When severe spine pain persistently remains, it’s easy to lean towards back pain surgery. Back pain sufferers want immediate relief and may believe surgery is the only key. Don’t throw in the towel before you know the facts about this procedure. Sufferers may want to consider some alternative Seattle Spine Treatment options before ‘going under the knife’. As with any life-altering decision, it’s important to be informed of your choices. You don’t have to be one of the 20-40% of people who either experience no improvement, or suffer from worse pain after undergoing surgery. A good Seattle Chiropractor may be all you need for permanent back pain relief.

Dangers of Back Surgery

Prudence is advised when considering back surgery. Have you ever visited a health forum and taken a look at the posts under "Spinal Conditions"? These are real-life experiences. There isn’t a better way to get a glimpse of what can and does go wrong with failed back surgeries. Did you know it’s so common that it’s widely known as "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome"?

Back Surgery Risks

Another indicator that back surgeries are not always the best option are the results of a study involving vertebrae fusion. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine reviewed the records of 1,450 patients who had been diagnosed with disc degeneration, disc herniation, radiculopathy and other common spine conditions. One half (725) of these back pain sufferers had the surgery,while the remaining half did not. The results of all the patients 2 years after the surgery include the following:

• Only 26% of the surgery patients were able to go back to work

• 67% of the non-surgical patients returned to work

• Among the surgical patients, there was a 41% increase in the usage of opiate pain killers.

Why is Back Surgery Risky?

The spinal cord contains 31 pairs of nerves which control just about everything, including breathing, movement, and sensation. One slight of the knife could end your days of smelling, walking, or other critical functions. In addition, the spinal cord is surrounded by cerebral spinal fluid that protects the nerve tissues. Damage of the cerebral spinal fluid can cause a decline in cognitive functioning and can lead to other serious conditions.It’s easy to see the large risk you take when you have back surgery. All it takes is one mistake.

Low-Risk Seattle Spine Treatments

When you visit a local Seattle Chiropractor instead of immediately opting for surgery, you greatly reduce your risk of serious spine damage, while increasing your chances of long-term back pain relief. Patients may experience sore muscles the day after receiving chiropractic care, but this is normal with subluxation, massage, and even thesafe and gentle method of spinal decompression.

The choice is ultimately yours – do you go the risky route of back surgery or try a safer alternative, like Seattle chiropractics? Make an appointment today to see if chiropractic care is right for you at one of our convenient clinic locations:

• Bellevue Chiropractor

• Redmond Chiropractor

• Lynnwood Chiropractor

• Federal Way Chiropractor

• Tacoma Chiropractor

• Everett Chiropractor