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Neck Surgery
Neck Surgery is a common treatment for a wide range of spinal conditions.
Chronic neck pain
is a trial for any person to endure and will slowly wear down even the most stoic of patients. Individuals who suffer with long term unresolved back and
neck pain
will often accept the seeming inevitability of
back surgery
as a last chance for curing their symptoms.

Neck Surgery Indications
Surgical intervention is used to treat many common
spinal abnormalities
including:
* Herniated Discs
* Degenerative Disc Disease
* Lordosis
* Spinal Stenosis
* Pinched Nerves
and
Foraminal Stenosis
* Spinal Arthritis
and
Facet Joint Syndrome
No surgical therapy offers truly excellent treatment results for any of these conditions and some procedures demonstrate utterly abysmal results, often leaving the patient far worse post-operatively. It is miraculous to me that
spinal surgery
is still such a popular and practiced modality, since very few patients are actually cured of their pain after undergoing any invasive spinal procedure.
Neck Surgery for Injury
Cervical surgery is best used to treat emergency
neck injuries
and trauma where the spinal integrity has been compromised. In these circumstances, surgery is completely justifiable, despite a possibly poor operative outcome.
Spinal instability
is a serious consequence of significant injury and when this occurs in the neck, the patient’s very life might be at risk. This is one of the best uses for
spinal fusion
and other drastic neck procedures. Cervical spinal injuries might also need to be treated to eliminate any threat which might compromise or damage the
spinal cord.
Obviously, a cervical spinal injury is to be avoided at all costs, since the effects on any patient are likely to be devastating and possibly permanent.
Neck Surgery Recommendation
The vertebral bones and
intervertebral discs
are thinner and more delicate in the neck than in any other region of the spine. There is a huge network of nerves and vascular tissue packed into the neck as well, serving the anatomical needs of the upper body. Cervical spinal surgery often causes more harm than good and many patients are left disabled from operations which were probably not even necessary to begin with. Everyday, I get letters from patients with
failed back surgery
syndrome who are looking for any solution to their dire post-surgical predicaments. Unfortunately, once damage has been done to the delicate spinal structures, there is rarely any effective way of restoring form and function…I can not stress it enough… Please so not undergo surgery on your neck, or any other spinal region, without being 100% SURE that the procedure is your last resort. In addition, make sure that the procedure is actually necessary and has a good chance of curing your pain. Talk to your surgeon about the
risks
and try to do some independent research to ascertain the effectiveness of the proposed procedure for your condition. Remember… once you go through with surgery, THERE IS NO GOING BACK. Don’t take chances. Do your
research
and take an active role in your own treatment.
Neck Surgery to Back Pain Home
6/23/08 Revised 7/25/08

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