About Spine Surgery

Why You Need Spine Surgery

Lower Back Pain

Low back pain affects four out of five people. The most common symptom of a herniated disk is sciatica - a sharp, often shooting, pain that extends from the buttocks down the back on one leg. It is caused by pressure on the spinal nerve. Other symptoms include:

• Loss of bladder or bowel control.
• Tingling (a "pins-and-needles" sensation) or numbness in one leg or buttock.
• Weakness in one leg.
  • Significant weakness in both legs could indicate a serious problem and you should seek immediate attention.

Degenerative changes may also lead to abnormal motion between the vertebrae (instability). Degenerative changes in the lower back can lead to forward slippage of one vertebra on another, a painful condition called spondylolisthesis.

Neck Pain

As with pain in the lower back, neck pain is also common. When pressure is placed on a nerve in the neck, it causes pain in the muscles between your neck and shoulder (trapezius muscles). The pain may shoot down the arm. The pain may also cause headaches in the back of the head. Other symptoms include:

• Weakness in one arm
• Tingling (a "pins-and-needles" sensation) or numbness in one arm.
• Burning pain in the shoulders, neck or arm. 

When conservative measures fail to relieve pain your physician may recommend surgery.

What To Expect

Spinal fusion surgery takes about two to three hours and requires about a three day Hospital stay. Patients are admitted the morning of surgery.

Day of Surgery

Routine care after spine surgery involves wound care, pain management and physical therapy.

Recovery Time

Recovering from spine surgery depends on your general health before the procedure and your level of activity. The goal of recovery is to comfortably return to the activities of daily living that are important to you. While most spine surgery is successful in relieving pain and/or improving movement, recovery does take time. Nerve root discomfort may take time to heal.

By your first postoperative visit, pain at your incision should be at a minimum. Leg pain should be improved and most patients, while still experiencing back pain, will admit to slowly diminishing discomfort. Depending upon the problem, most patients experience back pain improvement compared to preoperative pain three to six months after surgery.

To learn more about spine surgery or make an appointment, please contact the Spine Center at 617-243-5777.