It may be necessary to turn to surgery or a less invasive procedure if other approaches to back pain leave you still suffering.

If you have back pain, you probably know how hard it is to find relief: You try everything you can think of to feel better and get back on you feet - massages, medications, stretching, even pillows to ease pain and pressure on your back. But if nothing seems to work and you are still in pain, it might be time to talk to your doctor about the possibility of surgery.

Back pain can be caused by many different things, including injury to your back or skeletal diseases such as scoliosis or arthritis. Muscle spasms, tension in the muscles, and ruptured or damaged disks can also cause debilitating back problems.

Back pain doesn't discriminate, either: Just about anyone can be struck down at any time. However, people who are in poor physical condition and those who are overweight are more likely to experience back pain. While it's also a common side effect of aging, it can actually affect people at any age. Even your job can lead to an aching back if you have poor posture or if you have to perform movements that require heavy lifting, twisting, or turning.

In the end, if you are unable to find relief through other methods, or if the pain has progressed to a point where it is affecting your ability to function, back pain surgery may be an option to consider.

Back Pain Relief: Back Pain Surgery Options

If you're thinking about back pain surgery, here's the lowdown on some of the many types of procedures that may be able to provide relief:

• Diskectomy: The most common back procedure. In this surgery, part of the vertebra is removed to alleviate the pressure placed on the nerves in the back from a herniated disk..
• Laminectomy: A surgical procedure that alleviates pressure that is placed on the nerves in the back when the spine has narrowed (spinal stenosis). In a laminectomy, the lamina, or the bones that connect to form the vertebra, are removed to widen the spinal canal.
• Spinal fusion: A surgical procedure in which multiple bones in the spine are surgically joined together. A spinal fusion stabilizes disks that are moving and causing significant pain. This procedure is usually performed to treat a spinal fracture or to correct a spinal deformity.
• Disk replacement: One of the newest back pain surgery options available. In disk replacement surgery, the disintegrating disk is removed and replaced with an artificial disk (usually made of metal or plastic). This procedure is usually performed to treat a degenerative disk disease.

Back Pain Relief: Less Invasive Procedures

Before - or instead of - going under the knife, you should also explore less invasive back pain relief procedures:

• Intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET): In this injection therapy, a needle is heated until it reaches a very high temperature and then inserted into the disk through a catheter. The heat strengthens the wall of the disk, which eliminates painful bulging.
• Vertebroplasty: In this injection procedure, bone cement is injected into the vertebra. This procedure is used to treat a fractured or compressed disk by stabilizing the vertebra.

There are many other types of less-invasive procedures - including injections of steroids and other materials that are shot directly into the joints - that can help alleviate many types of back pain.

Back Pain Relief: You're Not Alone

Don't think you just have to suffer through or tough it out - back pain is a serious health issue that can have a huge impact on your day-to-day life. And with so many options available now and more in the development pipeline, there's no reason for you not to do everything you can to fix your aching back.