For many, back surgery seems to be the answer…unless it’s not.

Statistics show that upwards of 50% of patients who undergo back surgery have the same or worse pain later…a year, 10 years, etc. (1,2,3) What’s next? Another surgery?

For some, yes. For others, no. Sometimes a second surgery is by necessity, sometimes by choice. There are other choices though. Even back spine surgeons are questioning the next step for such patients.

The multidisciplinary approach is well thought of to make post-surgical pain care more uniform among surgical practices and improve patient outcomes. Researchers are just now working to determine what the “uniform care” should be.

(4) Other researchers admit that evidence is weak for the use of medications and re-operations to contend with failed back surgical syndrome patients. Active exercise has strong evidence. For some of the worst FBSS chronic pain patients, spinal cord stimulators are used.

(5) Chronic back pain patients who are proactive in dealing with their pain by exercising and trying other self-care coping strategies offered by their chiropractors find they cope with their pain better.

(6) A specific study of 69 post-surgical continued pain patients (aka FBSS) treated with the chiropractic Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management revealed that 81% of FBSS/PSCP patients receiving a mean of 11 treatment visits over a 49 day period of active care reported greater than 50% pain relief at the end of 3 months’ active care. At 24 months, only 16% underwent additional surgery while 82% reported pain relief of more than 50%.

(7) Chiropractic is a viable, evidence-based option before back surgery (and recommended prior to back surgery by organizations like the American Pain Society and the American College of Family Physicians (8)) and after back surgery. Your chiropractor, Dr. Troy here at Vancouver Disc Center has just the treatment plan to relieve and control the back pain.
Make an appointment today for a FREE evaluation so that we can discuss your next step.

Listen to the [PODCAST with Dr. Lee Hazen] on [The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson] discuss treatment of post-surgical continued pain/failed back surgical syndrome patients using [The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management]. There is hope! (hover over text for link)

References for Disc Center of America HEALTHY NEWS – January 2020

(1) Atlas S, Keller RB, Wu YA, Deyo RA, Singer DE. Long term outcomes of surgical and non-surgical management of sciatica secondary to lumbar disk herniation: 10 year results from the Maine lumbar spine study. Spine. 2005;30:927-935.

(2) Atlas SJ, Keller RB, Su YA, Deyo RA, Singer DE. Long term outcomes of surgical and nonsurgical management of lumbar spinal stenosis: 8 to 10 year results from the Maine lumbar spine study. Spine. 2005;30:936-941.

(3) Foulongne E, Derrey S, Ould Slimane M. Lumbar spinal stenosis: which predictive factors of favorable functional results after decompressive laminectomy? Neurochirurgie. 2013;59:23-29.

(4) Gatzinsky K, Eldabe S, Deneuville JP, Duyvendak W, Naiditch N, Van Buyten JP, Rigoard P: Optimizing the Management and Outcomes of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome: A Proposal of a Standardized Multidisciplinary Team Care Pathway. Pain Res Manag 2019 eCollection

(5) Amirdelfan K, Webster L, Poree L, Sukul V, McRoberts P: Treatment Options for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Patients With Refractory Chronic Pain: An Evidence Based Approach. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2017;42(Suppl 14):S41-S52

(6) Sherbourne CD, Ryan GW, Whitley MD, Gutierrez CI, Hays RD, Herman PM, Coulter ID: Coping and Management Techniques Used by Chronic Low Back Pain Patients Receiving Treatment From Chiropractors. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2019 [Epub ahead of print]

(7) Gudavalli M, Joachim G, Olding K, Cox J. Chiropractic Distraction Spinal Manipulation on Postsurgical Continued Low Back and Radicular Pain Patients: A Retrospective Case Series. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 2016; 15(2):121-8

(8) Chou R, Loeser JD, Owens DK, Rosenquist RW, Atlas SJ, Baisden J, Carragee EJ, Grabois M, Murphy DR, Resnick DK, Stanos SP, Shaffer WO, Wall EM; American Pain Society Low Back Pain Guideline Panel. Interventional therapies, surgery, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation for low back pain: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline from the American Pain Society. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2009 May 1;34(10):1066-77. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181a1390d.

Image of Back Surgery courtesy of Wikipedia. Common Usage Rights