1 A Pain in Your Back

1 Nine out of 10 people in the United States will experience low back pain at least once during their lives. It's the most common reason people go to the doctor or miss work. Most back pain resolves itself with nonsurgical treatment and self-care. Many forms of nonsurgical therapies, such as physical therapy, can help, especially in the short term. While a small minority of chronic back pain patients have a physical abnormality, like a large bone spur, scoliosis or significant disc degeneration, many people will have no obvious anatomic cause for the pain. Spinal stenosis, the most common surgical need in the United States for people over 50, can often be treated with physical therapy or by using a cane before surgery is required. The vast majority of back pain patients do not need surgery, said Stefan Mindea, MD, Director of Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery in Stanford's Comprehensive Spine Neurosurgery program. “Back surgery does not work if you are not the right candidate,” he said. A comprehensive care team can include a spine neurosurgeon, pain anesthesiologist, rehabilitation psychiatrist, and a neuropsychiatrist to manage surgical and nonsurgical disorders of the spine and peripheral nerves.  Injuries like Matt Ryan's require specialized trauma care that may involve spine reconstruction.