Q. My spine is really hurting. I thought I would just go ahead and have surgery, but my doctor is recommending conservative spine treatment instead. What is conservative treatment, and will it help my problem as much as surgery?

A. Back specialists use the term conservative treatment to describe any treatment option that does not involve surgery. This type of treatment for your spine problem may be as simple as reassuring you that it is not a serious problem and doing nothing but watching and waiting. However, usually anyone who has a spine problem that becomes symptomatic should consider some preventive measures. This usually means that you should learn more about ways to protect your spine and how to begin some strengthening exercises. These exercises can be quick and easy to learn, do not require any special equipment, and can help prevent problems later.

A variety of treatment options exist for spine pain from degeneration - or wear and tear -- on the parts of the spine. In most cases simple therapies such as mild pain medications and rest are effective. The goal of treatment is to make you feel comfortable, reduce further degeneration, and get you back to normal activity as quickly as possible. As a last resort, and only if all other conservative treatments fail, surgery may be considered.