Do You Really Need Back Surgery

An internationally recognized expert in nerve and spinal surgery covers everything a back patient needs to know in deciding whether or not to have surgery, discussing the various types of surgery available, the risks of surgery, and the options one may have.

"Making the right decision for you about undergoing spine surgery is critical. When performed for a specific anatomical problem with matching symptoms, the outcomes are consistently satisfying. However, when surgery is conducted to address pain without a clear source, the consequences can be unpredictable, with patients faring poorly or becoming much worse. A failed spinal surgery can destroy your life. Do You Really Need Spine Surgery provides you and your medical providers important information to make the best choice. All relevant variables are addressed and organized into a "Treatment Grid." With this, you and your health care team can determine the most effective approach and course of action. Do You Really Need Spine Surgery gives back control of the surgical decision to you, the patient. Take it!!"--Author's website

According to Dr. Nathaniel Tindel, there is an alternative to back surgery in 19 out of 20 cases. This authoritative and plain-spoken guide to what back surgery can and can't do reveals behind-the-scenes information on back pain, back doctors, and back treatments delivered candidly, using case studies and clinical evidence. It arms readers with the information and the courage to ask the right doctors the right questions, so that they can make the right decisions. Topics covered include: What causes back pain and sciatica -- Why surgery doesn't always work -- The truth about disc replacement -- The key to successful pain management -- Back-pain emergencies -- Types of surgery and non-surgical alternatives -- Surgical risks--Publisher.

If you are suffering from chronic pain, or know someone who is, Back in Control could change your life. Dr. David Hanscom, a spine surgeon and fellow sufferer, shares with you what finally pulled him out of the abyss of chronic pain after 15 years--without surgery or addictive medications. Instead, his approach to treatment focuses on an aspect of chronic pain that the medical world has largely overlooked: you must calm your nervous system in order to get better. More than any other book about pain, Back in Control reveals how to quiet a turbocharged central nervous system, relieve the anxiety and depression that often accompany chronic pain, and make a full recovery. Back in Control offers a self-directed healing approach that has evolved from Dr. Hanscom's personal experience, as well what he has learned from successfully treating hundreds of patients. The book: Provides a proven solution to end chronic pain - Dr. Hanscom's treatment model has helped hundreds of patients move from managing pain to becoming pain free. Doesn't require surgery or meds - The approach presented in Back in Control helps you eliminate chronic pain without the risk of surgery or side effects of medications. Puts you in control - Back in Control provides tools for eliminating pain that you can use on your own or as part of an ongoing treatment plan, to take back control of your care and your life. Applies to any type of chronic pain - The principles in Back in Control apply to any chronic pain condition, for example back pain, neck pain, hip pain, joint pain, fibromyalgia and sciatica, to name a few.

Low back pain is a very common problem that is increasingly being treated surgically. This book aims to evaluate carefully the possible surgical approaches to low back pain, with detailed appraisal of the factors leading to their success or failure. It begins by explaining the scientific basis for surgery and considering the different diagnostic techniques that may be employed, thereby elucidating the surgical rationale, indications, and contraindications. The value of conservative options is also assessed to help the reader weigh the need for surgery. The various surgical modalities, including the most recent, are then fully described and evaluated with the aid of numerous illustrations. The book concludes with a chapter devoted to evidence-based analysis of the outcome of surgery in patients with low back pain. This book will be invaluable to orthopaedic and neurosurgeons, rheumatologists, neurologists, and all who are concerned with the effective treatment of this often debilitating condition.

Dr. John E. Sarno's groundbreaking research on TMS (Tension Myoneural Syndrome) reveals how stress and other psychological factors can cause back pain-and how you can be pain free without drugs, exercise, or surgery. Dr. Sarno's program has helped thousands of patients find relief from chronic back conditions. In this New York Times bestseller, Dr. Sarno teaches you how to identify stress and other psychological factors that cause back pain and demonstrates how to heal yourself--without drugs, surgery or exercise. Find out: Why self-motivated and successful people are prone to Tension Myoneural Syndrome (TMS) How anxiety and repressed anger trigger muscle spasms How people condition themselves to accept back pain as inevitable With case histories and the results of in-depth mind-body research, Dr. Sarno reveals how you can recognize the emotional roots of your TMS and sever the connections between mental and physical pain...and start recovering from back pain today.

A prominent surgeon and a veteran health writer deliver an authoritative and plain-spoken guide to what back surgery can and can't do. It tells the behind-the-scenes story of back pain, back doctors, and back treatments-a story that is rarely delivered so candidly to patients. It arms you with the information and the courage to ask the right doctors the right questions so that you can make the right decisions. The basics of spines-so you can talk to any doctor knowledgeably, The truth about back pain-so you can understand what your diagnosis really means, Emergencies-so you know when your condition requires timely action, The types of surgery-so you know which surgery might (or might not) work for you, The nonsurgical choices-so you know your alternatives, The risks of surgery-so you know what you're getting into. With case studies, clinical evidence, and an honest look at the doctors' debates that patients seldom hear, I've Got Your Back is the insider's guide to navigating the world of back pain. Book jacket.

In this volume, world authorities on spinal surgery from the fields of Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, and Neuroscience present current data on the basic science and clinical management of the unstable spine. Unique to this book: a frank presentation of controversies in the field.