If you’re suffering from back pain or neck pain caused by compression of the nerves of your spine, it’s possible you’ve heard the term laminectomy, or decompression surgery. A laminectomy is a spinal surgery that can help to alleviate pressure caused by bony growths, tumors, or other conditions that narrow the spinal canal. 

You may be wondering, “What’s involved in a laminectomy, exactly—and...