Did you know that the most common excuse for calling in sick to work is the pain of a nagging backache? More than one half of Americans have called in to work on a Monday because of a sports injury or yard project mishap that occurred the previous weekend. Car accidents, falls, and other unexpected traumas to the back require Americans to spend over $50 billion dollars a year in treatments and solutions. The National Institute of Health has a waiting list of people trying to join their clinical trials for back pain because they have suffered so grievously from the pain — and to even qualify for the list, one must have had at least six months of ongoing, debilitating back pain. Six months of chronic pain from which there has been minimal or no relief is suffering of the worst kind. Without intervention by a properly trained physician, that pain and suffering could last years and bring many unwanted complications like limited mobility, increased medical costs, and loss of physical control of bodily functions. The spine controls all the movements in the body and when the spine is injured — even slightly — terrible complications can begin to arise.

Here’s a typical scenario: Often, the first treatment in back pain is to take an over-the-counter pain reliever and rest on the sofa for a few days. Two days turns into two weeks as the pain does not diminish, and moving your body causes agonizing pain in your legs or arms. You begin to doctor shop, trying this treatment or that exercise, often inadvertently enhancing the pain and increasing the injury. Hundreds of dollars later (depending upon your total missed wages and the cost of purchased medication), your back is no better and your efficiency and dependability at work is compromised. You have now crossed the threshold from occasional pain to chronic, debilitating pain with an added burden of losing your sick leave and maybe even having to take Family Medical Leave of Absence. Your boss is unhappy that his or her productive, dependable worker is now often calling in sick and there is no solution in sight.

Let’s add up those costs:

• Cost of aspirin = $10
• Missed wages = $1,000
• Lost reputation = Priceless

Instead of waiting months or even years to confront your injury, why not make an appointment today with the professional caregivers at Spine Institute Northwest? Their friendly and helpful staff offer Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and other non-invasive appliances to accurately diagnose the issues causing your back pain. After a few short tests and consultations, the medically advanced team will discuss with you the best option to eliminate your pain and debilitation. Aftercare is also offered at the facility, so that you can go to one place for all your back care needs. A one-day consultation could give you the answers to all your back pain problems for the rest of your life.

So let’s do another calculation:

• Cost of initial appointment = Minimal
• Number of advanced, innovative treatment options offered by the SINW = Maximum
• Relief from chronic back pain and debilitating behaviors = Priceless!