Spine fusion (surgery) is commonly viewed as a stabilizing treatment that may reduce the need for additional surgery. However, according to a recent study published in the medical journal, Spine, “the indications for fusion surgery in degenerative spine disorders remain controversial, and the effects of fusion on reoperation rates are unclear.”

The study, is titled “Reoperation rates following lumbar spine surgery and the influence of spinal fusion procedures”. According to the authors, BI Martin and associates from the Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, the objective of the study was to “determine the cumulative incidence of reoperation following lumbar surgery for degenerative disease and, for specific diagnoses, to compare the frequency of reoperation following fusion with that following decompression alone.”
The study found a rate of nearly 20% reoperation following the first spinal surgery. “In other words,” said Dr. Timothy Flynn from Regis University, Denver, and President of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT), “one in five people who have their spines fused in surgery, must suffer through additional surgery because it failed the first time. That's an alarming rate. In the vast majority of cases, patients would have benefited from physical therapy first.”
The conclusion from this study is clear, according to the AAOMPT: Patients should be informed that the likelihood of re-operation following a lumbar spine operation is substantial. The group suggests considering alternatives to lumbar surgery proposed by the Association of Ethical Spine Surgeons, who understand that lumbar surgery rates in the U.S. are preposterously over-utilized. The number one alternative to lumbar surgery, according to the surgeons themselves, is to first visit a physical therapist.
“That is the mantra of AAOMPT”, noted Dr. Flynn, “Go see your physical therapist first. We will not prescribe drugs or perform invasive procedures that may well cause more harm than good. We can alleviate the pain in your back, and show you how to prevent it from reoccurring.”
For more information about the benefits of physical therapy and how it can help you alleviate back pain, eliminate your use of prescription drugs, and prevent costly and painful surgery, go to: http://www.aaompt.org, or contact your local physical therapist.