Lower-back pain disrupts many aspects of life and can be tough to treat. In a recent Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center survey, 46 percent of respondents said that lower-back pain interfered with their sleep, 31 percent reported that it thwarted their efforts to maintain a healthy weight, and 24 percent said that it hampered their sex life. But how long should you suffer before considering surgery?

We asked Dr. James N. Weinstein, chairman of the department of orthopaedics at the Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, how long a person should wait before considering surgery for back pain. "Patients without associated symptoms in their legs should generally wait a minimum of 6 to 12 weeks," said Dr. Weinstein. "If there is no improvement, and pain is severe and disabling, surgery is an option to consider provided you have been properly evaluated by a surgeon and clearly understand the risks and benefits of the proposed treatment options."

To find out what questions you should ask your surgeon and how long recovery typically takes, read our full Q&A with Dr. Weinstein, see how many of our survey respondents were completely satisfied with the results of their back surgery, and take a look at our Treatment Ratings (subscribers only) for a comparison of 23 lower-back pain treatments.