Apparently a new study seems to back up what I said about my experience with back/leg pain ... that it got better in time without surgery.

(If the link doesn't work, it's the top story on the New York Times today.)

People with ruptured disks in their lower backs usually recover whether or not they have surgery, researchers are reporting today. The study, a large trial, found that surgery appeared to relieve pain more quickly but that most people recovered eventually and that there was no harm in waiting.

The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, is the only large and well-designed trial to compare surgery for sciatica with waiting.