Back pain is one of the most common reasons why people visit their doctor, affecting about 40% of Americans, according to data from the CDC. While conservative treatments can help relieve some types of spine-related pain, other times, surgery is the best option. The question: How can you tell if surgery is appropriate for you?
The team at Mid-Jersey Orthopaedics specializes in treating back pain with both nonsurgical and surgical techniques. In this post, learn how to decide when spine surgery might be the better option for finding long-term, meaningful relief for your painful symptoms.
Your spine is a complex structure comprising bones, spongy discs, joints, nerves, ligaments, and more, all working together to support your body and protect your spinal cord, the bundle of nerves that travels from your brain to every other part of your body.
If any of these structures is injured, damaged, or impinged, you can wind up with spine pain, and sometimes, pain and related symptoms in other areas of your body, too. That’s because some spine problems affect your nerves, irritating them or compressing them where they leave the spine to travel to your limbs or organs.
While traumatic injury, like a fall or car accident, is one potential cause of spine-related pain, many people develop symptoms as a result of repetitive movements and general wear-and-tear. Others develop pain as they age, often as a result of arthritis, osteoporosis, bone spurs, or other conditions that make the spine less flexible or the spinal canal narrower.
Fortunately, there are lots of nonsurgical treatments for spine pain, including:
Many people with mild to moderate spine-related pain benefit from a combination of these treatments to help reduce symptoms or keep them at bay. Treatments typically change over time as symptoms evolve to help maintain an optimal level of comfort and function.
Sometimes, though, nonsurgical treatments don’t provide the level of relief you’re seeking, or medications cause unpleasant side effects, like nausea or digestive system upset and discomfort. Other times, pain progresses despite these conservative approaches. In these instances, spine surgery could provide you with the relief you’re looking for.
Ineffectiveness of conservative therapies is certainly one consideration when deciding if surgery is an appropriate next step, but you also need to consider how your symptoms are affecting your life. If your pain is interfering with normal daily activities, making it difficult to socialize or do enjoyable hobbies, or even interfering with sleep, surgery could be a great way to restore your quality of life and get back to the level of activity you enjoy.
If spine-related pain is causing nerve issues, like numbness or weakness, surgery can help prevent worsening symptoms that can lead to permanent disability. And of course, getting back to a normal level of activity has emotional benefits, too, reducing the risk of social isolation, anxiety, and depression.
Deciding to have spine surgery isn’t always easy. Still, for chronic, persistent, or worsening pain that doesn’t respond to nonsurgical approaches, it can be a real game-changer for your health, your comfort, and your quality of life.
To learn more about spine surgery and how it can play a role in your healthy life, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Mid-Jersey Orthopaedics today.
