Top 5 Conservative Treatments to Try Before Having Spinal Fusion Surgery

Spinal fusion surgery is often recommended for patients with degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, radiculopathy, and other conditions. But is it always necessary? In some cases, maybe. In other cases, maybe not.

While patients can usually return to normal activity around 6 weeks after fusion surgery, full recovery can take 2-4 months. That’s partially why you should always consult a spine specialist to determine whether surgery is needed given your individual circumstances before making a decision.

Meanwhile, we invite you to read about five of the most common, safe, and effective treatments to try before surgical fusion of your spinal vertebrae. This information is only intended to be informational. To see if any of the following surgery alternatives could work for you, reach out to us at Desert Spine and Scoliosis Center.

1. Pain Management & Medication Management

As I discussed in my blog post “8 Things to Try for Lower Back Pain in Athletes– Before Surgery”, there are several ways to manage pain stemming from back issues, ranging from heat and ice therapy to corticosteroid injections.

While heat may feel good, cold is generally better at curbing inflammation that causes pain.

When it comes to medication, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) which includes Ibuprofen (Advil), Aspirin, and Naproxen Sodium (Aleve), is often recommended. But there can be risks of taking NSAIDS regularly, especially for people taking blood thinners or those with bleeding disorders, people with a history of gastrointestinal problems.

Other ways to manage pain include corticosteroid injections and nerve blocks.

2. Physical Therapy & Strengthening Exercises

Physical therapy is a fantastic way to reduce excess pressure on our vertebrae and support your long-term spine health while also improving your core strength.

As I noted in my blog post “Considering Spinal Fusion? Have You Tried These 4 Things Yet?”, “If medication is a band-aid, physical therapy is an ointment that can help alleviate pain”. In fact, physical therapy is one of the most effective and safest long-term solutions to managing pain, preserving mobility, and preventing the continued progression of conditions that cause back pain.

While you can do exercises at home with many of the same benefits of physical therapy, the benefits of going to a physical therapist include getting the maximum benefit from exercises and avoiding unnecessary injuries that result from improper form or overuse.

Strengthening exercises can, however, be recommended by a reputable physical therapist and done at home to supplement physical therapy. If physical therapy doesn’t seem to be helping, or makes things worse, then call a spine specialist right away so that they can determine if you should continue.

3. Lifestyle Modifications

Lifestyle modifications are one of the least-liked treatments before spinal fusion surgery.

Many people approach the prospect of making lifestyle modifications such as improving posture, losing weight, or quitting smoking with an attitude of skepticism, wondering if such changes are actually effective.

Others may feel apathetic, believing that lifestyle changes, while effective, are simply not worth the effort.

The truth is that making lifestyle modifications, while not necessarily a cure-all for spinal issues, is one of the most effective ways to improve your quality of life (not to mention overall health) while also possibly preventing the conditions causing the pain you’re enduring from getting worse.

This is especially true for people experiencing lower back pain, as there is a proven link between being overweight or obese and experiencing lower back pain. For some, losing weight alone may alleviate some if not all of their back pain.

4. Chiropractic and Alternative Therapies

Chiropractic adjustment may help improve your spinal alignment and reduce excess pressure on your nerves.

Similarly, other alternative treatments such as massage therapy and acupuncture may remove muscle tightness and improve nerve pain.

You should always consult a spine specialist to discuss any alternative treatments you’re considering, and these treatments should be considered as complementary to other methods, rather than replacements of them.

5. Spinal Decompression

For some patients who may not require a spinal fusion procedure, but who may have tried most other conservative treatments, other minimally invasive interventions might be appropriate and effective.

One of the safest and most effective options is often a type of spinal decompression called discectomy, during the course of which a surgeon removes any damaged parts of discs that are pressing on spinal nerves, causing pain and irritation.

Discectomy is usually most appropriate for people who have herniated discs or degenerative disc disease.

Learn More

Looking for information on other potential cures for your back or nerve pain? Read my blog post “9 Alternatives to Back Surgery” now, where additional options such as yoga and electrical stimulation are mentioned.

Ready to see which courses of action are best-suited to your unique condition and needs? Reach out for an individualized consultation.