Deciding if You Should Get Back Surgery
If you are one of the many people who are afflicted with back pain, you are not alone. If you have run out of options for treatment, surgery may be your only recourse. There are advantages and disadvantages to surgery, of course, and a couple of the disadvantages are the cost of the surgery and the possible risks. You have to look at quite a few variables before deciding whether or not to get back surgery, and we’ll be covering some of the most important ones in this article.
Back surgery is typically a procedure that is not used unless absolutely necessary. It is a treatment of “last resort”. If you have some kind of spinal deformity, for example, such as scoliosis, surgery may be the only way to correct it. This could happen at any age, adult all the way down to a small child. If you have degenerative disc disease, or trauma to the spine caused by a fall or an accident, surgery will also be recommended if it is absolutely necessary. Based on the evaluation of your doctor, he or she may recommend surgery for back difficulties and pain that you may currently suffer from. Surgery is typically not recommended by most doctors; however, if surgery is recommended, it may be your only option.
Types of Back Surgery
If you are thinking about back surgery, make sure you understand exactly what type of surgery the doctor wants you to do. If you suffer from spinal back pain, your doctor may recommend a procedure called decompression which will remove the tissue or bone causing the problem.
Fusion, a surgical procedure that uses damaged vertebrae back together, is used by many physicians to treat back discomfort. There are many people with spinal problems in which the spine is actually bent. Corrective surgeries can actually help with this issue. Make the right choice if you choose to be back surgery. Understand the risks involved and make a decision that is educated and solely made by you.
Are you concerned that the risks for surgery to your back will outweigh the benefits? There are other treatments that can be just as successful and they are not as drastic as surgery. Spinal adjustments done by a reputable chiropractor have worked miracles for a lot of people with back problems and pain. It’s true, chiropractics hasn’t always been accepted by mainstream medical practitioners, but that situation is rapidly changing as more and more doctors become aware of the benefit of chiropractic adjustments. Another successful method of treatment is acupuncture, which has been a staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for centuries, and is very successful at treating back problems. Before you decide to have surgery on your back, talk to a physical therapist and see if there is a chance your back problem will respond to a course of treatments. Also, specific exercises that support and strengthen the muscles of the back have been very successful for many people. Even though it may seem like the only option for relief is back surgery, frequently you can still find alternative methods to help your problem. We really like your local Raleigh NC chiropractic specialists.
There are now more options than ever before when it comes to treating back pain. Surgeons are now able to pinpoint with precision where your back problem lies and the extent of the damage, if any. This is due to the scanning and imaging technologies that now are available. Still and all, whether or not to undergo back surgery is a hard choice to make, and you are the only one who can make the final call. Investigate the type of surgery you are thinking about. Find out the percentage of successful operations, what kind of alternatives are possible, and specifically examine any risks you may have to face if you choose the surgery.