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Man having a back pain
Before and after spine surgery the surgeon and medical staff prepare you for recovery. The recovery process can take a long time and be extremely challenging.
Pain after spine surgery is normal, but how to tell if it’s beyond the typical pain during recovery?
Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez has dealt with this issue throughout his career and discusses symptoms associated with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS, also known as failed back surgery (FBS) or post-laminectomy syndrome).
Chronic back pain is the most common symptom from failed back surgery.
With FBSS, chronic pain in one patient can be very different from pain in another.
People with FBSS can experience a range of different types of pain based on:
Types of back and neck pain people with failed back surgery may experience. Some may have one or more types.
Localized pain that can be dull or sharp.
This is the type of pain patients may experience immediately after surgery
Example: The pain felt around where the incision was made.
When most people think of pain, nociceptive pain is the type.
Nerve-related pain is caused by damage to the nerves or spinal cord.
Neuropathic pain shoots and moves around, thus affecting large areas of the body.
Examples of this type of pain include:
A branch of nerve pain (neuropathy) is called radiculopathy, or radicular pain.
Radicular pain radiates from one area to another.
Examples include from the:
And then starts all over again, or goes in a different order.
When the symptoms that put the patient in the surgery room return, then there is a definite possibility of failed back surgery.
New pain, meaning pain in a different part of the spine or a different type merits a discussion with your doctor.
It does take time to recover and that process can affect:
However, if mobility or limitation is different from what was talked about with the surgeon or develops after recovery, then it should be discussed with your doctor.
Example: A limited range of motion in the neck or low back.
If headaches were not an original part of your medical history, this may point to a nerve problem.
Neuropathic pain/ neuropathy or nerve-related pain is the most complex, debilitating, and difficult-to-treat.
People who experience this type of pain find it lowers their quality of life.
An online survey of 1,000-2000 patients that underwent low back surgery responded and revealed the following:
A separate study noted that nerve-related pain suffered by people with FBSS is more life-altering than pain caused by joint and nerve disorders.
Patients with FBSS and neuropathic pain go through higher levels of pain and have less quality of life/physical function compared with people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia.
After surgery, it can be difficult to tell whether the pain is within the bounds of normal recovery pain.
At follow-up appointments ask questions about the progress of your recovery and about any concerns.
Pain after surgery is normal, but there are some signs and symptoms that merit emergency attention.
If you experience any of the red flag symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
This can be a sign of a spinal nerve disorder called cauda equina syndrome.
Denise experienced auto accident injuries which resulted in lower back pain. When she realized she couldn’t sit, walk or sleep for lengthy periods of time without having debilitating symptoms, Denise found chiropractic care with Dr. Alex Jimenez at El Paso, TX. Once she received lower back pain management treatment, Denise experienced relief from her symptoms and she was once again able to perform her everyday tasks. Thanks to the education and care Dr. Alex Jimenez provided, Denise, recovered her original well-being.
Back pain is one of the most common complaints, with roughly nine out of ten adults experiencing it at any time in their life, and five from ten working adults developing it annually. Some estimate around 95 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. It’s by far the typical cause of chronic pain, as it’s also a significant contributor to disability. In the United States alone, cases of lower back pain would be the fifth most frequent reason for physician visits and cause 40 percent of missed days off work. Furthermore, it is the leading cause of disability globally.
Aside from the obvious invasiveness of the procedure as well as recovery time and probable physical therapy that would be required as part of your aftercare. Say you have neck or back pain. How will you treat it? Many people will go to a medical doctor who will look at the symptoms, such as pain, and treat it with a prescription or over the counter medications. In some cases, they may recommend surgery to manage the pain or correct the problem.
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