Surgery For Low Back Pain

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.

For the half million people who undergo back surgery each year, and the additional million who are seriously contemplating it, Do You Really Need Back Surgery? is a godsend--an informed, reliable guide to when you should consider surgery and when you should not. Written by an internationally recognized expert in nerve and spinal surgery, this highly readable guide covers everything back patients need to know to make informed decisions about their treatment. Featuring 115 illustrations, the book discusses the details of spinal anatomy; the difference between acute, chronic, and recurring pain; shows how to keep the spine healthy; and explains such terms as spurs, stenosis, and slippage. It reveals what clues your physician uses to predict whether a given type of pain is likely to go away with rest and exercise, or may become an emergency. Dr. Filler discusses the risks of surgery, the decisions you may be faced with and what options you have, and your expectations for recovery. He provides detailed explanations of the wide array of spinal injections and surgeries, including discectomies and fusions, as well as innovative procedures such as electrothermic and laser techniques and artificial disks. He explains the various medical imaging and diagnostic tests available and even covers the complexities of health insurance. The new and extensively revised Second Edition now covers dozens of advanced techniques in spinal diagnostics and treatment as well as advances in new pain medications and new surgeries that minimize recovery time and achieve better outcomes. A new section on the benefits and risks of a wide array of herbal medicines has been added. Finally, the book features two entirely new chapters that describe a series of different nerve entrapment syndromes that can cause headache, neck, shoulder, and arm pain as well as causing buttock and leg pain--but are not caused by spine problems.

The second edition presents the current diagnostic and surgical treatments for low back pain as well as the anatomic and physiologic rationale for their application. New sections cover the evidence-based assessment of emerging biological strategies for the treatment of degenerative disk disease and more.

This open access book offers an essential overview of brain, head and neck, and spine imaging. Over the last few years, there have been considerable advances in this area, driven by both clinical and technological developments. Written by leading international experts and teachers, the chapters are disease-oriented and cover all relevant imaging modalities, with a focus on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. The book also includes a synopsis of pediatric imaging. IDKD books are rewritten (not merely updated) every four years, which means they offer a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art in imaging. The book is clearly structured and features learning objectives, abstracts, subheadings, tables and take-home points, supported by design elements to help readers navigate the text. It will particularly appeal to general radiologists, radiology residents, and interventional radiologists who want to update their diagnostic expertise, as well as clinicians from other specialties who are interested in imaging for their patient care.

Dr. Altrocchi, a low back pain MD-expert, directs his book to the 250 million people who have had, now have or will have lumbar back pain. The traditional MD-approach emphasizing “herniated discs,” “pinched nerves” and surgery, has failed for 75 years, causing widespread chronic back pain, disability and human tragedy. In fact, over 90% of back pain is caused by mechanical spine problems, easily diagnosed and treated by logical, anatomical hands-on methods, clearly explained by Dr. Altrocchi, a former Professor of Neurology at Stanford Medical School with 40 years of clinical experience. If patients are seen immediately, they can be cured promptly by simple, logical, non-painful manual treatment without expensive, misleading scans which too often lead to useless and harmful surgery.

The definitive reference in orthopedic surgery is back... totally revised and updated to encompass over 1,800 procedures, including 90 that are new to this edition! Dr. S. Terry Canale and 33 other leading authorities from the Campbell Clinic present encyclopedic, in-depth coverage of the field, superbly organized for efficient access. This landmark 4-volume set now includes a CD-ROM containing video clips that demonstrate key surgical procedures.

Are you one of the millions of people who suffer from low back pain? While it is important that patients with low back pain educate themselves about the lower back, the information available is often more confusing than it is helpful. A single source of information should not be taken as the only truth, as this can lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings in the diagnosis and treatment of low back pain. According to author Mario A. Gutierrez, MD, not all patients with low back pain are the same, and not all back conditions have a common cause. Dr. Gutierrez draws on more than twenty years of neurosurgery experience and direct patient contact to guide back pain sufferers in their quest for reliable information and diagnosis with topics such as: Causes of low back pain Current treatments for low back pain Low back surgery options Treatment myths Rehabilitation Health insurance/disability Prevention Whether you're a patient seeking answers, an aspiring medical professional, or a practicing physician, Understanding Low Back Pain is a must-have reference, complete with medical terminology, a short medical glossary, and frequently used medical abbreviations.