Shocking Statistics of Back Pain Surgery

Back pain is common. In fact, the vast majority of people at some point in their lives suffer from back or neck pain. According to a 1998 report by the Journal of Neuroimaging, more than 26 million Americans between the ages of 20-64 experience frequent back pain, making back pain the second most common reason for seeing a doctor. In some cases the cause is minor, perhaps just a strained muscle, and the pain goes away on its own in relative short time. Even in more serious conditions, a herniated disc for example, the pain can and often will go away on its own, given the proper care and therapy. Unfortunately some doctors are too anxious to recommend surgery and suggest it even in cases when it is not necessary. According to the John Hopkins White Paper on Low Back Pain and Osteoporosis (2002), fewer than 5% of people with back pain are good candidates for surgery. And just because someone may qualify as a candidate for surgery does not means surgery becomes their only option. As a person who himself suffered two herniated discs causing debilitating sciatica, I was told numerous times by those in the medical profession that I would require surgery, and that it would be my only option. Half a year after the onset of my symptoms, I was well on my road to recovery, using an array of completely natural techniques that I discovered, some common, some not. At that same time I met a gentleman who was in the same physiotherapy session as I was, with the same initial injury as I had. The only difference...he had had surgery SEVEN years prior, and was STILL to that day, suffering in pain and doing physio. This is not uncommon. In fact, according to a 1994 report by the Agency For Health Care Policy and Research, 10%-40% of patients who undergo back surgery suffer from failed back surgery syndrome. Symptoms of this include intractable pain and varying degrees of functional incapacitation occurring after spine surgery. True, in the past decade surgical techniques have improved slightly. Yet even today in my travels and presentations I meet people who have had surgery and yet are almost just as bad today as they were before. In certain cases surgery is necessary, such as with cauda equine syndrome where bowel and bladder function in compromised. However, for the majority of those with back pain, it's important to know that natural healing techniques can be extremely effective, even often in cases when surgery might be recommended. Speak to those who've been through what you're going through and have healed themselves, and talk to a variety of doctors with different medical backgrounds including but not limited to naturopaths, doctors of TCM, etc. Don't be a statistic. Do your research and you too can heal yourself from back pain, naturally.