Spine surgery is typically viewed as the final option for patients who have not had success treating back pain through conservative methods. Back surgery usually yields fantastic results, but for a small portion of patients, surgery doesn’t put an end to their pain like they had hoped. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why spine surgery may not fully treat your back pain, and what your options are if you’re still plagued by spinal discomfort following an operation.
Why Did My Spine Surgery Not Cure My Pain?
There are a number of reasons why spine surgery may not have fully addressed your pain, some of which are more controllable than others. Here’s a look at some of the controllable and uncontrollable reasons why your back may not have responded to spine surgery as you had hoped.
- Not addressing the underlying issue during surgery
- Too much damage or degeneration to expect complete treatment
- Patient tried to take on too much physical activity too soon after surgery
- Mismatched expectations or unrealistic goals
- Surgical error
- Patient did not follow through on post-op rehab plans as intended (skipping physical therapy, not practicing proper wound care, etc.)
- No identifiable cause
As you can see, some of the items on that list are more controllable than others. For example, Dr. Sinicropi and his team always work to ensure that their patients have a clear understanding of what the procedure hopes to achieve, what type of expectations the patient should have for the operation and recovery, and what we expect our patients to do during rehabilitation to give themselves the best chance at a full recovery. If everyone on the surgical team is on the same page, we can mitigate the risk of controllable factors hindering surgical success.
Other factors aren’t as controllable, like the severity of the damage in your spine or your age, which plays a big role in your ability to successfully recover following an operation. Again, this speaks to the importance of managing expectations and really helping patients understand that they may still have some discomfort following surgery. We want to give you the best outcome possible following your spinal procedure, but that doesn’t always mean that the best outcome is a completely pain-free life after surgery.
If You Still Have Back Pain After Surgery
If you’re still dealing with back pain following an operation, your best bet is to connect with a professional to get a better idea of why you’re still experiencing pain. Treatment may be as simple as adjusting your physical therapy routine and helping you understand that progress will be measured in months, not days. For others, we may be able to identify issues that continue to linger and talk to you about your next best steps, be it physical therapy, surgery or a different type of treatment.
What you shouldn’t do is allow this continued pain to dictate your life. Don’t just lie in bed and hope that the pain goes away on its own, because just like a rehabilitation program, you’ll notice the best results when you’re pursuing active treatment modalities, like exercise, physical therapy, gentle stretching or cognitive behavioral therapy. We understand that you may have some hesitancy about heading back to a professional if you did not achieve the results you had hoped for the first time around, but they will be your best source for overcoming the obstacles that remain in your way of an optimal recovery post-op.
So if you are still dealing with back pain, consider connecting with a specialist like Dr. Sincropi who can really get to the bottom of your pain and provide a new outlook on your treatment plan. We’ve helped so many people in similar situations, and we’d be happy to do the same for you. For more information or for help with your spine issue, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today at (651) 430-3800.
