Invasive and minimally invasive surgical techniques for back pain conditions

Back pain is a ubiquitous problem for developed countries. It is a source of disability for society and is a financial drain through lost wages and productivity. The treatment of spine-related pain has changed over the years; minimally invasive approaches are now favored. Despite this trend, surgeons still rely on decompressions of compressed neurologic structures and the fusion of painful motion segments. The history of treatments of spine-related pain as well as modem and minimally invasive techniques are reviewed.