Dr. Franchi – why should people seek a second opinion when they have been advised that they need to have a total joint replacement as a result of Osteoarthritis?

Often there is more than one cause to pain which is overlooked. For example, the diagnosis of lower back pain is complex and often there is more than one cause for your pain - and sometimes the secondary cause can be overlooked. For instance, often people are told they have lower back pain from a herniated disk, however their symptoms don’t match the findings of the MRI. This is most commonly found with SacroiIliac Instability which can be treated with prolotherapy.

Another common misdiagnosis – people are told their symptoms are from a meniscus or a labral tear, when the real cause is underlying arthritis. This is most common with shoulders, knees and hips. If this is the issue, it can be treated with prolotherapy.

In both these examples, surgery will not help and, in fact, can do more damage.