Considering surgery is scary for anyone. Unfortunately, when back, neck, or leg pain becomes unbearable, it may be the only solution. Your doctor can explain the procedure in detail, but hearing from someone who has gone through it can be invaluable. That is why The Better Way Back® offers patient pairings.

Pairing pre-op patients with Patient Ambassadors who have already had surgery is one of the most important and powerful things we offer. Connecting with other patients will help you better understand what you may experience, from deciding to have surgery, all the way through the recovery process. Sandy and Alexandra share their experience below.

Alexandra suffered from such severe back pain that it was difficult to walk from her car to her office on most days. After she visited San Diego Orthopaedic Associates seeking help for the persistent back pain that made her life miserable, The Better Way Back staff paired her with a postoperative Patient Ambassador named Sandy. Not only was Sandy able to empathize with Alexandra, having experienced similar pain for years, she was able to share her experience with the XLIF® procedure and recovery process. This helped Alexandra overcome her fears about spine surgery and undergo the XLIF procedure. The surgery helped relieve her intense pain and now she is back to exercising and walking as much as she wants!

Watch below as Sandy, Alexandra, and their spine surgeon, Dr. Maneesh Bawa discuss the role that The Better Way Back has played in their lives.

16-NUVA-0474