The role of spinal surgery in the treatment of low back pain

Spinal surgery has a role in alleviating radicular pain and disability resulting from neural compression, or where back pain relates to cancer, infection, or gross instability. Spinal surgery for all other forms of back pain is unsupported by clinical data, and the broader evidence base for spinal surgery in the management of LBP is poor and suggests it is ineffective. Emerging areas of interest include selection of a minority of patients who may benefit from surgery based on spinal sagittal alignment and/or nuclear medicine scans, but an evidence base is absent.

 The Snake Oil in Spine Surgery: One Spine Surgeon’s Perspective

Spine surgery is an organic field. It’s ever changing and much of the equipment, implants, and techniques used 10 years ago are different today. As the field has evolved, so too has our ability to predict who will benefit from surgery.

Medical Endeavors w/ my Herniated and Degenerative Lumbar Disc

I had a herniated disc at L4/L5 and Degenerative Disc Disease at the same level. I've tried different things to get it healed, starting with conservative treatment and even stem cells. Ultimately, on Nov. 3rd, 2010 I flew to England and had an M6-L Artificial Disc Replacement. This blog is a storyline on my medical adventure. Wish me luck!

Needless treatments: spinal fusion surgery for lower back pain is costly and there’s little evidence it’ll work

There is little high-quality evidence to support the use of spinal fusion for most back-related conditions, including spinal stenosis. And there is disagreement between surgeons on when spinal fusion surgery should be performed, not only for back pain but also for more acute conditions such as tumours and spine fractures.

Pro athletes make fixing back pain look easy. It isn’t

Many individuals afflicted with back pain look to the experience of professional athletes as they try to decide how to treat it. When sports figures’ backs give out, they don’t adopt a wait-and-see attitude. Instead, they seek help immediately, from a shortlist of high-profile spine surgeons who drop everything to care for them.

Spine Surgery Myths

Facing the possibility of spine surgery can be scary for many people. However, there are many myths about spine surgery that cloud people’s judgment when it comes to making the best decisions for their health.

The Puzzling Popularity of Back Surgery in Certain Regions

Often discussed, the big challenge in health care is to reduce spending by cutting wasteful care. It seems just as important, though, not to let more waste creep in as it did with back surgery. Once it spreads widely, it’s very hard to undo.

Trends in outpatient minimally invasive spine surgery

This increasing prevalence has been driven by several factors including advanced MIS techniques, improvements in perioperative pain management, and economic necessity.

Why You Should Never Get Fusion Surgery For Plain Back Pain

A recent Bloomberg article should put the fear of God in anyone who wants to get a fusion operation for low back pain blamed on worn-out spinal discs.

Why ‘Useless’ Surgery Is Still Popular

Take what happened with spinal fusion, an operation that welds together adjacent vertebrae to relieve back pain from worn-out discs. Unlike most operations, it actually was tested in four clinical trials. The conclusion: Surgery was no better than alternative nonsurgical treatments, like supervised exercise and therapy to help patients deal with their fear of back pain. In both groups, the pain usually diminished or went away.