does he need a surgery?

It depends what does his doctor says is wrong with his back is it a slipped disc? or is it something that is more severe than that?

I am a back pain sufferer as well. I know what it is like. It is very painful and does change your life. I can't do the things that I loved before my accident which caused this back injury. It is easy for people to say hey go for surgury etc etc. Sorry to say if you are not going through it don't come preach it to me unless you have gone through it. It's not that easy. Yes there are risks and complications to any surgury. People don't know what they are. With it being a back surgury and one of the most riskiest ones out there. The question I have for people when they say this or tell someone with a back injury is "how would you react if you can't walk" or something along that line. Anyway. Weigh your options first. What kind of procedures and or treatments has he tried? What type of injury or pain is he experienceing? I don't know what he is suffering from so I can only go on my case. I for one have tried 3 different methods of chiropractor (manuel: when they use only their hands for adjustments.) (another form of manuel: where he uses an instrument to do the adjustments which causes less pressure on the spine. (A.R.T- active release technique: where again they are going manuel and using a few machines to try and get things working again. (i will say it was painful for me.) I can't say that it won't be painful for him though as again I don't know what condition he has. I have also tried 3 different medical doctors. One who just didn't care and told me to deal with it as I was getting no help from the medications. A sports doctor who wants to stick me on a bunch of pills and to be honest really didn't help. And the 3rd doctor who is my doctor now who is looking into new ways that something will help. but then again she is pushing for surgury but won't push too hard till I talk with the surgeon. I do go and see a orthopedic surgeon as well. I just finished a 2nd course of injections which are called a "FACET BLOCK". It is where they put needles into your spine and push "Steriods" "CORTISONE" into your facet joints which are located in your spinal column. The first course hurt like an SOB and the second wasn't so bad. But you have to remember to keep your mind on happy things and be very relaxed. Don't be tense. I think the first time I went I was very tense as I didn't know what to expect. Second time was alot easier. I got 2 days of pain releif on my first course but not on my second. So I know injections are not going to help me. I have seen 2 physiothearpists. I want to know my condition as best as I can. With back pain you have to know it will never be 100% again. So what we are working on is pain management. Something that is tolerable to us so that we can go on with everyday living. It's very hard to understand. With the physio I reacted as a rollercoaster. I had good days and I had bad days. With it being prolonged and the inflammation of the spine that was never taken care of at the beginning I am left with more pain than just the lower back. It travels throughout your body. It's gone into my hips as well as the legs. I have it all up the spinal column and into the neck. Lucky my head and my arms are still in tact. But still it's not fun. I went through one course of acupuncture where after the procedure and the day following my entire back was bruised and it was black. Not a normal bruising color. I had to go into the hospital as I was infected all in the back. I had puss leak out from the holes from where the needles went in. Acupuncture is not supposed to hurt. But this hurt. I am going to a Chinese acupunture lady on Monday. They are better to see than the normal white person or whatever. Chinese people are the ones who came out with acupuncture. I can email you on Monday/Tuesday and let you know how it goes. I suggest you look into other treatments that your husband hasn't done before. Don't go and jump into a spinal surgury if you don't have to. As my surgeon said to me. It's fine to go and open you up tear you up and then sew you up. But if they don't understand what is causing the pain he don't want to put me through that as he also didn't gurentee anything. I am waiting as long as I can and looking into all different types of treatments, procedures, doctors, methods out there. If you give me a little more insight on what he has I might be able to help. I can't say for sure that I can. But there is hope that he won't have to go for surgury. Tell him to keep a positive mind and think positive that he will get 50% better or something. Start with a low number and work your way up. As well I've gone for bone scans, CT scan, MRI, X-Rays. Make sure he has gone for all these tests cause they do help you in the long run.

Has he seen a chiropractor? I see a chiropractor who also does acupuncture, and I find that has done a great deal to help me with back pain. It may not help him but I think it's definitely worth checking out.

Hello dear marketing friend. I am so sorry that your husband is suffering pain from the spinal cord. I used to have a colleague who suffered from this in his thirties from having too many exercises, like playing basket, playing pingpong and volleyball. He was told by the doctor not to exercise as much as he used to after he was discovered to have this kind of spinal cord because it is very dangerous and easy to get himself unable to walk and stand straight if he continues that way. He followed the doctor's advice, but I am not sure if he went to the hospital for an operation or not. It was said that it is very risky to have this done. I am sorry to know this. Anyway, I hope that your husband will be fine without his knowing about it soon. Good luck and take care.

there is always risks associated with everything...so it is a hard decision. my husband needed hernia surgery last summer. he did not want to do it. but now he is glad he had it done because his life is much better for it. the question to ask is does the outcome outweigh living with the pain or using meds? will it give him a better quality of life? Then you must weigh the cons - if something happened like becoming paralyzed, how would it change your life? Would you still be able to be happy if that happened? Hopefully looking at it that way that can help you make a decision together. good luck!

Hi Marketing, there are always risks with any surgery, the decision is your husbands as it is his body that he is taking the risk with. He seems to have a choice, live in pain or risk the surgery. Either option isn't pleasant but looking on the postive the majority of sugeries are successful and he could then live a pain free life after. His call. Good luck with whatever is decided. Ellie :D

i think may be doctors can say. i have seen in many cases different doctors have different arguments about the success rate. but better doing anything, take second opinion.

Someone I know had problems with the discs in her back, the hospital told her that there was an operation that could fix it, but that there was a risk that the pain after could be worse or she could end up in a wheelchair. She decided not to have the operation, simply because the risks were too great, and so I guess thats what your husband has to consider. He will have to weigh up the good points of haveing the operation against the bad points of having it and see which are greater. He could take the chance on having it done and be pain free or worst case scenario he could have it done and end up worse. So you both need to look at the options and decide whether it is worth that risk or not, I am sorry that he is in pain with his back though, I think that the back is the worst place to be in pain with.

Of course,nobody likes to go for surgery.If it is unavoidable he has to go through it.He must take total care atleast 6 months after surgery.It is most important particularly in surgeries related with spinal cord.Tellhim to hope for the best n go through it.Good luck.

He should definitly take into consideration that by going for this surgery that it could end his pain, or it could also make it worse. Any surgery that you go through has side effects, and risks. You and your husband need to decide on this together, and figure out what is best for him. If he is afraid that it won't do anything for him, or it will only make it worse, then look for another alternative, possibly some therapy could help. Always, always get a second opinion from other doctors as well, and if you are getting the same answer from many doctors, than maybe that is your answer right there. Good luck, and I hope all is figured out and fixed soon.

I think much will be dependent on what is he suffering from actually. There may be alternatives to surgery but it may mean a longer road to recovery and restrictive lifestyle which may affect his work and daily activities. However, some chronic spinal pains can be treated with Chinese acupuncture and you will need to look for a qualified practitioner in your area. If surgery is the only option then I do not think it can be avoided and as in standard medical practice it is a norm for them to mention the risks as this is the legal and administration requirement. But given the success rate of the procedure, I think one can take comfort and a guideline to decide upon it. Or else, it will be bearing with the pain and if you are careless (touch wood) you might end up with an aggravated condition. Which might jeopardize the manageability issue.