September 2025 Healthy News from Old Mill Chiropractic - Second Chances: How Flexion Distraction Therapy (and Even Gardening!) Rescue Patients from Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
From Surgical Disappointment to Healing Hope: The Cox® Technic Solution for Persistent Back Pain
When back surgery or neck surgery does not deliver the relief patients desperately wished for, the resulting condition—failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS)—can cause them to feel trapped between ongoing pain and fear of more procedures. But new research illustrates both why some surgeries fall short and how patients can find real relief through well-studied chiropractic care. Hajilo and colleagues' revealing 2024 study exposes the disconcerting reality that doctors currently lack reliable ways to predict which patients will get FBSS after posterior spine surgery, while their broad analysis identifies crucial risk factors that could alter patient outcomes. (1) Enter the game-changing work of Kruse, White, Rogers, Klamson, and Gudavalli, whose 2025 research demonstrates how Cox® Technic flexion distraction—a gentle yet powerful chiropractic approach—is offering real hope to FBSS sufferers who thought they'd exhausted their options. This particular technique works by gently decompressing and mobilizing the spine, providing a welcome alternative to more invasive interventions. (2) Together, these eye-opening studies exhibit that while post-surgical pain may be intricate and multifaceted, patients aren't powerless—efficacious, conservative treatments and even some lifestyle modifications exist that can you regain your quality of life without the risks and recovery time of repeat surgery.
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox, developer of Cox® Technic, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson explain in his own words the benefit of treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for St Peters failed back surgical syndrome back pain sufferers.
TIP OF THE MONTH: “Grow” Your Way Past Back Pain
Speaking of lifestyle influences on post-surgical FBSS, fresh research is offering bright hope for back pain sufferers after surgery, and the answers might be easier than expected. A major healthcare study revealed that patients with failed back surgery syndrome often share modifiable lifestyle factors – smoking, excess weight, and mood disorders – signifying that addressing these areas could significantly boost outcomes. Even more encouraging is research on therapeutic gardening, where two-thirds of chronic back pain patients believed gardening could help the way they felt, and they were proven right. Participants experienced improved spine flexibility and reduced anxiety through organized horticultural activities. The gentle movements of tending plants, combined with nature's stress-relieving benefits, created an unexpected path to healing. These studies propose that recovery might flourish not just in medical offices, but through lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, managing weight, addressing mental health, and literally getting back to our roots in the garden. (3,4)
Make your St Peters chiropractic appointment with Old Mill Chiropractic today!
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