Injuries
Post Operative Injuries
Persistent pain after spine or joint surgery, including scar-related nerve irritation and adjacent-segment pain.
What post operative injuries is
Surgery can succeed structurally and still leave a patient in pain. Persistent post-surgical pain may come from nerve irritation, epidural scarring, altered mechanics at adjacent levels, or sacroiliac joints newly overloaded after a fusion.
Identifying which of these applies is what makes treatment effective. For patients with persistent radiating pain after spine surgery, spinal cord stimulation is among the best-supported options available.
Common symptoms
- Pain that persists or returns months after surgery
- New pain in a different location than before surgery
- Burning or electric leg or arm pain
- Limited progress in post-surgical therapy
Common causes
- Nerve irritation or scar tissue formation around the surgical site
- Altered mechanics and extra stress at spinal levels next to a fusion
- Sacroiliac joints overloaded after lumbar fusion surgery
- Incomplete resolution of the original problem the surgery addressed
- A new, separate injury unrelated to the original surgical site
How it is diagnosed
Persistent pain after surgery deserves its own careful evaluation rather than an assumption that 'the surgery didn't work.' The history focuses on whether the pain is the same as before surgery, different, or new, since each pattern points toward a different explanation.
MRI, sometimes with contrast, can help distinguish scar tissue from recurrent disc material or hardware-related changes. When findings are ambiguous, diagnostic blocks of specific nerves or joints, including the adjacent segment or the SI joint, can localize the current pain generator.
This step-by-step approach is what allows us to recommend a specific next treatment, such as spinal cord stimulation for nerve-related pain, rather than repeating imaging without a clear plan.
Treatment options we offer
Which of these applies depends on your examination and, where appropriate, a diagnostic block confirming the source of your post operative injuries.
- Spinal Cord StimulationAn implanted device that modulates pain signals before they reach the brain, trialed first so you know it works.
- Epidural Steroid InjectionsAnti-inflammatory medication delivered precisely around an irritated spinal nerve root to relieve radiating arm or leg pain.
- Sacroiliac Joint InjectionsImage-guided injection into the SI joint to confirm and treat one-sided low back and buttock pain.
- Intrathecal Pain PumpAn implanted pump delivering medication directly to the spinal fluid, achieving relief at a fraction of the oral dose.
When to see a specialist
- Pain that persists or returns months after a spine or joint surgery
- New pain in a different area than before the original operation
- Burning or electric sensations in an arm or leg after surgery
- Limited progress despite consistent participation in post-surgical physical therapy
- Fever, spreading redness or drainage at a surgical site, which needs urgent evaluation for possible infection
Common questions
Does persistent pain mean my surgery failed?
What is failed back surgery syndrome?
Is spinal cord stimulation only for people who cannot have more surgery?
How soon after surgery can post-operative pain be evaluated?
Related conditions
- Neck InjuriesWhiplash, strain and facet injury of the cervical spine following collisions, falls and sports impacts.
- Low Back InjuriesLumbar strain, disc and joint injuries from lifting, falls and repetitive load, with or without leg pain.
- Work-Related InjuryOccupational spine and joint injuries, with documentation and coordination for return-to-work planning.
- Auto Accident InjuriesPost-collision neck, back and joint pain, including whiplash and delayed-onset symptoms.
Ready to get a real diagnosis?
Most patients are seen within two weeks. Call our office or send a request and our staff will help you choose the most convenient location.