Back pain can be debilitating but with the appropriate treatment, you may be able to get back to doing the things you love. You may have heard about modern treatment options such as minimally invasive or laser spine surgery but before you decide on surgery, ask yourself these questions:
Have you tried conservative treatment options?
Many patients find relief with conservative treatment options and can avoid unnecessary surgery. If symptoms persist and you don’t find relief with the conservative methods, spine surgery may be a good option for fixing the cause of your pain.
Rest: You may find that symptoms alleviate themselves if you avoid actives that place strain on the neck and back. Ice can help with inflation and heat can help with stiffness or facilitating blood flow.
Physical Therapy: By strengthening the muscles around your spine, you can increase the support that it has and reduce the amount of strain that it experiences while holding up your body.
Pain Injections: Standard medication or epidural spine injections can help reduce the symptoms of back pain. You can choose to use this solution and opt for surgery if you experience symptoms again.
Do you know the cause of your pain?
Failed back surgery syndrome, is the persistence or origin of back pain because of a bad surgery. To avoid this, ensure that you have been properly diagnosed by confirming that your surgeon is board-certified and your spine center is accredited. For example, all our surgeons are board certified for spine surgery and our center is certified by the Joint Commission. You can also confirm by getting a second opinion.
Am I eligible?
If you have tried conservative treatment and are still experiencing pain, there is a good chance that you are eligible for minimally invasive treatment such as endoscopic spine fusion or endoscopic discectomy. Some conditions require open treatment such as high degree scoliosis, infections, or tumors and these may disqualify you as a candidate.
Diagnosis and eligibility are generally determined by a combination of physical examination and imaging scans such as an MRI. To learn more, visit our Spine Diseases page or request an appointment with one of our expert spine doctors.