Do you wake up with back pain and wonder how you will make it through the day. Are you wondering how do you know when you need back surgery? Is back surgery a good idea or are you looking for back surgery alternatives?

Back pain is a common ailment among many people, and unfortunately, even though many people do have back surgery, their pain does not go away! Back problems typically respond to nonsurgical treatments—such as anti-inflammatory medications, heat and physical therapy, spinal manipulation and/or decompression therapy, and will often resolve on its own within a few weeks or months. Ask your chiropractor about these back surgery alternatives!

Low back pain is one of the most common ailments seen by family doctors. Back surgery might be an option if conservative treatments haven't worked and your pain is persistent and disabling. Back surgery often more predictably relieves associated pain or numbness that goes down one or both arms or legs.

These symptoms often are caused by compressed nerves in your spine. Nerves may become compressed for a variety of reasons, including:

• Disk problems. Bulging or ruptured (herniated) disks — the rubbery cushions separating the bones of your spine — can sometimes press too tightly against a spinal nerve and affect its function.
• Overgrowth of bone. Osteoarthritis can result in bone spurs on your spine. This excess bone most commonly affects the hinge joints on the back part of the spinal column and can narrow the amount of space available for nerves to pass through openings in your spine.

It can be very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of your back pain, even if your X-rays show that you have disk problems or bone spurs. X-rays taken for other reasons often reveal bulging or herniated disks that cause no symptoms and need no treatment.

So how do you know when you need back surgery? Before you agree to back surgery, consider getting a second opinion from other specialists. They may hold different opinions about when to operate, what type of surgery to perform and whether surgery is warranted at all.

Looking for back surgery alternatives? Call McKim Chiropractic for more information about how do you know when you need back surgery. Their doctors of chiropractic offer the DRS Protocol™, a non-surgical spinal decompression therapy which relieves low back pain associated with spinal and disc problems. Our licensed and certified staff is happy to help the residents of Nampa, ID regain a pain-free life.