Is surgery for neck or back pain necessary? Sometimes. It is reasonable to consider spine surgery if the pain has not diminished after months of non-surgical treatment, if pain does not respond to medication, or if you're unable to complete basic daily activities. Some surgery options are minimally invasive (microdiscectomy for a  herniated disc) and allow for quick recovery, while other types of surgery (a posterolateral fusion for degenerative disc disease) are more extensive.

The primary purpose of back surgery is to correct an anatomical lesion in individuals who fail to show improvement with conservative (nonsurgical) treatment.

Learn the various causes of failed back surgery syndrome. A comprehensive physical examination and appropriate diagnostic imaging techniques can often pinpoint the responsible pathology for the continued pain after surgery.
Instrumentation used for cervical spinal fusion surgery is designed to help provide greater stability for the spine after the procedure.
Cervical spine surgery is generally performed on an elective basis to treat neck pain from nerve pinching (decompression surgery) or spinal instability (spine fusion surgery).
Kyphoplasty surgery is a procedure designed to stop the pain caused by a spinal fracture. Examine how kyphoplasty is performed and the risks involved.

advertisement