Back surgery is usually a surgical procedure which aims to alter the anatomy of a patient s body, including eliminating a herniated sac which is often causing severe pain, with the aim of giving pain relief. Back surgery can be somewhat reasonable for patients of all ages who have not improved their condition following several courses of non-surgical treatment, of course if a anatomical abnormality is identified as the cause of pain then back surgery may well be indicated. However, if a large hernia is involved then a surgeon may well choose to treat the sac with some form of a non-surgical procedure to eliminate the hernia before undertaking back surgery.
A good candidate for back surgery would normally be someone who has suffered from chronic back conditions which have been resistant to conservative treatments and who now appear to be incurable. Physical therapy may well be recommended for back surgery candidates in order to rehabilitate the back muscles and the surrounding structures. There are many back surgery techniques used, such as a titanium screw or rod implanted directly into the herniation for example, but there are also back surgery techniques which involve draining the hernia or flaring the sac. If you have suffered from certain back conditions and have not tried physical therapy or have had other surgeries, then you should certainly consider back surgery as an option.
When considering back surgery one of the key issues to take into account is whether the technique will allow you to fully recover from your injury. If your medical professional feels that you still need long term treatment for your condition, then you should always investigate the options available to you. In some cases, especially when nerve compression is involved, a suitable surgical treatment could even involve nothing more than draining the sac and tightening the surrounding musculature. This could be done using either a simple incision or by the use of a laser. Once the procedure is complete you would regain all of the strength that you had lost and in many instances this would allow you to resume a normal routine, including exercising regularly.