Surgery may be best for back pain after all
January 6, 2009 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
As someone who really suffers from back pain now and then (more now than then!), articles like this always catch my eye. When my back isn’t hurting me, I don’t pay too much attention, but then it kicks in and reminds me of it’s awkward presence and I think about finding ways to beat the pain.
There had been a 2-year study that found back surgery was better than other nonsurgery treatments if you had a lumbar disc herniation, (also called a slipped or bulging disc) in the lower back. The patients were then followed for another four years and the ones who had surgery are still doing better, overall, than those who only had physiotherapy, counseling, home exercise, and/or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) although all patients did improve.
Is that enough to convince me to investigate back surgery? Well, my doctor has never mentioned it and I don’t think I’ll be the one to bring it up!
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Tags: pain blog, back pain, back surgery for back pain, back surgery, herniated disc, slipped disc
I don’t see that they studied chiropractics for those particular back situations, is that right?
A friends husband went to a chiropractor and also had physiotherapy for years and only mildly alleviated his back pain. He finally had surgery a few weeks ago (herniated disc) and he says his back feels a LOT better. In fact, he was up and did light walking a day after the surgery. He regrets waiting so long to have it done, and wishes he’d had the surgery years ago.