According to WebMD, researchers have noted a positive correlation between back pain reduction in patients who have undergone back surgery. Before surgery, as much as 40% of the patients complained about chronic back pain. Post-surgery, 80% of that number noted that their back pain was gone entirely. Experts in the field have been studying the link between back pain and hip surgery for years, and this latest study gives a clue that the two may be more intrinsically linked than first thought.
Spine Complications Affect Hip Replacement
The link between the back and the hip has long been postulated because of existing knowledge. Currently, hip replacement is one of the most complex surgeries that can be completed perfectly by modern doctors. Without any other extenuating factors, hip replacements are usually 100% successful. However, as NYU Langone Health mentions, spinal deformity tends to affect the success rate of hip replacement surgeries. The latest result support that conclusion, although what that particular link between them remains unexplored.
Knowing Whether It’ll Work For You
If you’re a back-pain sufferer, then maybe replacement surgery might work to alleviate your pain. Doctors associated with the study noted that whether the operation would work to remove back-pain relied on the diagnosis. That diagnosis further relied on an expert physical exam and a properly examined x-ray. The x-ray examination took into account how the bones in the hip and back were aligned. Additionally, it allowed doctors to check the flexibility of a patient’s spine.
The connection doesn’t just extend to the hip and back, but may also factor in the knee movement. It seems as though back, hip, and knee are part of an interconnected system, and what happens to one affects the others. Doctors involved in the study suggested that practitioners look at all three areas before deciding whether they should attempt the procedure.
Consulting a Doctor
A lot of us end up with bad back pain because of how we sit. Not everyone can benefit from owning Bradington Young recliners, and so we have to rely on doctors to help us relieve our back pain. Asking a doctor if this type of surgery will work for you is your first option. Back pain is a chronic problem, and these results provide surgeons with the tools necessary to predict whether the surgery will, in fact, help their patients with back pain.