Is Surgery for Neck or Back Pain Necessary?

It is reasonable to consider spine surgery, if the pain has not diminished after:

  • Non-surgical treatment
  • No response to medication,
  • Back pain is impeding on your life generally, stopping you from completing basic daily activities,
  • Or you are an elite athlete, unable to perform at your best, due to back pain or spine injury.


Some spine surgery options are minimally invasive, for example a microdiscectomy, which relieves the pressure on a spinal nerve root by removing the material causing the pain, and allows for a quick recovery. While other types of surgery, for example a posterolateral fusion requires far more extensive surgery. This painful disc degeneration is common in the neck (cervical spine) and lower back (lumbar spine) and Total Disc Replacement surgery may be required to correct.


If you have been referred to Prof. Malham by your GP, or specialist, and completed a consultation, you may have been advised you will require surgery.


There may be additional questions you have or maybe you’d like to complete further reading to understand your spine surgery procedure more. Either way, our Spine Surgery A to Z section, is designed for Prof. Malham’s patients to reference and to gain further information about their spine surgery needs, and includes:



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