#backpainrelief

Описание: 😣 Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)

📚 Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
Vwaire J. Orhurhu; Robert Chu; Jatinder Gill. May 1, 2023

💥 What Is It?

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) happens when someone has back or leg pain that continues or comes back after spine surgery.
❌ It doesn’t always mean the surgeon did something wrong — it simply means the pain is still there or even worse than before.

⚠️ Why Can Surgery “Fail”?

Here are the most common reasons 👇

⚠️ Problem 💬 What It Means
❌ Wrong pain source treated Surgery was done, but the real cause of pain wasn’t fixed.
🧬 Scar tissue (epidural fibrosis) Scar forms around nerves after surgery and causes pain.
🔁 Disc herniation returns The same or another disc slips again.
🔩 Fusion didn’t heal (pseudarthrosis) Bones don’t fuse properly → pain & instability.
🏗️ Extra stress on nearby levels (Adjacent Segment Disease) Levels above or below the fusion wear out faster.
🧠 Mind-body factors Anxiety, depression, stress, opioid use can increase pain.


📊 How Common Is It?
• Happens in about 10–40% of people after back surgery.
• Fusion surgeries have a higher risk than simple decompression or discectomy.

🤕 Typical Symptoms
• Persistent low back pain or sciatica (leg pain)
• Burning, aching, or electric shock-like pain ⚡
• Numbness, tingling, weakness 🦵
• Pain with sitting 🚫🪑, standing 🚫🧍‍♂️, or bending
• Trouble sleeping 😴, mood changes 😔

🔍 How Do Doctors Figure It Out?

🧠 Talk about symptoms & history
🩻 Imaging: X-ray, MRI, CT to check fusion, alignment, hardware
💉 Injections or nerve blocks to find the real pain source

💊 What Can Be Done? (Treatment Options)

✅ Non-Surgical First!
• 🧘 Chiropractic Biophysics and Scolicare protocols, Physical Therapy, gentle movement, Deep Tissue Laser 🚨
• 💊 Anti-inflammatory or nerve pain meds
• 💉 Epidural or facet joint injections
• 🔥 Radiofrequency ablation (burning tiny nerve endings causing pain)
• 🧠 Pain psychology — coping skills, stress reduction

⚡ Advanced Pain Relief
• Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS)
➤ A small device implanted near the spine that sends tiny electrical signals to block pain before it reaches the brain
• Revision surgery
➤ Only if there’s a clear, fixable problem like broken hardware or severe nerve pressure

🛑 How to Prevent FBSS

✅ Try all conservative care first (chiropractic, rehab, posture work, bracing, lifestyle)
✅ Stop smoking 🚭 — it slows healing and increases fusion failure
✅ Maintain good posture & core strength 🏋️‍♂️
✅ Pick the right surgery for the right diagnosis
✅ Understand surgery treats structure — but healing is still a process

💡 Bottom Line for Patients

Back surgery isn’t always a quick fix.
Sometimes pain stays, gets worse, or shows up elsewhere.
The best approach is careful diagnosis, conservative treatment first, and understanding all risks before choosing surgery.