In-depth information on how failed back surgery syndrome can lead to postoperative pain, chronic pain and neuropathic pain, and what is important to know about pain management before and after back surgery
Spinal
cord stimulation for chronic pain
July 24, 2006
While spinal cord stimulation does not work for everyone, most patients with
chronic pain who qualify for a spinal cord stimulator report a 50 to 70% reduction
in their pain, as well as an increased ability to participate in normal family
and work activities. Read more...
By: Clifford A. Bernstein, MD
Failed
back surgery syndrome: what it is and how to prevent
it
January 28, 2003
The number one reason back surgery is not effective (often referred to as failed
back surgery) is because the lesion that was operated on is not in fact the cause
of the patient's pain. In most cases of lower back pain, a pain generator cannot
be found and surgery is very unpredictable. For this reason, accurate preoperative
patient selection is critical to a successful surgical outcome and avoiding failed
back surgery syndrome. Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Chronic
pain as a disease: why does it still hurt?
January 22, 2003
The medical community is starting to understand that if pain is no longer a
function of a healthy nervous system (signaling that there is a disease or
underlying injury), then the chronic pain itself becomes the problem and needs
to be treated as the primary disease. Read
more...
By: William W. Deardorff, PhD, ABPP
Pain management for chronic back pain
October 24, 2001
Pain (from problems such as failed back surgery) used to be something many
patients simply had to learn to "live" with. Recently, researchers
have learned a great deal about pain and its physiological and psychological
basis, leading to treatments that can provide complete or partial pain relief. Read
more...
By: John Revord, MD
All
about neuropathy and back pain
June 27, 2001
Chronic pain that results from damage to or pathological changes of the peripheral
or central nervous system is called neuropathic pain. This article describes
the types of pain caused by neuropathy and the anatomy behind it. Read
more...
By: Ralph F. Rashbaum, MD
Treatment
options for neuropathic pain
June 27, 2001
Currently there is no proven treatment to prevent or cure neuropathic pain
(neuropathy or nerve pain). Instead, the primary goals of treatment are to
reduce the pain as much as possible, balance the negative side effects of the
treatment, and help patients manage any unresolved pain. Read
more...
By: Ralph F. Rashbaum, MD
Scar
tissue and postoperative pain
March 26, 2001
Scar tissue is a common occurrence after back surgery and is not always a cause
of pain. In fact, scar tissue is part of the normal healing process after surgery.
This article addresses scar tissue and Failed Back Surgery. Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Causes
of failed back surgery syndrome
March 26, 2001
A comprehensive physical examination
and appropriate diagnostic imaging techniques can often
pinpoint the responsible causes of failed back surgery
syndrome. There are several common causes for failed
back surgery syndrome outlined in this article. Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Back Pain Radio transcript: Is lumbar fusion surgery a reliable procedure?
Modern lumbar fusion surgery is a very reliable procedure, provided it is done by an appropriately skilled surgeon for the right patients. Spine-health.com’s Medical Director and an orthopedic spine surgeon, Peter Ullrich, Jr., M.D., and Grant Cooper, M.D., host of Back Pain Radio discuss lumbar fusion surgery on the March 21, 2005 show. Read transcript…
Back Pain Radio transcript: Improving patient outcomes in spine medicine
In addition to improved technology and techniques, patient education and integration of care are substantially improving patient care and outcomes in spine medicine. Read what Peter Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director of Spine-health.com, and Grant Cooper, M.D., host of Back Pain Radio, had to say on the March 14, 2005 show. Read transcript…
What you need to know about spine surgery - Spine-health.com Newsletter
When you’re considering having spine surgery, complete and reliable information is important to help you make the decision whether or not to have the surgery, as well as how to select a spine surgeon, prepare for back surgery, and make best use of the recovery process. This newsletter gives information about getting an accurate diagnosis, talking to your spine surgeon, and the importance of pre-operative and post-operative care. Read more…
5 back care mistakes to avoid - Spine-health.com Newsletter
In this newsletter we discuss common back care mistakes to avoid, such as ignoring your back pain too long, relying on your general practitioner too long and not seeing a spine specialist and waiting too long to have spine surgery. By avoiding these mistakes and following the guidelines give here, you may be able to improve your spinal care and treat your back pain more effectively. Read more…
Please note that these additional patient resources(such asThe Back-to-Back Forum and Newsletters)on Spine-health.com are not peer-reviewed by the Spine-health.com Medical Advisory Board. They are provided as additional resources for patients to learn from the experiences of others and to gain information from our popular newsletters.
