What does this tool measure?
This interactive tool will not diagnose a back problem, but it will tell
you whether surgery might help reduce or get rid of symptoms related to your
low back problem. There are always risks with any surgery, so most people don't
want to have surgery unless there is a very good chance it will help them.
Although research shows that surgery is very likely to be effective for some
problems, it rarely helps with others.
This tool will help you
find out whether your own low back problem might be helped by surgery. After
you use this tool, you can show the results to your doctor when you talk to him
or her about surgery and your other options.
This tool is not
meant for people in emergency situations. Talk to your doctor
immediately if you have any of the following problems:
- Bladder and/or bowel problems, including not
being able to go to the bathroom as you normally do or not being able to
control bowel movements or urination
- Loss of feeling or rapidly
decreasing feeling over your feet and heels or in your "saddle area," which
includes any part of your body that might touch a saddle if you were on a
horse, including your buttocks, your inner thighs, and the backs of your
legs
- Increasing pain, weakness, numbness, or problems with
coordination in one or both legs
- A fever for 2 or more
days
- A serious injury, an accident, or a big fall in the last 2
weeks
- A history of spinal stenosis
- A history of cancer
What do your results mean?
About 90% of the
symptoms of low back problems, such as back pain and pain down the back of the
leg, go away by themselves within 6 weeks, and 98% are gone within 1
year.1 Most people with back pain do not need to see
their doctor unless they have severe pain or their symptoms are not getting better after about 4 weeks. And they
do not start having any tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), unless they have had symptoms for at
least 6 weeks, or they have other "red flags" such as signs of nerve damage. Surgery is not considered until after
that.
As
you work through this tool, you will get an idea of whether surgery might help
you.
What's next?
If you are concerned about back pain
or other related symptoms such as leg pain, numbness, or weakness, talk to your
doctor about what steps you can take. If surgery is unlikely to help, you can
still take action to reduce and control your symptoms.
For more information, see the topics:
Sources:
Carragee EJ, Hannibal M (2004). Diagnostic evaluation of low back pain. Orthopedic Clinics of North America, 35(2004): 7–16.
Hu SS, et al. (2006). Lumbar disc herniation section of Disorders, diseases, and injuries of the spine. In HB Skinner, ed., Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Orthopedics, 4th ed., pp. 246–249. New York: McGraw-Hill.
References
Citations
- Carragee EJ, Hannibal M (2004). Diagnostic evaluation
of low back pain. Orthopedic Clinics of North America,
35(2004): 7–16.
Other Works Consulted
- Carragee EJ, Hannibal M (2004). Diagnostic evaluation
of low back pain. Orthopedic Clinics of North America,
35(2004): 7–16.
- Hu SS, et al. (2006). Lumbar disc herniation section
of Disorders, diseases, and injuries of the spine. In HB Skinner, ed.,
Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Orthopedics, 4th ed.,
pp. 246–249. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | Brian D. O'Brien, MD - Internal Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Robert B. Keller, MD - Orthopedics |
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| Last Revised | April 25, 2012 |
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