Back pain is a pervasive problem in the western world. However, most patients recover spontaneously or respond well to conservative therapies, mainly if treated early on – without surgery! This blog post provides you with an explanation of why it is actually better NOT to have back surgery for your herniated disc problems!
In the US alone, more than 10 million people undergo back surgery every year. Many other countries are also among the top surgery leaders in Europe (e.g., England). But what counts as “successful treatment” for herniated discs?
And how do experts define it at all? For example, what percentage of “cured” patients are actually free of pain?
Several studies have shown that the prognosis for most herniated disc cases is surprisingly good. Some estimates suggest an 80-90% recovery rate!
Thus, the best strategy is early diagnosis and optimal conservative treatment, including high-dose physical therapy or training (e.g., professional athletes). Surgery should be considered only a last resort – if all conventional therapies fail after fair trials with each patient!
Unfortunately, many doctors do not know this simple fact: over 90% of people with herniated discs react very well to conservative therapy alone, especially in cases with acute low back pain, i. e., back pain lasting just a few weeks or months.
Therefore, the patient should always be informed about non-operative options before surgery. After all, back pain is not an emergency!
1. There are some more reasons why it’s better NOT to have back surgery:1Even “successful” back surgeries often leave patients worse off than before the operation. At the same time, the risk of complication remains high (e.g., up to 50% in lumbar fusion cases). Moreover, there are more complications, including nerve damage following laminectomy procedures – i.e., minimally invasive spine surgeries! Therefore, many experts believe that hospitals and clinics try too hard to sell their products – e. g., hardware like artificial discs, cages for motion preservation, etc.
2. The average duration of hospital stay is just 3 to 4 days. Unfortunately, some patients have to remain in the hospital for more than a month following spine surgery.
3. There are usually no guarantees that your pain will be cured by surgery! after all, back surgery does not cure herniated discs; it only aims at removing pressure on nerves or spinal cord (by disc removal or discectomy). moreover, back surgeries like fusions involve implantation of artificial hardware, which could come loose and cause nerve damage. – actually, this happens quite frequently…
4. Less invasive techniques like percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD), also called “chemonucleolysis,” are currently gaining ground as an alternative to “open back surgery.”
5. Since patients’ outcome and quality of life (QoL) after spine surgeries like spinal fusion are inferior compared to non-surgical treatment, according to some studies. Los Angeles Times has reported that the difference between surgical and nonsurgical treatments becomes evident only in the long run – e.g., four years after the operation!
6. Herniated discs can be a psychosomatic problem usually caused by bad habits such as lack of back exercises or even workstation ergonomic. So check out your physical activity routine, plus its mental aspects!
7. Finally, let’s not forget about a relatively new phenomenon: up to 20% of people who have had successful back surgery in the past suffer from chronic pain again after just a few years.
From all these facts, it can be concluded that back surgery is not an ideal solution for herniated disc problems. Instead, patients should consider non-operative treatment options involving physical therapy or training.
If you are looking for relief from your herniated disc symptoms, then you could try the traditional therapies, including rest, cold/hot compress, anti-inflammatory medication, etc., but also look into natural treatments like high-dose vitamin b12 injections, which have been proven to offer immediate relief of acute lower back pain!