I had 24/7 pain before surgery. After the surgery & intensive PT, I now live a normal life again.

I have chronic daily back pain and all the MRI reveals are two degenerative discs and some slight bulging, but nothing that indicates the level of pain I experience (or perceive). I wanted Fusion, hoping that would releive the pain but the surgeons thought the risks were too high since they'd have to fuse 3 vertebrae, plus they weren't sure that would cure the pain. The other option further down the road may be multiple DISC REPLACEMENT, but it's not FDA approved yet and won't be for at least 4-5 more years I'm told. I've also tried every medication doctors can think of (narcotics, NSAIDs, steroids, muscle relaxers, SSRIs, Lidocaine, epidurals, etc.) but nothing has more than say a 50% effect rate. Having chronic back pain sucks but anyone reading this article that thinks Fusion is the answer should be aware that Fusion is the ONLY procedure that is not reversible, so please make that your last resort. Good luck!

Take it from me. I had paralysis after having my back surgery...ended up being a 12 hour surgery because they had to remove the rods that were originally going to be left in my back for my life. Well the surgery was a bust and my back is extremely sensitive to weather now....Avoid it until your left with no options

If you are maintaining a healthy weight, exercise regularly and have a strong core, you will not have back problems. By middle age, most people have disc degeneration and bulging. That does not mean the person needs surgery. Absent a traumatic injury to a disc, most people just need to take care of themselves and will not have back problems. Surgery is always a crap shoot and an expensive one at that.

Regular exercise and core strengthening are VITAL to keeping a your back healthy or preventing it from getting worse, but it's not a cure-all as "carlson" implies. For instance, I'm 27, extremely athletic and have had extensive PT and core strengthening sessions with a variety of practitioners. It isn't curing the problem but it certainly keeps it from getting worse. It's also a learning process to figure out what things you can and cannot do anymore because of your back condition. Some things you normally take for granted can literally put you on your back for a week if you aren't careful. No easy solutions exist, period!

I had a herniated disk 30 years ago and had chronic discomfort and periodic pain. Not a pleasant time in my life. My orthopedist tested my heel reflex one day and it was gone. A discectomy (romoval of soft, inner part of disk called the nucleus) took place 3 days later and I have been perfect since. Some lower L5-S1 mobility is present but I just have to avoid straightening up from a bent forward position and all is good. Surgery can be a total cure--get the correct diagnosis and a good surgeon and you might turn out like me.

two of the doctors who performed clinical trials are listed as patent owners. the doctors doing the trials were paid $60,000,000. THEY FOUND 0 COMPLICATIONS OUT OF 800 SURGERYS.NOW INDEPENDENT TRIALS ARE FINDING PROBLEMS IN UP TO 50% OF THE OPERATIONS.