Why Laser Spine Surgery is Not Fully Accepted

D ealing with back pain can be a struggle and stressful experience for most patients hence most would consider laser spine surgery as an alternative relief. There are numerous suggested remedies for back pain although not many work as we expect them to. This is probably why some patients would consider laser surgery for relief instead of undergoing through the knife which happens for very few cases. The use of lasers has been around from the early 1960s. It is an effective and significant medical break that has been used for numerous corrective surgeries including eye surgeries as well as neuro-surgeries. The question of whether laser spine surgery is effective continues to linger in the minds of many. While most patients agree to the option of laser spine surgery, most renowned hospitals in the world are not willing to endorse this procedure as one that they are willing to perform. Unlike eye laser and neurosurgery laser operations, laser spine surgery has not been fully embraced. This leaves a concern for patients and other interested parties. Why would competent medical establishments shy away from using laser surgery on the spine? The answer to this question is crucial if the procedure is to be fully adopted. The reluctance to turn to surgery is probably because these medical professionals feel like there are better methods to deal with back pain that do not involve surgery.Considering that most back pain is acute and not chronic, physical therapy should be sufficient. Acute back pain can be treated with pain relievers and physical therapy as it goes away over time hence no surgery is required. However, in chronic cases, minor invasive surgeries are required. Apart from these few and rare cases, not many people need surgeries. This could be the reason why adopting laser spine surgery as a mainstream technique is still facing some resistance even though it works. [Photo: flickr.com]