Post-Surgical Pain Treatment

Medically reviewed by Joshua L. Hare, DO, Founder & Medical Director

Post-surgical pain that outlasts the recovery

Post-surgical pain, particularly failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS),[1] is a common and challenging condition in which patients continue to experience significant pain after one or more spinal or orthopedic surgeries. While surgery successfully relieves pain for many patients, some develop chronic post-surgical pain due to scar tissue formation (epidural fibrosis), adjacent segment degeneration, nerve damage during surgery, or incomplete decompression of the original problem. At IPC, we specialize in treating post-surgical pain with interventional techniques including epidural steroid injections to reduce scar tissue inflammation, spinal cord stimulation for failed back surgery syndrome, radiofrequency ablation for facet joint pain that develops after spinal fusion, and peripheral nerve blocks for post-surgical nerve pain.

Symptoms of post-surgical pain

Some discomfort after surgery is expected and improves steadily as healing progresses. Persistent post-surgical pain is different: pain that continues beyond the expected recovery window, generally taken as more than about three months after the operation.

• Pain at or around the surgical site that has stopped improving, or has begun worsening after an initial recovery
• A burning, shooting, electric or tingling quality, which suggests a nerve was affected during surgery
• Numbness next to the scar, sometimes with painful sensitivity in the surrounding skin
• Pain triggered by light touch, clothing or the seatbelt crossing the area
• Tightness or pulling around the scar that restricts movement

This is a recognized outcome after a number of common operations — including hernia repair, chest and breast surgery, joint replacement and spinal surgery — and it does not mean the operation was performed badly.

When to see a pain specialist about post-surgical pain

Arrange an evaluation when pain has persisted well past the recovery timeline your surgeon described, when it has a burning or electric character suggesting nerve involvement, or when it is preventing you from completing rehabilitation.

Timing matters more here than patients usually expect: persistent post-surgical pain is generally easier to treat earlier, before pain patterns become established, so it is better to ask sooner than to wait and see for another year. Depending on the cause, options include targeted nerve blocks, scar and neuroma injections, medication directed at nerve pain, and in selected cases neuromodulation. Pain care runs alongside your surgeon's follow-up rather than replacing it.

Signs of a wound problem need prompt assessment rather than a pain appointment: spreading redness, increasing swelling, drainage from the incision, a wound that opens, or fever.

Treatment options for post-surgical pain

Pain that persists after an operation has its own causes, and the options below are chosen according to which one applies — nerve entrapment or scarring, an irritated nerve root, or a pain signal that has not settled.

References

Clinical sources for this page.

1. Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. StatPearls [Internet], National Library of Medicine; updated May 1, 2023. Back to first citation ↑