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
- We check what was done and how long ago, then tell you honestly if we can help
- Nonsurgical treatment for appropriate patients, coordinated with your surgeon
- Your first visit is free, and includes your first treatment
Or call or text (913) 355-5998
- Dr. Matt Metcalf, DC
- 20+ years
- 65,000+ treatment visits supervised
- 5.0 on Google
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, a free first visit 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 spinal decompression treats it
Non-surgical spinal decompression 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
- Non-surgical spinal decompression for appropriate patients — typically an adjacent-level disc problem or a recurrent herniation, including after a fusion once the recovery period has passed
- 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 adapt.
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
Adapt
Change the plan 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 if you have had a fusion or have hardware, we check how long ago it was done and clear it with you at the first visit.
How we evaluate pain after back surgery
At the first visit we ask what was done and how long ago, review your operative report and imaging if you have them, 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 instability, a recovery period that has not passed, 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 spinal decompression visit is like
Non-surgical, with no injections and 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 each visit is built around you. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at your first visit.
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 free first visit is how we find out whether you are that patient.
Honest about fit
Who this is for, and who it isn't for
Spinal decompression is not for everyone, and we would rather tell you that before you come in.
It is often right for
- Bulging or herniated discs in the lower back
- Cervical disc herniation
- Sciatica, or pain that runs down a leg
- Neck pain that travels into the shoulder, arm or hand
- Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
- Grip weakness
- Headaches from neck tension
- Pinched nerves
- Degenerative disc disease
- Spinal stenosis with positional leg symptoms
- Facet pain
- Pain after back or neck surgery, including a fusion once the recovery period has passed
- Pain that hasn't responded to the usual care
It is usually not right for
- Spinal fractures
- Severe osteoporosis
- Tumors or infection
- Spinal instability or cord-level symptoms
- Some conditions we screen for at your first visit
The first visit is where we find out which list you're on. If you've had a fusion or have hardware, we check how long ago and clear it with you at the first visit.
The first step
Start with a free first visit.
Free
Your first visit at Back-Trac Spinal Decompression is free. It includes a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Metcalf, a review of your MRI or X-rays if you have them, an exam, and your first spinal decompression treatment the same day. You'll leave knowing whether you're a candidate.
Schedule my free consultationWe text you within a minute to set your free first visit, any hour. If you don't check the text box, we call you back.
What your free first visit includes
- A one-on-one consultation with Dr. Metcalf
- A review of your MRI or X-rays, if you have them
- An exam, with a measured baseline
- Your first spinal decompression treatment, the same day
- A straight answer on whether you're a candidate
- If you are, a plan for what comes next
No obligation. New patients only. Some insurance plans are excluded by law.
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 exam, read alongside your imaging.
2Whether you are a candidate
A straight answer at the first visit. If you are not, we tell you and point you to the right care.
3How your body responds
Your first spinal decompression treatment happens the same day, and we record your response.
4What comes next
If you are a candidate, a plan, before you decide anything.
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 to Dr Metcalf I could barely walk. I literally was able to get around with very little pain after the first treatment. …”
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
I've already had back surgery. Can you still help?
What happens at my free first visit?
Is the first visit really free?
What happens after the free visit?
Will insurance cover this?
How do I set my first visit?
How does spinal decompression work?
Free first visit · New patients only
Schedule your free consultation and treatment
Your first visit is free: sit down with Dr. Metcalf, go over your MRI or X-rays, get your questions answered, and start spinal decompression treatment the same day.
Dr. Matt Metcalf, D.C.
1011 E 151st St
Olathe, KS 66062
By appointment
Your free first visit includes:
- A one-on-one consultation with Dr. Metcalf
- A review of your imaging
- An exam
- Your first treatment, the same day
Prefer to talk? Call or text (913) 355-5998.
Related conditions
Find out whether we can help with your pain after back surgery.
Back-Trac Spinal Decompression · 1011 E 151st St, Olathe, KS
Or call or text (913) 355-5998