ourselves by living right and living healthy first and foremost.
He will always have the knowledge of an MD. He can work anywhere as a physician and he can work in the clinical research arena. He has many options open to him in the future. Loved his story and ur story. I have been there and im there again at 57. Life is good and it is ok to embrace change that will bring peace and happiness in your life. ❤
Thank you soooo much for this. I have AF 3 years ago, was admitted for 2 nites. Left the hospital with turning my heartbeats back to normal. Worst still, I brought back 3 other illness. Like you said, I did the research going back 70 years, listen to my symptoms, and seek alternative treatments e.g. IV ascorbic acid, lycine, copper from liver and seafood etc. Now I had healed myself of all my illness. And you are right: our environment, lifestyle and most of all just lotssss of sleep. Back in the old days (100 years ago) doctors take a more personal and patient subjective approach.
Never got spine surgery for L5 S1 grade 2 spondylollisthesis. I changed the foods I ate and lifestyle that reduced inflammation 95%.Also refused P.T. afterwards I always felt awful . Observing those who got spine surgery and did months of surgery yet ate the Standard American Diet of processed , inflammatory foods , who are still in pain and continue to get more surgeries . We do have the power to heal ourselves.Highly recommend Maria Emmerich health coach who's philosophy , teachings and recipes I used to heal , and still use to this day .
I broke my ACL so an ortopidic surgery was really resolving my problem... Is it bad that it's resuming to profit over humans but war happens aswel so take care! We all need eachothers. Sry my bad English not my maternal language
thanks for watching! recent research suggests that ACL surgery is not necessary for a subset of folks... interesting stuff! Thanks for sharing your story!