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May 30, 2012, 10:31 AM
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Member Since: Oct 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 6,543
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Payne - One thing you have to remember is that SURGERY is not to relieve pain. Surgery is to fix mechanical problems. If you HAPPEN to get pain relief, that's a bonus, but usually you're left with the SAME pain or worse, after surgery. Your doctor SHOULD tell you that.  I have NEVER gotten pain relief from surgery. Some people have, and that's great -- but usually after a length of time, the back WILL fail even after successful surgery, and the pain will return and more surgery will be needed or else you'll just have to suffer. It's called "the domino effect." The discs above and below the surgery site bulge/herniate because they've had to take on more of the load. So it ends up a never-ending cycle.
The latest studies have shown that people who have had spinal surgery get NO BETTER RESULTS than those who have had physical therapy!!! Now that's depressing!! I wish I had known that 26 years ago! LOL I never would have started having surgery. 
So try everything you can that's conservative before even thinking about surgery. See a pain management doctor too -- they can give you options that are non-invasive (or close to it). I wish you the very best, and hope your pain is relieved! God bless. Hugs, Lee 
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