I've Got Your Back: The Truth About Spine Surgery, Straight From A Surgeon

The docs have all said that they never saw a ruptured disc larger than mine. Numbness right down to my toes and really bad pain in hip. Pain was going on for about six weeks or more, and only getting worse. The docs had no qualms about surgery -- although this book convinced me to put it off as long as possible -- although I met all criteria in the book for proceeding with surgery. I wound up having 3 epidurals and after 3rd epidural, I am finally back (after four months of real pain) to about normal. I am so thankful. I recommend this book -- and I also recommend Sarno's book on back pain. Sarno would have you believe much pain is stress related (which I agree with), but I also believe there are mechanical issues (like my ruptured disc) that are simply physical and may possibly need surgical correction. Put the surgery off as long as you can bear it (within reason) and try to allow time to heal. Lastly, McKenzie's book and physical regimen is also helppful. These are the trifecta of back books and with all three I think I have a pretty good understanding of my back and what I need to do (or not do) to take care of it. I wish you the best if you are having back pain -- it can impact every moment of your life. There is light at end of tunnel -- and hopefully surgery isn't part of the solution.

I have been dealing with DDD and Scoliosis many decades now, and sometimes my pain makes me think about having a spinal fusion and laminectomy done, but usually by the time I get referred to the spine surgeon for an evaluation, my pain level has backed down to a lower acceptable level. This book was a Godsend, very informative and unusual to be advised to avoid surgery if possible and seek out other means of pain management. My future surgeon told me that having the 2 surgeries would not completely make me pain free because of my diagnosis, but would be able to address the sharp leg pain as that aspect is likely to worsen over time due to advancing osteoarthritis in the spine. When you look into all the possible complications and the risk factors for spine surgeries, it is an incentive to try other holistic means. I may try acupuncture and or chiropractic in the future before signing a surgery permit after reading all the information in this book. Right now I am getting massage therapy, trying different yoga positions, and taking Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and sometimes Ultram when the leg pain kicks in. I would highly reccomend this book to any one with back and leg pain that is considering spine surgery.

Ordered for a friend. He said helpful.

I loved the book, but I'm a chiropractic student and am into this style reading. Most people I know would simply not enjoy this book because of it dry content. Great information, but I fear most interested in this type of reading are dealing with disc herniations or stenosis symptoms and are likely going to have surgery. Great proponent for conservative management first and progressing toward more invasive treatments. Bottom line is research suggests surgery has better outcomes for the first 2 - 4 years, but after that, symptomatically, there is no difference whether you had surgery or not.If you can manage the pain treat it conservatively, if not, see if you are a candidate for surgery. I wish more doctors thought like this.

This book presents a very balanced book about back surgery. The author is a back surgeon. So he speaks with some knowledge and in a detailed but lucid manner. His major message is - Go slow when contemplating back surgery. He is very explicit about the problems that can occur. The major warning is that it is often extremely difficult to pinpoint the source of the back problem and, even when you can localize it, it is not always possible to remedy the situation.

This book is a must read for anyone contemplating back surgery especially if you are on the fence. There is enough info to help you make an intelligent decision. While the writer is not an advocate for surgery, he also explains the situations where surgery is necessary and will help. Often times, the surgeon leaves the decision for surgery in your hands and it is difficult to know which choice is the best. This book covers enough back problems that will definitely help you make an informed decision for your unique situation.

Facing 2 level ALIF fusion with posterior instrumentation. Book clearly explained how, why this procedure may or may not help me, as well as the risks. Read a lot of scientific articles and explanations on other websites. None came close to explaining spinal surgery as this book did. Highly recommend!

If you are looking for information about the neck or cervical spine, this is not a good resource for you. I tried to keep working through to see if there was any mention of cervical disks or cervical surgeries, but this book almost exclusively discusses the lumbar spine. There are many challenges with this, in that the criteria for operating have important differences because of the spinal cord. It seems like a good book though if you have lumbar, low back pain.I just wish the description was clearer that the focus is on the lower spine and not the cervical spine.

The best book on Back pain. A must read for anyone who is suffering from pain and is not sure about how to manage it. I thought I knew it all, but it was a real eye opener.