Comments on: Chronic Back Pain and Spine Surgery – What are the Options?

By: Lillie

Lillie — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:13:26 +0000

We as humans sure are hard on each other. Noone is perfect!

By: Merce Litfin-Zingmark

Merce Litfin-Zingmark — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:15:58 +0000

Be patient, people with spinal pain; in no longer than five years your cartilage will be grown in petri dish, and injected between damaged vertebra. THEN = cushion, “naturally”! When one disc is operated upon, the one above & below will be prone to problems.

By: Colleen

Colleen — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:13:55 +0000

I am interested in following the Disc Replacement procedure, success rate or failure.. Let’s hope not! I went to The Laser Spine Inst. in Florida, as Cheryl did. Although, I was not able to have the surgery, due to being too far advanced, far too many levels affected, I still believe in them and would suggest them to anyone.
That being said, I am still hoping on what might be available in the future. I have degenerative disc disease affecting all of my cervical spine, cervical spondylosis, kyphosis, stenosis, arthrytis, etc… I had an accident at age 5. Now 39, the treatments (botox inj.{4x yr.}, epidurals, prescriptions) just are not working well enough.
I am a single mother. I want so badly, just go to work, instead of having to be near a place to lie down, at all times… Please if anyone has ideas….
Thank you.
Palo Alto, CA

By: William Kazlauskas

William Kazlauskas — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:18:38 +0000

Damn….just saw some typos in my message, sorry..I need better lighting over the computer

By: William Kazlauskas

William Kazlauskas — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:08:07 +0000

I am 48 and stuffing for years from Ankylosing Spondylitis. As I get older the AS is causing tiredness, frustration, depression, greater amount & stronger pain medications to fight the aches and pains from the neck down to my thighs. I have been told many times there is no cure or treatment(other than exercise) to relieve the symptoms other than several pain medications. I cant image what life will be like & how I will look 20 years from now with the current treatment and symptoms I have the now. I have thought about Biological drugs with the hope of controlling the disease. I would like to find a “cutting edge” doctor that has the known age of advanced AS with a surgical treatment for AS deformities and the inflammation, even if it’s Experimental.
Thanks For Any Help
Palm Springs, CA

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:58:42 +0000

Good article. That type of medicine has come a long way…but it still has a way to go.

By: Glen

Glen — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:02:12 +0000

I am a patient that has two herniated discs and I disagree that I would not let a chiropractor near my back. Todd definitely hates medical doctors. Every case is unique and microsurgery techniques on back problems have had great results. 10 years ago I would not even have considered any back surgery until the pain was unbearable. But with all the new microsurgery results are a lot better. I have had in the past many chiropractic exams and physical therapy and would never go back to a chiropractor.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:30:11 +0000

I am also a proponent of chiropractic for slipped disc but not for herniated sisc. I have experienced both. For the herniated disc, I found a wonderful surgeon who removed the disc material that had leaked out from the disc cartilage. The surgery was a great success and recovery of a few weeks. I was back at my office job within a week after surgery–I just had to recline on a chaise lounge to do computer work or esle stand up (no sitting up straight) for a few days. I was 24 at the time and this was 27 years ago.

By: Todd

Todd — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:04:40 +0000

I am very skeptical about the author of this article. First of all, the inability to spell simple words tells me that either he is still in the 3rd grade or does not know how to use spell check. Also… why is there no mention about chiropractic??? If this author did ANY research at all on this topic, then they would have learned that Chirpractic is the single most effective and safest form of treatment avaible to those with back pain, including those with a herniated disc. Research studies have shown that chiropractic is more effective than physical therapy, medications, and surgery when it comes to back pain. Research also shows that between 50% to 80% of all spinal surgeries fail. This means that when you come out of surgery, you are worse off than when you went in. I can’t help to wonder that the reason why surgeons like to utilize medications, physical therapy, and accupuncture as means of “conservative treatment” is because they know that they will not work which means that they will eventually be able to perform a $60,000 surgery anyway when it’s all said and done. Note to the author of this artical… Do you homework before you decide to lead people down the wrong path. Afterall, their health is at stake. You cannot undo surgery.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:24:43 +0000

I recently had laser spine surgery at a new clinic in Florida, I had multitudes of things wrong with my lower back and they fixed every single one of them! Pro’s……. it really worked and it has changed my life. Con’s…… they don’t except insurance so it had to be CASH before they do anything. I had a one inch incision and 3 stitches to close it. They don’t knock you out so you don’t have to worry about anethesia they put you in a twilight something like your dentist would do, I went in for surgery at 8:30 AM and was back in my hotel room just a little after noon. Do your research before you go for any of the traditional surgery that takes months to recover from. If anyone is wondering, no I don’t work for them and they didn’t pay me to write this.