Back Surgery

Back pain is extremely common and back surgery often fails to relieve it. Your doctor may recommend back surgery if you have neck or back pain accompanied by symptoms of nerve damage. Signs and symptoms include: pain that radiates down your legs (sciatica) or arms; Numbness, weakness or tingling in your arms or legs; Loss of bladder or bowel control. There are many different back surgical procedures that physicians can perform to treat low back problems. There are two types of back surgery: decompression and stabilization (fusion).
Back fusion surgery is the most common. More than 190,000 Americans are expected to undergo spinal fusion surgery each year to ease back pain that has not responded to other therapies. Back surgery should be considered a last resort solution after trying less serious treatments. This information on back surgery is for your information only and is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your primary health care provider.