You bend down to pick something up and feel a sharp pain in your lower back. At first, you assume it is a muscle strain. A few days pass, but the pain returns whenever you sit, stand, or walk for too long.
This is where many patients get stuck. They keep treating the pain without asking the more important question: What is actually causing it?
We often advise our clients not to judge a spine problem only by how painful it feels. The location of pain, associated symptoms, duration, and effect on movement can tell a much bigger story.
Occasional back pain after unusual activity may settle with appropriate rest and care.
However, pain that persists for weeks, repeatedly returns, affects sleep, or limits normal activities deserves proper assessment.
Symptoms such as pain travelling into the leg or arm, numbness, tingling, weakness, or difficulty walking are especially important because they can indicate involvement of a spinal nerve.
Consider seeking professional evaluation if you experience:
Persistent neck or back pain
Pain spreading into your arms or legs
Numbness or tingling
Weakness in an arm or leg
Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
Repeated episodes of severe back pain
Pain following an accident or fall
Symptoms that continue despite appropriate treatment
Sudden weakness, serious trauma, or new bladder or bowel control problems require urgent medical attention.
An orthopaedic spine surgeon focuses on conditions affecting the bones, discs, joints, nerves, and supporting structures of the spine.
That does not mean every patient who visits one will need surgery.
A specialist can assess the condition, explain treatment options, and determine whether conservative care, injections, rehabilitation, or surgery may be appropriate.
Here is our contrarian view: seeing a spine surgeon does not mean you are signing up for surgery.
In many cases, the most useful consultation is the one that tells you surgery is unnecessary.
The objective should be to restore function, control symptoms, protect nerve health, and help you return to normal activities with the least invasive treatment that is appropriate.
Orthopaedic spine specialists commonly evaluate conditions such as:
Herniated or slipped discs
Sciatica
Spinal stenosis
Cervical spine problems
Lumbar spine disorders
Degenerative spinal changes
Spinal instability
Certain spinal fractures
Nerve compression
Selected spinal tumours
Some conditions respond well to conservative treatment. Others may require a procedure when symptoms persist or structural problems create significant limitations.
Your symptoms are the starting point.
Your doctor may ask when the pain began, whether it travels to another part of the body, what activities make it worse, whether you have numbness or weakness, and how it affects your work, sleep, walking, or exercise.
A physical examination may assess strength, movement, sensation, reflexes, and other signs.
Patients sometimes arrive worried because an MRI report mentions "disc degeneration" or "disc bulging."
These findings can occur even in people who have little or no pain. What matters is whether the imaging findings match your symptoms and examination.
That is why treatment should not be chosen from an MRI report alone.
Surgery may be considered when there is a clear structural problem and appropriate non-surgical treatment has not provided enough improvement.
It may also be considered when there is significant or progressive nerve compression, spinal instability, certain fractures, deformities, or other conditions where surgery offers a meaningful benefit.
The decision should be based on your individual circumstances.
Before agreeing to surgery, ask your specialist what is likely to happen if you continue with non-surgical treatment.
Sometimes waiting is reasonable. Sometimes delaying treatment can allow nerve problems or structural issues to worsen.
Understanding both sides helps you make a more informed decision.
Consider a middle-aged office worker who had recurring lower-back pain for several months. Because the pain came and went, he kept postponing a consultation.
When the symptoms eventually began travelling down his leg and sitting became difficult, he sought specialist assessment. The evaluation identified nerve-related symptoms, allowing the treatment plan to focus on the actual cause rather than repeatedly treating the pain alone.
The lesson is simple: recurring pain deserves attention even when it temporarily disappears.
Low back pain affects an enormous number of people. The World Health Organization estimates that around 619 million people worldwide experienced low back pain in 2020, and it remains the leading cause of disability globally.
That does not mean every case requires specialist treatment or surgery. It does mean persistent symptoms should not be dismissed simply because back pain is common.
Dr Mayukh Mukherjee - Orthopaedic Spine Specialist evaluates patients with different spinal conditions and focuses on understanding the relationship between symptoms, physical findings, and imaging. His treatment approach can include conservative management as well as surgical options when clinically appropriate.
If back or neck pain keeps returning, interferes with your daily activities, travels into your arms or legs, or causes numbness or weakness, an evaluation with an Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon in Rohini Sector 6 can help you understand what may be causing the problem.
You do not need to wait until pain becomes unbearable.
Likewise, you should not assume that surgery is inevitable simply because you have been referred to a spine surgeon.
Before your appointment, note:
When your symptoms started
Where the pain travels
What makes it better or worse
Any numbness or weakness
Previous treatments you have tried
How the problem affects daily activities
Any relevant scans or medical reports
These details can make the consultation more productive.
If back or neck pain is interfering with your normal routine, stop guessing about the cause.
Get a proper assessment and discuss the most suitable treatment options with Dr Mayukh Mukherjee, an Orthopaedic Spine Specialist.
Consider an evaluation when pain persists, repeatedly returns, spreads into an arm or leg, causes numbness or weakness, or interferes with normal activities.
No. A spine surgeon can assess your condition and recommend non-surgical treatment when appropriate. Surgery is considered only when there is a clear reason for it.
Many slipped or herniated discs can improve with appropriate non-surgical treatment. Surgery may be considered when symptoms persist, nerve function is affected, or there is another clear indication.
