When the Physician Becomes the Patient

    BOTHELL, WA, November 22, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Steven E. Levine, MD, Founder and Medical Director of Midwest Pain and Spine recently found himself in extreme lower back pain and in need of care. In seeking treatment for his own back pain, Dr. Levine says he wanted to avoid traditional back surgery which would address the immediate problems but would inevitably lead to more problems in the future.

"I did not want a traditional surgery because I knew it would make me feel better, but within five to seven years ... [my vertebrae] would collapse, and nine times out of ten in the traditional sense requires a fusion surgery," Levine says. "With a fusion, in five years the spine segments above and below begins to degenerate. The point is, you can't fix back pain with surgery, so you want to avoid surgery."

Dr. Levine looked all over the world to find doctors who specialized in minimally invasive spine surgery.

"The difficulty (as doctors) is finding good surgeons or good physicians to take care of us," he says. "Some of the best people who can do this are not in America. They're in China, they're in France, they're in Korea, they're in England, they're in Germany."

Dr. Levine sought out Dr. Kamson at the Spine Institute Northwest in Seattle, WA. Dr. Kamson offered a less invasive surgical decompression procedure to treat Dr. Levine's back without destabilizing it and causing further problems such as stenosis, disc degeneration, or more back pain.

"Dr. Kamson is one of the few physicians that I know in the United States that can do what needs to be done less invasively," Dr. Levine says. "He cares about his patients, and has taken the time to travel the world to educate himself."

Dr. Levine says he is very satisfied with his procedure and would recommend Dr. Kamson wholeheartedly to any other doctor or person who needs help with their back pain.

"My trip out here to see Dr. Kamson was to have a less invasive surgical decompression of my spine that would allow me to get up the same day and walk, with a band aid on my back," says Dr. Levine. "The approach Dr. Kamson took didn't destabilize my spine."

The physicians at the Spine Institute Northwest strive to remain at the forefront of pain management, engaging in continuous research and pursuing further educational opportunities to stay up-to-date on best practices and new developments. For example, Dr. Kamson used regenerative medicine to help Dr. Levine's spine to accelerate healing and provide lasting recovery.

"Dr. Kamson applied some of the latest stem cells therapy to help regenerate my disc," says Dr. Levine, "which helps maintain the integrity of the joint space and grow a little bit more cartilage to help the joint pain as well."

About Spine Institute Northwest
Spine Institute Northwest has been providing quality healthcare services since 2000. The medical team at Spine Institute Northwest strives to deliver excellent medical service and care with an emphasis on minimally invasive procedures such as laser spine surgery. The Institute's philosophy places a strong emphasis on early intervention, starting with an accurate diagnosis and initiation of proper treatment. At Spine Institute Northwest, the focus is on preventing the kind of chronic disability often associated with untreated or poorly managed, intractable pain. Learn more at www.spineinstitutenorthwest.com.

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