Are you suffering from back pain? Is it so severe that it can't be relieved through non-operative methods including physical therapy, medications and steroid injections? If yes, spine surgery may be the only answer to your condition. Get to know more about spine surgery treatment by reading the whole article.

Spine Surgery Types

There are several different types of spine surgery, most of which do not require you to lie flat in bed for weeks. The type you choose depends on the condition of your back.

Spinal Fusion: It is a common surgery for chronic back pain. Also called spondylodesis, a spinal fusion is typically done to treat spine instability (spondylolisthesis) or spinal weakness. The surgery is aimed at treating injured or broken spinal bones, called vertebrae, and increasing the strength of the spine by fusing two or more bones together. This stops motion between the painful spine bones, thus decreases pain in that joint.

Foraminotomy: This surgery is suitable for patients who have a bone spur, a bulging disc, or a thickened vertebral disc. A keyhole surgery is often used to widen your foramina- the bony holes through which spinal nerve roots exit the spinal cord. This enlarged space reduces pressure on your spinal nerves, thereby relieving pain.

Spinal Disc Replacement: It is a treatment alternative to spinal fusion. In this procedure, degenerated or injured discs are removed, instead of joining together, and replaced with artificial discs. 

In most cases, back pain tends to be temporary and is usually managed with conservative therapy and self-care, including medications, exercise, physical therapy and acupuncture. But if severe then you can go for the spine surgery.