Do You Really Need Back Surgery? A Surgeon's Guide to Neck and Back Pain and How to Choose Your Treatment

by Filler, Aaron G.

• ISBN13: 9780195327083
• ISBN10: 019532708X
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-05-18
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Most people have back surgery to relieve pain, but all too often it doesn't help. 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. The book discusses the details of spinal anatomy; explains the difference between acute, chronic, and recurring pain; shows how to keep the spine healthy; and defines such terms as spurs, stenosis, and slippage. It also reveals what clues your physician uses to predict whether a given type of pain is likely to go away with rest and exercise, and which types may become emergencies. 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. From Pilates to pedicle screws, and from osteoporosis to spina bifida, Do You Really Need Back Surgery? covers all the questions your doctor usually doesn't have the time to answer. Featuring more than 80 illustrations, it is an essential manual for every neck or back pain sufferer.

Author Biography

Aaron G. Filler, MD, Ph.D. is one of the world's leading authorities on nerve and spinal surgery. He is Medical Director of both the Institute for Nerve Medicine and the Center for Advanced Spinal Neurosurgery, and is an Associate of the Institute for Spinal Disorders, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Disclaimer

How to Use This Book: Two Dozen Visits to Your Doctor

Spine Health

Acute, Chronic, and Recurring: A Quick Tour of Neck and Back Pain

The Nature of Pain and How it is Treated

Keeping the Spine Healthy: Ergonomics for Life

Renewal Without Surgery: Schools of Therapy

Anatomy 101: From Bones, Disks, and Joints to Mind, Muscles, and Nerves

Disks, Spurs, Stenosis, Slippage, and Osteoporosis

Spinal Symptoms: Where Does the Pain Come From?

Accidents of the Embryo: Spina Bifida and Variations at Birth

Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Tests: X-Rays, Electrons, and Magnetic Spin

Recovery and Repair in the Nerves and Spinal Cord

Spine Surgery

Without an Incision: Percutaneous Procedures for Diagnosis and Treatment

Surgery- Before, During, and After: Common Elements You Should Know About

Surgery to take the Pressure off the Nerves

Surgery Inside the Spinal Dural Lining

Spine Carpentry: History and Principles of Rebuilding the Broken Spine

Fixing the Cervical Spine: Surgical Approaches for the Neck

Thoracic Spine Operations: Surgical Approaches to Mid- and Upper- Back Problems

Lumbar Implants and Fusion: Major Surgeries for the Low Back

Genes, Designer Proteins, and Biomaterials: The Role of Biotechnology in Spinal Surgery

Risks, Outcomes, and Choices

Recovery after Surgery

Health Insurance and the Cost of Surgery

Epilogue

Knowledge and Resilience

Glossary

Index

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