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Dr. Kim Mulvihill Reporting -
Lower back pain is the most common disability for people under the age of 45. A herniated disk takes place when the disk, or cushion between the bones of the spine, slips or ruptures. This, in turn, presses on the nerves around the backbone causing excruciating pain.
Major new research on a common back surgery reveals surgery may not be the best choice for everyone. Many patients recover from a herniated disk without surgery, prompting researchers to study which approach was better.
"I was at the point where I couldn't sleep in my bed. I was sleeping on the couch at night with my legs up over the back. Not sleeping very much at all, actually," said Susan Filskov, a herniated disk sufferer.
Patients got a choice to either have surgery or take a more conservative approach that included medication, physical therapy and steroid injections. They found that surgery was only slightly better.
According to Dartmouth Medical School researcher, Dr. James Weinstein, "they both improved over time in step with each other, but the surgical patients improved a little more than the non-operative patients at each time point."
Back surgery to repair a herniated disc is one of the most common surgeries in America.
"The majority of people would not want to have surgery; more than half would not want surgery unless they are severely debilitated," said Dr. Hoyman Hong of St. Francis Memorial Hospital.
Being a sedentary society is a big part of the problem. The pressure on the disks in our lower back is greatest when we sit, especially for extended periods.
Dr. Jones of St. Francis Memorial Hospital says surgery is important to protect or preserve neurological function if you are going to lose strength or if the pain is incapacitating and persists for longer than 2 to 4 weeks.
"We know lumbar disk herniation is prevalent in the middle age population, 25 to 55 year old people are the most common," said Dr. Clem Jones
You can lower your risk for herniated discs and help prevent a recurrence by improving your core muscle strength—the abdominal muscles and the muscles that run right along your spine.
And if you've been sitting for an hour at work, at home, in a car or plane--get up and walk around.
