Far too many patients who undergo spinal surgery to treat chronic pain continue to be in pain and are disabled after the surgery. Repeat surgeries are also quite frequent among such patients. New research aims to find out how such pain can be better managed after surgery.
Many patients who choose to undergo spinal surgery to treat back pain continue to suffer from poor health, compared to people who do not undergo surgery. According to statistics, as many as 40% of patients who have undergone surgery report disability and continuing pain even after the surgery, and as many as 20% have to undergo repeat surgery.
Often patients who have undergone spinal surgery are recommended for physical therapy, but that doesn’t necessarily increase their chances of becoming physically active after the surgery. Life after spinal surgery for far too many patients continues to be full of pain, which can in some cases, be so disabling that the person can barely move around.
A group of researchers is specifically looking at a self-management treatment that focuses on personal responsibility and active participation to help manage spinal surgery patients better. This therapy is called Cognitive-Behavioral-based Physical Therapy, and it consists of six sessions delivered by a physical therapist over the phone.
Basically, during this treatment, the physical therapist will focus on positive self-statements, relaxation strategies as well as management of symptoms. The main aim of the therapy is to decrease physical pain, and reduce fear of movement. The goal is to decrease long-term pain, improve outcomes, and reduce disability levels so the person can become more active after the surgery.
M. Stanley Whitehead is a Houston Social Security disability benefits attorney, committed to representing persons who have had their disability claims rejected, and helping them recover the benefits that are rightfully theirs.
