Persistent back pain is one of the most common health complaints. Compounded with other related symptoms like neck pain or radiating pain along legs or arms can be disruptive to your daily routine. It not only affects your quality of life but can also cause huge financial and mental stress!
Spinal disc degeneration, bulges, and herniations are some of the reasons for neck or low back pain. A surgical procedure such as laminectomy and microdiscectomy to decompress the spine is often chosen by those who wish to relieve their back pain and get back to a normal routine.
However, spinal surgeries sometimes fail, and the back pain returns either immediately after the surgery or several months down the line. The overall failure rate of lumbar spine surgery was estimated to be 10%–46%. In an April 2020 study in the Journal of Orthopedic Surgery and Research, it was found that there is a substantial risk of ongoing pain following spine surgery with 20% patients experiencing persistent pain within couple of year post surgery.
Why Do Spinal Surgeries Sometimes Fail?
Several factors including inappropriate choice of surgical procedure, pre-existing conditions like obesity or history of smoking, and/or post-operative procedural complications are some of the factors that adversely affect the outcome of a surgical spinal decompression procedure.
What’s Next After a Failed Back Surgery?
A second surgery may be conducted if the initial back surgery failed to provide relief to the back pain. However, a subsequent surgery often yields only minor success. Moreover, only 30% of the patients experience a successful outcome after a second surgery.
Various pain medications including but not limited to epidural Steroid injection shots also do not have clearly determined clinical outcomes for back pain relief. They work by reducing the size of the stressed nerve root and thereby easing pain temporarily. However, steroid injection shots are effective only in a minority of patients whose back surgery failed, and they have the additional risks of side-effects. They offer only limited long-term benefits if the pain doesn’t improve within the first 6 weeks to 12 months.
Non-Surgical spinal decompression therapy is a non-invasive alternative to help relieve your back pain when surgery or steroid shots have both failed to provide any relief.
What is Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy?
Spinal decompression therapy is a modern non-surgical traction procedure that works by stretching the spine thereby taking pressure off your spinal discs. The procedure helps create a negative pressure on the spinal disc and promotes retraction or reposition of herniated or bulging disc. The pressure relief resulting from the therapy also helps to provide an influx of healing nutrients to the disc.
How Long Before You Feel Better?
One of the most common questions we get is, "How long before I start feeling better?" The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some patients experience relief after just one or two sessions, while others need several sessions before noticing significant improvements. It all depends on factors like the severity of your spinal condition, how long you’ve been dealing with it, the level of inflammation, and how closely you follow the Spinal Decompression Therapy program.
It’s important to understand that spinal decompression isn’t a quick fix. This therapy is a gradual process because most spinal issues are complex and take time to heal properly. The main goal is to carefully increase decompression over time, creating more space between the vertebrae, which boosts nutrient flow to the discs and reduces pressure on the nerves.
As the treatment progresses, the muscles and ligaments around the spine are gently stretched, and scar tissue or adhesions are broken down. Healing a damaged disc takes time—a minimum of 10-12 weeks for most cases with the right care. A typical spinal decompression program includes three sessions a week for 10 weeks. Skipping sessions or cutting the program short can limit the benefits, leaving you with less lasting relief.
Research suggests that at least 20 sessions are needed to see tangible results. So, patience and commitment to the process are key to achieving the best outcomes.
By the end of the program, most patients experience significant pain relief, reduced symptoms, and an overall improvement in spinal function. While the journey might require time and dedication, the results are often life-changing.
Is Spinal Decompression Right for You ?
If back surgery and steroid injections have failed to alleviate your pain, or if you're simply looking for an effective, non-invasive alternative, spinal decompression therapy could be the solution you’ve been searching for. By addressing the root cause of your back pain without the risks of surgery or medications, this modern approach offers hope for a pain-free future.
At Spinal Decompression Perth, we’re dedicated to helping you get back to living your life—free from the limitations of chronic back pain. Ready to explore your options? Book a consultation today and discover if spinal decompression therapy is the right fit for you.
Spinal Decompression Therapy After Failed Back Surgery
Comments