Do You Really Need Back Surgery?: A Surgeon's Guide to Neck and Back Pain and How to Choose Your Treatment

by Aaron G. Filler M.D.

Overview

Most people have back surgery to relieve pain, but all too often it doesn't help. For the half million people who undergo back surgery each year, and the additional million who are seriously contemplating it, Do You Really Need Back Surgery? is a godsend--an informed, reliable guide to when you should consider surgery and when you should not. Written by an internationally recognized expert in nerve and spinal surgery, this highly readable guide covers everything back patients need to know to make informed decisions about their treatment. The book discusses the details of spinal anatomy; the difference between acute, chronic, and recurring pain; shows how to keep the spine healthy; and explains such terms as spurs, stenosis, and slippage. It also reveals what clues your physician uses to predict whether a given type of pain is likely to go away with rest and exercise, and which types may become emergencies. Dr. Filler discusses the risks of surgery, the decisions you may be faced with and what options you have, and your expectations for recovery. He provides detailed explanations of the wide array of spinal injections and surgeries, including discectomies and fusions, as well as innovative procedures such as electrothermic and laser techniques and artificial disks. He explains the various medical imaging and diagnostic tests available and even covers the complexities of health insurance. From Pilates to pedicle screws, and from osteoporosis to spina bifida, Do You Really Need Back Surgery? covers all the questions your doctor usually doesn't have the time to answer. Featuring more than 80 illustrations, it is an essential manual for every neck or back pain sufferer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190289195
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/15/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	24 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Aaron G. Filler, MD, Ph.D. is one of the world's leading authorities on nerve and spinal surgery. He is Medical Director of both the Institute for Nerve Medicine and the Center for Advanced Spinal Neurosurgery, and is an Associate of the Institute for Spinal Disorders, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	ix
	Preface	xi
	Disclaimer	xiv
	How to Use This Book: Two Dozen Visits to Your Doctor	1
Part I	Spine Health
1	Acute, Chronic, and Recurring: A Quick Tour of Neck and Back Pain	7
2	The Nature of Pain and How It Is Treated	23
3	Keeping the Spine Healthy: Ergonomics for Life	41
4	Renewal without Surgery: Schools of Therapy	51
5	Anatomy 101: From Bones, Disks, and Joints to Mind, Muscles, and Nerves	63
6	Disks, Spurs, Stenosis, Slippage, and Osteoporosis	81
7	Spinal Symptoms: Where Does That Pain Come From?	95
8	Accidents of the Embryo: Spina Bifida and Variations at Birth	105
9	Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Tests: X-rays, Electrons, and Magnetic Spin	119
10	Recovery and Repair in the Nerves and Spinal Cord	139
Part II	Spine Surgery
11	Without an Incision: Percutaneous Procedures for Diagnosis and Treatment	155
12	Surgery--Before, During, and After: Common Elements You Should Know About	171
13	Surgery to Take Pressure off the Nerves	185
14	Surgery Inside the Spinal Dural Lining	201
15	Spine Carpentry: History and Principles of Rebuilding the Broken Spine	207
16	Fixing the Cervical Spine: Surgical Approaches for the Neck	229
17	Thoracic Spine Operations: Surgical Approaches to Mid- and Upper-Back Problems	243
18	Lumbar Implants and Fusion: Major Surgeries for the Low Back	251
19	Genes, Designer Proteins, and Biomaterials: The Role of Biotechnology in Spinal Surgery	261
20	Risks, Outcomes, and Choices	269
21	Recovery after Surgery	291
22	Health Insurance and the Cost of Surgery	299
	Epilogue: Knowledge and Resilience	313
	Glossary	315
	Index	327

Editorial Reviews

For patients suffering from neck and back pain, neurological surgeon Filler provides valuable, detailed information about causes as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic tools available for treatment. In Part 1, he covers the anatomy of the spine, tips for keeping the back healthy, and types of pain. In Part 2, he discusses the different kinds of surgical therapies. Unfortunately, there were some problems in the proofs, e.g., many of the 85 halftone illustrations particularly the x-rays are too small and dark to be helpful. Still, this text is unique for its balanced view of both the causes of and treatment options for back and neck pain. Filler places equal emphasis on surgery and other therapies like physical therapy, back school, acupuncture, yoga, chiropractic, and Rolfing. Recommended for consumer health collections. Marge Kars, Bronson Methodist Hosp., Kalamazoo, MI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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