Quick action to relieve pain

My husband Jim had been having back pain for more than a year. Meanwhile his PCP had retired, and we were bouncing around to different doctors but they only offered x-rays and physical therapy. Jim had asked for a referral to get an MRI but none would give it. When we switched to MDVIP and Dr. Thal, she learned of how long he had been trying to get a diagnosis and promptly gave us a referral for an MRI from a local hospital. That started the ball rolling, and she issued referrals to a local pain management specialist and a spine care specialist in Durango CO. After a few telemed sessions we were able to get an appointment for surgery in Durango about 3 months later. Dr. Thal had told us that she didn't want any NM doctor to perform the surgery because she felt that the physicians at Spine Colorado were more familiar with the type of surgery required. The surgery was a success, and since then Jim has not had any back pain, and if it weren't for Dr. Thal and MDVIP we'd probably still be going to doctors for cortisone shots that would not have pinpointed the problem and not resolved the issue.