Pain after back surgery · Olathe, Kansas
Pain After Back Surgery
Still in pain after back surgery? You deserve a careful re-evaluation.
Pain that returns after surgery has a cause. Some causes are appropriate for nonsurgical treatment and some are not. The evaluation tells you which, honestly.
- For pain that came back, or never left, after spine surgery
- A precise evaluation that reads your operative report and imaging
- Nonsurgical treatment for appropriate patients, coordinated with your surgeon
- Refunded in full if you are not a candidate
- 25 years in practice
- 65,000+ treatment visits supervised
- 5.0 on Google · 60 reviews
Sound familiar?
Does this sound like your pain after back surgery?
Pain after surgery carries a particular weight: you did the hard thing, and it did not fix it. Activity is limited by pain and by fear of doing damage. Many people are told there is nothing more to be done, which is not always true.
- Surgery helped for a while, then the pain returned
- Pain at a new level or on the other side
- Leg or arm symptoms that never fully resolved
- You have been told there is nothing more to be done
- You are afraid to be active
Common symptoms of pain after back surgery
- Back or neck pain that improved for a while after surgery and then returned
- Pain at a new level or on the other side
- Leg or arm pain that never fully resolved
- Numbness or tingling that persists
- Increasing stiffness or reduced walking tolerance
If two or more of these are true, an evaluation is the logical next step. It is the only way to know what is contributing to your symptoms and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.
What pain after back surgery is
What pain after back surgery is, and why it keeps coming back
Persistent pain after spine surgery has several common causes: a disc at an adjacent level taking more load after a fusion, a recurrent herniation at the operated level, scar tissue around a nerve, facet joints that were never the target of the surgery, or a nerve that was compressed long enough to remain irritable. Each behaves differently, and each calls for a different plan.
Between each pair of vertebrae sits a disc. When it's healthy, it's tall and full of fluid, and it holds open the space where a nerve leaves your spine.
Years of sitting, lifting and gravity compress it. It loses water and height, that space narrows, and the nerve gets crowded. That's what sends pain, numbness and tingling down a leg or an arm.
It doesn't fix itself, because discs have no blood supply. They depend on pressure changing as you move — and a compressed disc isn't getting that.
How we treat it
Our treatment gently separates the vertebrae, taking pressure off the disc and giving the nerve room. Repeated over a course of care, that's what gives symptoms a chance to settle.
Pain After Back Surgery treatment options
Most of the usual approaches manage the symptom. Fewer address the load on the disc.
None of these are wrong, and some of them may be part of your care. The question the evaluation answers is whether something is still loading the disc or the nerve — and whether that is something we can change.
Nonsurgical treatment options for pain after back surgery
- A graded, specific movement program
- Physical therapy
- Pain management, prescribed by a physician
- Our nonsurgical treatment for appropriate patients — typically an adjacent-level disc problem or a recurrent herniation without hardware at that level, cleared by the surgeon
- Surgical re-evaluation when the pattern warrants it
| Usual approach | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rest and ice | Reduces inflammation for a while. Does not change what is loading the disc. |
| Pain medication | Blocks the pain signal. Useful; does not address the source. |
| Injections | Reduces inflammation around the nerve, often temporarily. |
| Physical therapy | Strengthens the muscles that support the spine — valuable, and sometimes not enough on its own when a disc is the driver. |
| Surgery | Removes or fuses tissue. Sometimes necessary. A large step to take before nonsurgical options have been properly evaluated. |
Our approach
Evaluate first. Then treat, measure and adjust.
We focus on nonsurgical treatment for appropriate spine, disc and nerve conditions. Treatment begins with an evaluation so we can determine whether our approach is appropriate for your condition.
- 01
Evaluate
Determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.
- 02
Treat
Begin appropriate nonsurgical treatment if you are a candidate.
- 03
Measure
Track your response to treatment.
- 04
Adjust
Modify the approach based on how you respond.
Why evaluation matters for pain after back surgery
After surgery, the anatomy is different and the options are narrower, so the evaluation has to be more precise, not less. We need your operative report and recent imaging, a clear picture of what was done and what has changed since, and an examination that identifies the current source of pain. Only then can anyone say whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate — and treatment decisions involving hardware or a fusion are made with your surgeon, not around them.
How we evaluate pain after back surgery
We review your operative report and imaging, take a history of what has changed since surgery, and examine the spine and nerves. If the current source is one that our approach can treat safely, we explain the plan, coordinate with your surgeon where needed, and set clear measures for whether it is working. If it is not appropriate — because of hardware at the level, instability, or a pattern that needs a surgeon — we say so plainly.
When additional medical evaluation is necessary. New or worsening weakness, fever, wound problems, or any bowel or bladder change after surgery need urgent contact with your surgeon or an emergency department.
What a treatment visit is like
Nonsurgical — no injections, no incisions. You are seated and reclined, not face-down and not in a harness. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, the settings are set for you, and a visit is short. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at the evaluation.
Honest about who it's for
It is not for everyone, and no one can promise you an outcome before examining you. For the right patient it takes the load off a painful disc without surgery, and we measure your response rather than assume it. The evaluation is how we find out whether you are that patient.
The first step
Start with an evaluation.
Evaluation + 3 treatment visits
$149
We evaluate your condition, determine whether you are an appropriate candidate, and begin treatment if appropriate. No package. No long-term commitment.
Schedule Your EvaluationIf we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.
What's included
- A one-on-one consultation about your symptoms, history and what you have already tried
- A focused spine and nerve examination
- Review of any imaging you already have (MRI, CT or X-ray)
- A clear answer on whether our nonsurgical approach is appropriate for you
- Three treatment visits, if you are a candidate
- A written summary of what we found and what we recommend
Plan on about 45 minutes for the first visit. Treatment visits after that are short.
What you'll learn
What you walk out knowing
1What is actually contributing to your symptoms
Not a guess from a report — findings from an examination read alongside your imaging.
2Whether you are a candidate
A straight answer at the first visit. If you are not, you are refunded and pointed to the right care.
3How your body responds to treatment
If you are a candidate, you begin treatment at the first visit and we record your response.
4What we recommend, and why
In writing, after three treatment visits, with no obligation.
Patient reviews
From patients who came in with the same thing.
Every review is a verified Google review of this clinic, quoted as written.
“First time I went in I could barely walk. I literally was able to get around with very little pain after the first treatment. I'm on maintenance now and feel great.”
Jeff I.Verified Google review
“Sciatica had me shifting around constantly, especially sitting for any length of time. … the leg pain's way down and I can actually sit through a meeting or a movie without needing to move.”
Aaron B.Verified Google review
“Foot pain from sciatica used to flare up bad just from standing too long. … that pain's way down now — I can stand and walk around without it acting up, which was the whole reason I came in for the herniated disc.”
Clairelle W.Verified Google review
FAQ
Questions about pain after back surgery
What happens during my first visit?
How much does the initial visit cost?
How does the treatment work?
Do I need an MRI?
Can I bring my MRI?
Do you accept insurance?
How long does treatment take?
Evaluation + 3 treatment visits · $149
Schedule a pain after back surgery evaluation
Tell us how to reach you and we'll call to find a time. Prefer to talk now? Call (913) 355-5998 or text us.
- Mon – Wed9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thu9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
- Fri – SunClosed
If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.
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Find out whether we can help with your pain after back surgery.
Axis Spine & Disc · 1011 E 151st St, Suite A, Olathe, KS