Surgery no cure-all for back pain

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a really good article today raising questions about the effectiveness of expensive back surgeries for alleviating back pain. Several of the sources the author cites suggest that some of the most expensive and invasive procedures, like spinal fusion, might be greatly overused in cases where they can have little benefit. As the article notes, some insurers are beginning to push back on covering the costs for these procedures, and the new health care reform bill will require doctors to show cost-effectiveness when they prescribe such surgeries.

Non-invasive treatments, like physical therapy and chiropractic, can often have excellent results at a fraction of the cost of back surgery, and as this article shows, more patients should be made aware that they have options other than surgery.