Persistent pain after spinal surgery is more common than most people realize — and spinal decompression offers a non-surgical path forward.
Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) is the term used when a patient continues to experience chronic pain or neurological symptoms after spinal surgery that was intended to resolve those symptoms. Despite advances in surgical techniques, studies suggest that a significant percentage of patients who undergo lumbar or cervical spine surgery do not achieve complete or lasting relief. Common reasons for FBSS include scar tissue formation (epidural fibrosis) that compresses nerves post-surgery, adjacent segment disease (accelerated degeneration above or below the surgical site), incomplete decompression of the original nerve, recurring disc herniation, hardware failure, or spinal instability. FBSS is not a sign of surgical error in all cases — it often reflects the complex and unpredictable nature of spinal surgery outcomes.
Patients with Failed Back Surgery Syndrome are often told there is nothing more that can be done conservatively — but that is not always true. The longer post-surgical scar tissue remains unaddressed, the more extensively it can encase and restrict spinal nerves. Adjacent segment disease also progresses over time, and the window for addressing it before it becomes severe is limited. Decompression therapy is most effective when started before additional degeneration accumulates. Every year of untreated persistent pain also takes a measurable toll on physical and mental health, making recovery harder. Starting decompression sooner rather than later gives patients the best chance of achieving meaningful relief without returning to the operating room.
Schedule a consultation with our doctors to see if spinal decompression is the right fit for your condition.