My 16-year-old daughter hurt her back when she fell off her horse. This happened over a year ago. She has been treated with medications, exercise, and a brace, but she still has back pain that shoots down her left leg. Are there any other treatment options?

Your doctor may recommend an operation to remove the disc–the spongy cushion that sits between each bone of the back. This step is called a discectomy. (“Ectomy” means to remove.) If there is still too much pressure on the nerves within the spinal canal, the doctor may remove a section of the bone that covers the back part of the spinal column over the injured disc (the “lamina”). This part of the operation is called a laminectomy.