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Low Back Pain
- Topic Overview
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Health Tools
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When to Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
- Living With Low Back Pain
- Medications
- Surgery
- Other Treatment
- Coping With Chronic Back Pain
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
When you're in a lot of pain, you might wonder if you need surgery to fix what's wrong so that you can feel better.
Every case is different. But most people don't need surgery for low back pain.
Most back surgeries are done to treat nerve pain from herniated discs.
- Most herniated discs heal—and pain eases—after a few weeks or months of treatment.
- About half of people with herniated discs get better within a month without surgery.
- After 6 months, most people with herniated discs have recovered. Only about 10 out of 100 end up having surgery.3
When surgery may help
Surgery might be an option when a disc problem causes pain in your leg that prevents you from doing everyday tasks. You may have pain, numbness, or tingling through your buttock and down the back of your leg (sciatica 
) or in the front of your thigh.
Other problems that may require surgery include:
- A spinal fracture caused by an injury.
- An infection in your spine.
- A problem that causes your spine to be unstable.
- A tumor in your spine.
- Spinal stenosis.
- Loss of feeling or weakness in your back or legs that gets worse over time.
- Loss of control of your bowel or bladder.
Having surgery for a herniated disc or another back problem is a big decision. Talk to your doctor about it.
Rehabilitation after surgery
A comprehensive rehabilitation program is very important after most back surgery. As you regain flexibility, recondition your back and stomach muscles, and increase your endurance for activity, you increase your chances of treatment success.
If you are unable or unwilling to commit to physical therapy after surgery, you may not be a good candidate for surgery.
Surgery choices
There are several types of back surgery. Some, like a discectomy, can help people with severe long-term symptoms. Others have not been proven to work.
If you do need surgery, you and your doctor will decide which type is best for you. For more information about these surgeries, see:
- Discectomy.
- Percutaneous discectomy.
- Laminectomy for spinal stenosis.
- Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.
- Surgeries for tumors and infection.
- Spinal fusion.
What to think about
Back surgery is not always successful. Depending on the condition, you may still have back pain after surgery.
If you and your doctor are considering surgery, get as much information as you can about possible results, and consider whether you will be willing to do physical therapy after surgery. It is also a good idea to get a second opinion before you decide to have surgery.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: May 5, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Robert B. Keller, MD - Orthopedics | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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