Causes Of Back Pain and Is Surgery Your Best Choice Of Treatment

Why is surgery recommended so frequently,when studies show there are poor long-term outcomes for disc conditions, especially fusion-type surgeries. Fusions have a shelf life of two-to-five years. Surgery is not a miracle cure for neck and back pain, although some patients still believe that it is. Many patients begin to experience failed back surgery syndrome almost immediately.

In the United States, back pain is one of the most common reasons for which people seek medical care, and it is the second leading cause of absenteeism from work. Back pain is so prevalent that 8 out of 10 people will suffer from it. It is estimated that the cost of back pain is between $25 billion to $50 billion US, as it is the leading cause of disability of people 45 years and younger. It is the most common occupational disability in the United States.

When a doctor discusses back or neck pain, he or she is discussing back areas from your neck to your low back. There are four main spinal regions. The first region is the cervical spine, and it consists of 7 vertebrae. This begins at the base of your skull and continues to the base of your neck. The next adjoining region is your thoracic spine, consisting of 12 vertebrae, and it begins at the top of the shoulders and it continues to the bottom of the rib cage. Moving down the spine, next is the lumbar region that is made up of 5 vertebrae. Finally, we reach your tailbone, or the sacrum, and that connects to the pelvis.

Everyone experiences pain differently. Pain is subjective, and it is influenced by our many emotional and physical factors. Factors such as preconceived ideas about pain and previous episodes of pain, genetic makeup, physical makeup, personality, and underlying health conditions. Pain cannot be seen, so the level of pain for each patient is measured on an intensity scale from one to ten, as reported by the patient. Pain also determined by the duration of pain, source and location and type of pain through examinations, X-rays and other testing.

Back pain is often due to repetitive actions over long periods, and it is not always from an immediate accident or injury. Back pain is often from improper lifting, poor posture, or carrying heavy purses, brief cases and children to one side. Lack of physical fitness and altered body mechanics can also cause back pain. Escalation of back pain is not always immediately noticed by some, and many times people are unaware of the degeneration of their condition. Cultural influence and individual attitude may influence people to ignore their pain. They may even dismiss that they are experiencing pain, until their pain has progressed to the point of affecting their ability to perform their work and live their daily lives.

The most common causes I see in my practice are degenerated discs and herniated discs. Symptoms include dull and/or sharp, shooting and stabbing pain, numbness and tingling, limited flexibility and stiffness, sharp and shooting pain into the legs, and not being able to stand up straight.

Sciatica is commonly associated with degenerated or herniated discs. The sciatic nerve branches off the spine at the pelvis and continues down each leg. Sciatic pain travels along the sciatic nerve, the largest bundle of nerves of the body, and this can be accompanied by weakness in the legs. Many patients think they have leg problems, because the pain is majorly of the legs. The actual cause is a bulging disc pressing on a nerve at the base of the spine. With severe inflammation, there can be also hip and buttocks pain, and the pain can be debilitating.

Spinal stenosis can be part of our natural aging process because the discs in the spine degenerate over time. The spine protects the spinal cord by surrounding it with vertebrae and encasing it in spinal fluid. When a disc bulges, or the soft tissue around the spinal cord becomes inflamed, the tissue can push into the spinal canal causing a narrowing, and this results in compression of the spinal cord. This can occur in younger people who have had a spinal injury or other abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal. Spinal stenosis is also caused by scar tissue resulting from a previous back or neck surgery. Diseases such as arthritis and scoliosis are also causes of spinal stenosis. This often occurs in the lumbar region of the back, but it can also occur in the cervical and thoracic spine. When nerves in the low back (or lumbar spine region) are compressed, they become inflamed, causing pain in the skin, buttocks, and legs.

Facet joints are a lot like other joints, such as knees and hips, and they can cause a patient, who has arthritis in the neck, to hear painful and disturbing grinding when turning the head. Ofen, doctors use the word arthritis when they are referring to facet joints. Facet joints are for strength and flexibility and are located next to the spinous process where ligaments and tendons attach to the spine.

Many patients I treat have had one or more failed surgeries for back or neck conditions, and in many cases, they did not have any pain relief. In some cases, surgery made their conditions worse. A notable number have had redo surgeries, which are even more likely to fail, and the risk of failure goes up with each surgery. Surgical outcomes are uncertain because the spine is complex. Surgery is a risky proposition because of the inherent risks of an operation and complicating factors from preexisting medical conditions. In addition, there is a risk because of the close proximity of the discs to the spinal cord. Residual effects can be scar tissue and nerve damage. It is for these reasons that no one can guarantee that you will be pain-free or even experience significant, long-term improvement from back or neck surgery. At specific times, surgery is indicated, and for some patients surgery can be successful. For others, it can have serious consequences and complications.

For all these reasons, you can not be guaranteed you will be free of pain or have long-term good results from back or neck surgery. Some surgeries are successful, and there are specific conditions that will require surgery. However, complications and negative consequences can happen.

There are various terms used by different doctors for spinal conditions, and there is a lack of uniformity when using medical terminology. Some other terms patients hear from doctors for the same or similar condition are pinched nerve, bulging disc, slipped disc, and ruptured disc. It can be confusing about the diagnosis and as confusing as to what is the best treatment option, and if the patient seeks care from a surgeon than surgery will most likely be recommended and eventually performed. Statistics from Medicare data shows that trends for surgery are higher in specific regions and states, and according to Prevention Magazine, July 2008, treatment by surgical procedure could be considered as simple as surgical signature or practice style.

You should explore every possible treatment option to avoid surgery, unless it is an emergency condition such As Cauda Equina Syndrome – where there is loss of bowel or bladder function. Surgery should be the absolute last treatment choice. Remember surgery can always be performed, but it can never be undone.