Across this forum, I see more "the pain has been worse since having surgery than before" but, as was stated earlier, these are likely the folks who are more likely to post. Lots of folks saying that they've had a wide assortment of treatments but not much is working. With that much negative feedback, does that mean that everybody is different and the outcome is not predictable or does it mean that the skill level of the MD's performing the surgeries is variable?
I just ordered two books last night on back pain and, in reading the part that Amazon lets you read from the book, it said that the protocols for treating back pain are fairly antiquated and have not been updated for the field as a whole. The paperback version I ordered came out in 2007 so I don't know when the hardcover was written but I assume updated for the paperback. It was written by a Harvard guy named Jeffrey Katz. If nothing else, reading this forum has strongly motivated me to try to do everything I can to regain and maintain the health of my back as long as I can!
Brad