A couple of new studies by researchers in the U.S. and the Netherlands have found that though surgery is effective for people with a slipped or misaligned disk, it often is not necessary if patients can summon up enough patience and wait awhile.
The researchers suggest that patients who have a number of back problems can benefit by not undergoing surgery.
These findings are important because around 1.5 million back surgeries are performed around the world to remove slipped discs to relieve pressure on a nerve which causes sciatica.
Sciatica is a condition in which a person's leg becomes numb or pain shoots down a leg; the condition is extremely painful and can affect a number of activities and the quality of life.
However the researchers say that 75% of cases will improve over time on their own without any medical intervention.
The first study led by Wilco Peul of the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands involved 283 patients who had suffered with a back problem and approximately 95% of participants reported that their condition improved within a year whether they underwent surgery or not.
Richard Deyo of the University of Washington in Seattle writing in an accompanying editorial says for patients with persistent sciatica the choice between surgical and nonsurgical treatment equates and both options are reasonable, but concerns over surgical risks and the severity of symptoms will affect whether a sufferer is willing to wait for spontaneous healing to take place.