Serious back pain affects 80% of adults in the US. Well over half of these will be cured by non-surgical means including physical therapy, pain management, lifestyle changes or medications. For those who will need surgery to alleviate the pain in their spine, it is important to know that there have been many surgical advances in spine surgery in the last 30 years. For the aging back, where the vertebrae are bumping against each other, surgery would be an option if leg pain limits normal activity, weakness or numbness in the legs and feet or difficulty in walking or standing. …
