Post-Surgical Pain
Typically, when a patient goes in for surgery, particularly of the spine, there is an expectation that chronic pain will be relieved. However, there are many cases where pain symptoms in the spine, neck, or head continue to manifest, even after a surgical treatment. This is called post-surgical pain syndrome. Usually, this condition is temporary. However, during this time, pain can feel even worse or more severe than it seemed before the surgery—leading some patients to mistakenly believe their successful surgery was a failure. Capital District Interventional Spine & Rehabilitation treats post-surgical pain with minimally invasive procedures and injections that can help expedite your healing process and return you to leading a normal life.
Evaluation
Imaging Studies
The first step will always be to evaluate the patient. This may include basic procedures like X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans, which help us assess the level of pain in your back, leg, neck, or shoulder.
Nerve Studies
EMG (electromyography) or nerve conduction studies are used to detect neuro-muscular anomalies, which allows us to determine whether the pain is emanating from the nerves.
Spinal Cord Stimulator
One of the most common resources employed by Capital District Interventional Spine & Rehabilitation for post-surgical pain syndrome is the spinal cord stimulator (SCS). SCS involves implanting electrodes in the skin and sending a small, controlled electrical pulse to the spine. The SCS has analgesic properties that can relieve pain from a failed surgery.
Trigger Point Injections
If a surgical procedure has failed to relieve pain, it may be necessary to inject a local anesthetic or steroid into the affected area (trigger point) to alleviate pain.
Sympathetic Blockade
In a sympathetic blockade procedure, we inject a local anesthetic into nerve tissue to block associated nerves (sympathetic nerves) and relieve pain.
Call our team at
(518) 487-4093 to schedule an appointment and begin the process of feeling better, today!