For two specific kinds of back and leg pain, back surgery offers the fastest relief — but those who choose nonsurgical treatments get better, too.

Two separate studies reported in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine show that surgery is the fastest route to pain relief for two very different conditions: severe sciatica and degenerative spondylolisthesis. But the studies also show that these conditions do not worsen if surgery is delayed — and that nonsurgical treatments can relieve at least some of the pain.

Back Pain Often Ends Without Surgery