Back Pain Surgery
Back pain surgery at Salem Hospital
Salem Hospital, a member of Mass General Brigham, provides a range of treatment options for patients who need back pain surgery. As the largest health care provider on the North Shore, we provide patients access to a world-class back and spine specialist, as well as referrals to excellent sub-specialists at North Shore Physicians Group and other hospitals in the Mass General Brigham network, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Spine physicians work closely with patients and other neurological specialists to develop the best course of treatment for patients experiencing back pain. Patients will likely first consult with our medical spine specialists to explore non-surgical treatment options. Should surgery be required, our back pain surgery specialists provide a full range of surgical options.
Conditions treated via back pain surgery:
- Spinal cord compression
- Spinal stenosis
- Ruptured disks in spine
- Disc herniations and disc disease
- Injuries and diseases of the spine
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord tumors
- Inflammatory conditions and infections (e.g., myelopathy and radiculopathy)
- Employment related spinal injuries
- Spinal fractures
- Peripheral nerve disorder
- Tumors
- Spondylolisthesis
- Congenital spinal abnormalities
- Failed back
Types of back pain surgery performed
Our neurosurgeons perform a full spectrum of minimally invasive and complex back pain surgery. Minimally invasive surgery options include:
- Microdiscectomy, where surgeons remove part of a herniated disc to relieve back pain resulting from pressure on a nerve root or the spinal cord.
- Spinal stenosis treatment, where a device is placed into the back to restrict movement, addressing the pain and symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis.
- Microsurgical decompression, where surgeons remove a small portion of the bone over the nerve root or disc material from under the nerve root, giving the nerve room to heal.
Complex back pain surgery may include:
- Kyphoplasty for osteoporotic compression fractures
- Artificial disc replacement
- Computer guided surgery
- Surgery for advanced degenerative conditions
- Surgery for spondylolisthesis
Alternatives to back pain surgery
Many conditions that result in back pain may be treated effectively without spine surgery. Before deciding on back pain surgery, our physicians may recommend a variety of non-surgical procedures such as aquatic therapy, spinal injections, physical therapy, and medication.
Find a neurosurgeon for back pain surgery
To find a back pain surgery specialist, you may ask your primary care physician for a referral or use Find a Doctor on our website. This tool allows you to search for a physician by name, by practice name or by specialty, as well as by location, gender and languages spoken.
