[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I have had three lower back operations. I tried chiropractors and every thing else and nothing worked so I finally had to have surgery.

I had my first surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and the other two at The New England Baptist Hospital Spine Center. NEBH is considered if not the best in world it is at least always mentioned in the top three or four.

My surgeons recommended that I try everything before I had surgery. In fact my first surgeon had be trying different treatments for a year. When I got no results he reluctantly operated. After the surgery he told me that I had the most prominent herniation of a disc that he had ever seen in thirty years of doing these surgeries.

About ten years later, I had the problem recur due to a different disc. My old surgeon had retired and I was lucky to get into NEBH though a sports organization to which I belong. The people that treated me did Jack Nicklaus' hip replacement and Larry Bird's back operation. The King of Saudi Arabia was there for a back operation. The wealthiest people in the world go there for orthopedic treatment. It is generally considered if not the best, one of top two or three spine centers in the world.

My new doctor told me that since my first surgery, techniques had improved tremendously. He also said that they had a lot more statistical information. They now know that 80% of symptoms from a herniated disc will go away with no treatment within three months. Chiropractic may help but it may not. Physical therapy, traction, cortico-steroid injections and oral medication may also help, but not always. What they do know now is that if the symptoms show no sign of improving after three months the odds of it going away without surgery are diminished almost to the point of being non existent.

So my advice based on my experience what I have been told by one of the world's leading spine specialists is that try everything to can. But, if it doesn't go away in three months, you're probably going to need surgery.

As for the surgery itself, my experience leads me to tell people to not be afraid of it. If you go to a good hospital with good surgeons it should be day surgery. They do what they refer to as micro-surgery, in this case a micro discectomy. They cut a very small hole (about 1" long) in your back to trim away some of the disc and relieve the pressure on the nerve. You have a short recovery period in the hospital and go home after a few hours. The pain in your leg will be completely gone. Your back will be stiff and sore for about a week, but they'll give you some good meds to help with that. I was up walking within a few minutes of waking up and back to my normal routine within a few days.

Whatever you do, physical therapy and a continuing exercise program are very important.

I hope this helps.

BTW, I am not a medical doctor but I have a lot of experience as a patient. I am not trying to tell anyone what to do, only relating my own experiences.