Easley Chiropractic Help for Persistent Pain After Back Surgery
No longer the ‘desired’ word for back pain that hangs around following a back surgery that was intended to ease it, failed back surgery syndrome has new names like ‘post-surgical continued pain’ and ‘persistent spinal pain syndrome’. Despite its name, if you have experienced back surgery and still experience back pain, you know how the pain can cloud your life, day and night. For many, this means not getting a good night’s rest, which can lead to further tiredness and lack of productivity during the day. Fortunately, there is hope for those who suffer from persistent spinal pain syndrome (PSPS) after back surgery. New studies have indicated that using chiropractic spinal manipulation and even auricular acupressure can effectively decrease back pain and enhance sleep quality.
WHAT IS PSPS - Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome?
PSPS is described as persistent, new, or recurrent low back with or without lower extremity (radicular pain for 10%-40% of patients) pain after at least one or more back surgeries. It’s most common in lumbar spine surgery and deemed ‘chronic’ at 3-months post-spine surgery because of the speed at which neuropathic pain sets in. (1) Young Chiropractic has gentle, safe, relieving treatment for post-back-surgery patients.
HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC SPINAL MANIPULATION HELP?
Young Chiropractic uses evidence-based, well-researched chiropractic technique, Cox® Technic. A chiropractic study related the outcomes of 32 cases of post-surgical continued lumbar spine pain after back surgery who were managed with (Cox®) flexion distraction spinal manipulation and mobilization. Relief was measured by numerical pain scale scores (0/no pain to 10/worst pain) and dropped 4.1 out of 10 in a mean number of 14 treatments. Patients who underwent back surgeries that blended surgical types (like discectomy with fusion or laminectory) decreased even more with 5.7 out of 10. (2) Another study of 69 cases treated with (Cox®) flexion distraction reported that 81% of patients reacted with more than 50% relief of pain at the end of care (mean: 49 days, 11 treatments). At 2-years’ follow-up, 78.6% still had their pain relief. Mean relief of pain at the end of the treatment period was 71.6% and 70% at two-year follow-up. (3) Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Byron Folwell on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for post-back-surgery-continued back pain patients.
A HELPFUL ADJUNCTIVE APPROACH: WHAT IS AURICULAR ACUPRESSURE?
Young Chiropractic appreciates effective non-surgical means to elevate the positive relief outcome. Auricular acupressure is such an approach in which pressure is applied to specific points on the ear. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time, but lately researchers have started evaluating its potential as a type of treatment for PSPS patients. A Korean study revealed that auricular acupressure reduced both pain and neurological symptoms associated with PSPS. Researchers said it was an effective, safe, cost-effective, non-invasive intervention that can improve pain, neuropathy, and sleep in PSPS patients. (1) Well, you can’t go wrong with those outcomes! Easley post back surgery continued pain patients would surely welcome them. Another study showed that auricular acupressure was effective in lessening pain and improving the sleep of older osteoarthritic persons living in nursing homes. (4) Old and young alike, we all could use better sleep when having pain.
CONTACT Young Chiropractic
Back pain after back surgery can be irritating, but it doesn’t have to keep you from sleeping or trouble you as much. If you are dealing with post-surgical back pain or poor sleep quality due to PSPS, make your Easley chiropractic appointment with Young Chiropractic today to explore how chiropractic can help you!