Failed Back Surgery Syndrome, (also called FBSS or Failed Back Syndrome) is seen in 20-40% of patients who have had back surgery, and is even more likely with repeated surgery.
How can you successfully treat my Failed Back Surgery Syndrome?
Chiropractic treatment after failed back surgery can be very effective in preventing further degeneration and involvement of areas above and below the surgery site by promoting range of motion and applying moist heat or treatments to alleviate pain. Our integrative approach also includes laser therapy with out LCT 1000 Deep Tissue (Class IV) Laser, the most advanced treatment available for back pain management.
What are the Symptoms of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome?
Failed Back Surgery Syndrome is actually not a syndrome at all – it’s a generalized term that describes the condition of patients who have experienced unsuccessful results from back or spinal surgeries and/or continue to have pain after surgery. The primary symptom is persistent and intractable pain in the back and/or legs, and can include varying degrees of incapacitation involving affected nerves and muscles. The main reason this syndrome is so prevalent is because there are only a few conditions that will respond fairly predictably to back or spine surgery. They are:
- A discectomy or micrediscectomy for a lumbar disc herniation causing leg pain, not lower back pain.
- Spinal fusion for spinal instability, also called spondylolisthesis. Fusion for multi-level degenerative disc disease is far less likely to be successful.
Spine surgery is designed to decompress pinched nerve roots or stabilize painful joints, but surgery cannot eliminate pain, only change anatomy. Many patients also develop adhesions and scar tissue after back surgery, which can cause pain and thus FBSS.
How can Failed Back Surgery Syndrome be avoided?
The best way to avoid Failed Back Surgery Syndrome is to only consider surgery for those conditions that have been shown to have a high degree of success with surgical intervention. The cause of back pain must be accurately diagnosed before surgery, and a definitive case for the probable success of surgery must be made.