Nashua Chiropractic Help for Persistent Pain After Back Surgery

No longer the ‘preferred’ word for back pain that hangs around following a back surgery that was supposed to ease it, failed back surgery syndrome has new names like ‘post-surgical continued pain’ and ‘persistent spinal pain syndrome’. Whatever its name, if you have had back surgery and still have 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 result in more tiredness and lack of productivity throughout the day. Luckily, there is hope for those who have persistent spinal pain syndrome (PSPS) after back surgery. New studies have shown that using chiropractic spinal manipulation and even auricular acupressure can effectively reduce 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. PSPS is most common in lumbar spine surgery and considered ‘chronic’ at 3-months after spine surgery due to quick onset of neuropathic pain. (1) Moriarty Chiropractic has gentle, safe, relieving treatment for post-back-surgery patients.

HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC SPINAL MANIPULATION HELP?

Moriarty Chiropractic implements evidence-based, well-researched chiropractic technique, Cox® Technic. A chiropractic study related the outcomes of 32 cases of post-surgical continued lumbar spine pain post-back surgery who were treated with (Cox®) flexion distraction spinal manipulation and mobilization. Relief was measured by numerical pain scale scores (0/no pain to 10/worst pain) and decreased by 4.1 out of 10 in a mean number of 14 treatments. Patients who experienced back surgeries that blended surgical types (like discectomy with fusion or laminectory) reduced 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 greater than 50% relief of pain at the end of the treatment period (mean: 49 days, 11 treatments). At 2-years’ follow-up, 78.6% still had their pain relief. Mean relief of pain at the finish of the treatment period was 71.6% and 70% at 2-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? 

Moriarty Chiropractic welcomes effective non-surgical means to help our chiropractic patients get that extra edge of relief. Auricular acupressure is such an approach in which pressure is used on particular points on the ear. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time, but recently researchers have begun analyzing its potential as a form of treatment for PSPS patients. A Korean study revealed that auricular acupressure lowered both pain and neurological symptoms associated with PSPS. Researchers described it as 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! Nashua post back surgery continued pain patients would certainly welcome them. Another study found that auricular acupressure was effective in lessening pain and improving the sleep of elderly osteoarthritic persons residing in nursing homes. (4) Old and young alike, we all could use better sleep when experiencing pain.

CONTACT Moriarty Chiropractic

Back pain after back surgery can be irritating, but it doesn’t have to keep you up all night or bother you as much. If you are dealing with post-surgical back pain or poor sleep quality due to PSPS, make your Nashua chiropractic appointment with Moriarty Chiropractic today to explore how chiropractic can help you!