Any tips for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome?

Has the type of pain changed? Quite possible that there is another source of the pain?

@phxratt1
How long ago did you have surgery?

Where are your biggest places/sources of pain? Is it nerve/joint pain? Is it sharp or dull pain? Is it worse with certain movements or activities?

Have you had a recent MRI of your lumbar spine and pelvis/hips/sacrum?

Have you seen a neurologist for EMG/nerve conduction study of your lower limbs?

Are you working with a pain management specialist? Have you been prescribed any pain medication and physical therapy?

I can relate with having lumbar surgery. It is very painful, depending on what is done. I had decompression and fusion surgery L3-L5 due to severe stenosis, degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, and neurogenic claudication. This caused lower back, hip, buttock, thigh and foot pain, numbness and weakness. Many symptoms improved for me after surgery.

Do you think a nerve was injured or that you have new nerve compression/disc herniations after surgery? Is there an issue with your fusion causing pseudarthrosis?
1. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pseudoarthrosis
2. https://www.verywellhealth.com/pseudarthrosis-after-spinal-fusion-surgery-296507
3. https://spinemd.com/conditions/pseudarthrosis/
4. https://www.epainassist.com/bones/pseudoarthrosis

It's interesting how many people seem to have had spinal fusion with no reduction in pain. And many complain of even more pain. I had fusion of L5-S1 in 2017 for spondylolisthesis. No improvement in pain. Looking back, I think that I would not have the surgery again, given the chance.

I’ve had a lot of surgeries, and I noticed those little surgeries like you had are ineffective, and you probably need to go to another orthopedic surgeon and have fusion and laminectomy (people commonly have at L3 L4 L5). I read up a lot on the discectomy and the like, before I ended up After having two hip replacements, and then finally a major lumbar fusion and laminectomy with an amazing orthopedic surgeon who wasted no time and told me my nerves are crushed and I need to have immediate surgery. I saw four orthopedic and neurology surgeons. He was my night and shining armor. Don’t give up and go for second third fourth opinions if you need to until you find your night in shining armor.

Don’t you love it now they have a name for thi? failed back surgery. What a joke I’ve had three failed back surgeries, two in the lumbar spine and one in the thoracic. I’ve had a spine cord stimulator implanted. The company went out of business. But the stimulator never brought relief. I’ve tried to acupuncture. Massage. Prednisone step downs.
My surgeries were 10 years ago. I still have pain and trouble walking any distance. But they’ve been with me for such a long time that they’ve normalized. Life is just going through days with failed back surgery pain.