Back pain affects over 80% of all people at some point in their lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to healthcare for problems like back pain has become limited for everyone.
As a Harvard trained neurosurgeon with a spine fellowship, I’ve used my 30 years of experience to write a book about back pain to help guide patients towards getting efficient care and choosing the best treatment options. My hope is that this book will help everyone avoid unnecessary, expensive, and potentially dangerous tests and treatments.
While writing the new book MY BACK HURTS, I took great efforts to address the inequalities that are inherent in today’s healthcare system. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been faced with more challenges than ever in getting the care and attention they deserve for their back pain. This is especially true for minorities and low-income households. For many people, co-pays and deductibles can be a tremendous burden- especially for minorities, who, in general, have lower household incomes. It’s my hope that this book can serve as a guide that lowers the cost of fair medical care for all.
— Dr. Richard M. Westmark
Q&A:
How has COVID-19 impacted the outpatient treatment of back pain?
Fears about crowded waiting rooms have caused patients to avoid or delay treatment. While some healthcare providers have started allowing virtual office visits, many patients are still unable to access the treatment they would normally seek.
How is the information in your book different than what one would get by just doing an online search?
The biggest downside of an online search is that the information is tremendously inconsistent- it’s hard to know whether the advice you’re getting is supported by the scientific community.
With this book, my mission was to combat the rampant misinformation online. My goal was to use my 30+ years of experience to provide the same science-driven approach that I offer for my patients.
How do you hope to make the book available for lower income people?
I am making copies of my book available at public libraries. Also, I am developing a charitable mission to translate this book and get it to underserved areas of the world.
Dr. Richard Westmark is the author of MY BACK HURTS!: A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT’S WRONG AND CHOOSING THE BEST TREATMENT. The book is available now on Amazon and at www.mybackhurtsbook.com.