Chiropractic Care

Lower Back Surgery Is Risky Business

Lower back surgery should only be considered as a last resort. It is a risk that should involve serious consideration even after all other avenues have been explored and failed. The proximity of the spinal cord is just one of the risks that should be considered. As with any invasive surgery, any number of things could go wrong leaving you in worse shape than before the procedure.

Invasive lower back surgery carries with it the additional risk of being close to the spinal cord and the bundle of nerves that surround it. While all surgery that involves anesthesia carried risk, back surgery is particularly risky.

The most common operation on the lower back is for a bulging disc. Other terminology for bulging discs is slipped disc, herniated disc, ruptured disc, or protruding disc. This is where pressure is placed on the root nerve and/or spinal cord by a disc or disc material being forced into the opening between the vertebrae. The pain associated with this problem is classified as severe.

Rhizotomy, Cordotomy, and Drez are three treatments, which involve cutting or killing nerves in the spine, and all are dangerous. It cannot be stressed enough the dangers of lower or any spinal surgery that is not done as an emergency, life saving procedure. After a lower back operation, you can expect to be immobilized for weeks and even months depending on the severity of the injury and the extent of the surgery. Rehabilitation is often required by a trained and licensed Physical Therapist.

Many back injuries are the result of car accidents and on the job injuries and can leave you in a lot of pain and discomfort. You should always be extremely careful and take care of your back, especially when you begin to get older.

Most doctors today will try every treatment available before resorting to invasive back surgery. Many patients who opt not to have the surgery and some who do have the surgery may need to see a pain management doctor for the rest of their lives.

There are many things you can do to prevent pack injuries including awareness of heavy lifting procedures and ergonomics as well as wearing the proper footwear and maintaining good posture. Exercise to strengthen back muscles will also help in preventing back problems.

The best medicine when it comes to your back is preventative medicine. Always practice safety and caution when it comes to heavy lifting, being careful to bend your knees and not your waist. Keep the object close to your body and always ask for help when it is available to you. This will help ensure the health of your back and spine and prevent you from having painful problems.

If lower back surgery is the only option left available to you, please consider a seeking a second opinion. Your health is on the line and lower back surgery carries a big risk. Make sure that you are aware of all of the facts and that you have exhausted every option available before you agree to go under the knife. Make sure you are prepared to spend several months recovering from your surgery and take care of any situations that you can foresee concerning pets or other things that need your attention. You will need several months after you have begun to recover for follow-up visits to make sure that everything is going well and you will need to be very careful to follow your doctor’s orders to the letter.

lower back pain surgery The average age of participants at the time of testing was 33 years range, 20 to 47 years; SD, 7 years In working with these individuals I discovered some startling facts. Occasionally the knee may catch on the rough uneven surfaces of your cartilage.

Leave a Reply