Hey Doc, Can I Avoid Back Surgery?
About 75% of American adults experience back pain every year. Some people experience minor strains that heal with rest and time, but others experience unrelenting pain and can barely get out of bed. Still others feel pain and numbness radiating down one or both of their legs.
These serious symptoms are often caused by degenerative disc disease, when the padding (discs) between your vertebrae wears down, bulges, or herniates. They can also be caused by degenerative joint disease, where cartilage on the spine’s facet joints wears down, eventually leading to bone-on-bone contact.
When you have one of these conditions, can surgery be avoided?
Surgery is necessary if…
The vertebrae have become too unstable to work properly and you have neurological symptoms, like pain shooting down your leg.
You’re suffering from muscle weakness or “drop foot,” meaning a nerve in your leg is so constricted that you can no longer lift your foot properly as you walk.
You’re experiencing urinary or bowel control issues.
Surgery is a maybe if…
You’re suffering sciatic nerve pain down the leg. The priority is to avoid permanent nerve damage. Get opinions from two specialists: one who is an expert in invasive techniques, and another who specializes in non-invasive techniques.
You want quick relief. Elite athletes or people who have suffered for a long time might want quick relief, which surgery often achieves. However, there are pros and cons:
Pros
Your quality of life may improve quickly
Today’s minimally invasive procedures have fast recovery times
Less uncertainty; non-invasive methods can take weeks, months, or much longer.
Cons
Surgery may not work
Adverse anesthesia reactions are possible
Nerve damage is possible during surgery
You might compromise your spine further
Bottom line: Unless surgery is necessary, consider trying some non-invasive techniques before you make irreversible changes to the structure of your spine.
Suffering from back pain? Get in touch. We can talk through some options. Use the button below to book and appointment
Dr. Jake Shores
Chiropractic Neurologist
Park City, Utah
