🎙 Episode 68 – How to Help Patients Choose Spinal Decompression before Injections or Surgery

In this episode of The Practice Builders Podcast, Dr. Kyle Pankonin explains how to help patients make a more informed decision when they’re considering spinal injections, surgery, or non-surgical decompression care. The key is not to pressure patients toward a specific choice, but to listen first, understand what their pain is taking away from them, and then clearly educate them on their options.

Dr. Kyle walks through how to use clinical findings, MRI imaging, research, and a world-class physical exam to build trust and help qualified patients understand where spinal decompression may fit before more invasive options are considered.

Key topics include:

• Why the conversation should start with listening, not selling
• How to uncover what pain is taking away from the patient and what they fear most
• How to clearly explain the differences between injections, surgery, and spinal decompression
• Using MRI findings to educate rather than scare
• Why a thorough physical exam should always be correlated with the imaging
• How to set clear expectations around results, timelines, and the treatment plan
• Discussing the financial side of cash-based decompression without creating pressure
• Why telling some patients they are not a decompression candidate actually builds trust and authority

The big takeaway: patients make better decisions when they feel heard, educated, and confident in the doctor guiding them. Focus on understanding the patient first, present the options honestly, and recommend decompression only when the clinical findings support it.

🎧 Listen now on your favorite platform!