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Lumbar discectomies are not meant to "cure" back pain. A discectomy, removing a portion of the disc, is meant to relieve pressure off the nerve. Leg pain, numbness and weakness can improve with pressure relief, not back pain. A discectomy is a type of decompression surgery because it relieves pressure, decompresses the lumbar nerve root. A "pinched" lumbar nerve leads to leg pain, not back pain.   So, getting back to the "axial" back pain. Only two types of treatments are known to "cure" back pain: rehabilitation or fusion (possible disc arthroplasty). You can read about the What's and How's on our spine site.   http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/back-pain-and-sciatica.html?ic=4025   Stay tuned to that page for more articles about back pain.   Dr. Christina Lasich, MD