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Here's an extract from a press release by the Bonati Spine Institute:

"One in every five Americans suffers from back pain. Up to 85 percent of Americans will suffer back pain in their lifetime. The North American Spine Society shows that 30% of those cases will recur. The number of people with chronic debilitating low back pain is growing. Reasons for the increase are unclear, but probable causes are the rising rates of obesity, lack of exercise, stress, depression and awareness of the condition. Even if a person is born with a perfectly formed spine, bones become weaker as you age, and the discs in the spine wear out over time.

The best way to cope with back pain is exercise and weight control. This requires more discipline than pills or an injection, but most people prefer that to a lifestyle change.

Surgery should be the last resort. But when preventive measures have been tried, and conservative treatments are not enough, sometimes back surgery is necessary to bring relief. A study funded by the National Institutes of Health, published in 2006, 2007 and 2008 found that surgical patients recovered more quickly than nonsurgical patients with herniated discs, stenosis and slipped vertebrae.

When back pain is persistent and disabling, however, it indicates the need for a good diagnosis and sometimes for surgery. Back surgery is needed in only a small percentage of cases and is usually reserved for times when a nerve is pinched, the spinal cord is compressed or there is too much movement between the spinal bones. But even then, traditional “open” spine surgery is not often recommended.

While most published statistics claim a success rate of approximately 80% for open spine surgery, physician practice reports that the actual success rate is closer to 50%. Through the utilization of the latest least invasive technology, patients can undergo many back and spine operations in a whole new way. These updated versions of traditional back surgeries allow for great precision, faster healing, and less damage to healthy tissue."