The study followed 1,192 patients enrolled in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial at 13 multidisciplinary spinal practices in 11 states. The patients either received operative or non-operative treatment.
At the six week, three month, six month, one year and two year follow-ups, outcomes were significantly worse for patients who had experienced symptoms for more than six months prior to treatment. The patients who underwent surgical treatment also reported better results than patients who underwent non-operative treatment.
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