Overtreated: Dealing with back pain

I am a nurse of 32 years and all I can say is DO NOT, DO NOT, have back surgery if you can avoid it in any way. Unless you have a traumatic injury that may result in loss of motor control below the level of the injury or something like a tumor compressing the spinal cord, leave it alone and try other methods. I cannot tell you the number of patients that I have seen who have back surgery who never ever get better and for most of them the surgery makes the problem worse. I have a back problem myself and I can tell you from experience that strengthing your abdominal muscles, using an anti-inflammatory medication and good body mechanics will help you more than surgery. As we get older a lot of us develop small fractures and buldging discs but they do not require surgery unless you have cord compression that is causing neurological symptoms below the level of the injury. I have, for example, pain down the back of both my legs and some weakness in my right leg but I do not have a surgical problem. I have steroid injections a couple of times a year. I DO NOT take narcotics (that is a never ending cycle of needing more and more medication for pain and it is not worth it) and I just use good body mechanics. I don't lift heavy objects. I have learned to live with the discomfort and to compromise in other ways. Most of us CAN live with back pain if we don't expect that we will be completely pain free all the time. I am almost never pain free but my pain level is such that I can live with it.

If you decide to have surgery, make sure you get at least one second opinion and go see a neurosurgeon that has expertise in specifically back surgery. Go to the largest center that you can that does a lot of these types of surgeries. You want someone who does this type of surgery as a speciality. Check the doctor out completely before you have any surgery. Because remember, you may just be making your problem worse.