About 4 in 5 adults will experience back pain in their lifetime, but 80% of simple back and neck pain cases can be resolved without medical intervention.
Eeric Truumees, MD, a spine surgeon at Austin-based Texas Spine and Scoliosis and past president of the North American Spine Society, outlined five key strategies for managing spine pain in 2026, according to a Jan. 7 news release.
He advised patients to learn emergency symptoms, such as limb weakness, rather than relying on pain severity to seek care. Dr. Truumees also urged patients to get a second opinion before undergoing spine surgery, citing research that up to 50% of procedures may be avoidable.
Other recommendations included avoiding pain medications that mask symptoms, considering artificial disc replacement over spinal fusion when appropriate and walking daily to improve circulation and mobility.
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