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

Every year, more than half a million people undergo surgery to relieve chronic back pain, and in many cases, they still hurt afterwards. Filler, a neurosurgeon at Cedars Sinai Hospital in LOS Angeles, offers readers advice on a wide range of treatments, exercises, and prevention tips. He first explains how the spine is supposed to work, then tackles its numerous dysfunctions, including spurs, stenosis, and slipped discs--detailing how these things develop and how they are diagnosed. The discussion of noninvasive treatment techniques covers pain management and physical therapy. The second half of the book addresses more-invasive types of treatment, from injections to surgery. Filler includes the newest developments, such as percutaneous disc compression for bulging discs and textured titanium implants, to which bone readily adheres. There is also discussion about what kinds of treatment are on the horizon. Filler achieves his goal of giving patients answers to questions that a physician might not have time to address. OUP, 2004, 336 p., b&w photos/illus., hardcover, $28.00.