“Disc degeneration actually does not cause back pain. That's been well-documented.  The success rate of the spinal fusion for back pain was about 24 percent, but we still kept doing it. Then, in 1994, research was presented showing that the return-to-work rate one year after a spinal fusion for back pain was 15 percent, I just stopped performing fusion surgeries. Every paper since then has showed pretty much the same dismal results; there's maybe a 20 to 25 percent success rate of spinal fusion for back pain...And the downside of a failed spine surgery is terrible. It's really bad. These people are condemned to live their entire lifetime, 30 to 40 more years, in chronic pain." ~ Dr. Donald Hanscom, Orthopedic Surgeon  (My plug to try chiropractic first ~ Dr. J)