You did what you were supposed to do—you had spine surgery to fix the pain. So why does it still hurt?

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. We see many patients who are still struggling months (or even years) after a discectomy,laminectomy, fusion, or other spine procedure. The good news? There are answers—and there are still highly effective treatment options that don’t involve going back under the knife.

First, Let’s Be Honest: Surgery Isn’t Always the Final Fix

Spine surgery can help the right patient at the right time—but it isn’t always the end of the road. In fact, up to 20–40% of patients report persistent or recurrent pain after spinal surgery. This is often referred to as:

  • Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)
  • Post-laminectomy syndrome
  • Or just plain old “this isn’t how it was supposed to go”

Why Am I Still in Pain After Back Surgery?

  1. 🎯 The True Pain Generator Was Missed
    Surgery may have addressed a herniated disc, but what if the real issue was the facet joints, sacroiliac joint, or even nerve inflammation unrelated to the disc?
  2. 🔥 Nerve Still Inflamed or Damaged
    Just because the nerve is no longer compressed doesn’t mean it stops hurting. Nerves are slow to heal—and sometimes develop chronic pain patterns.
  3. 🧬 Scar Tissue (Epidural Fibrosis)
    Post-surgical scar tissue can tether or irritate nearby nerves, creating a new source of pain that wasn’t there before.
  4. 📉 Adjacent Segment Disease or Instability
    Fusing one part of the spine can overload nearby segments, leading to new disc problems, facet joint strain, or instability.

Here’s the Good News: There Are Advanced Treatments That Can Help

If spine surgery didn’t deliver the relief you hoped for, we offer non-surgical, image-guided solutions to help pinpoint and treat the real problem.

💉 Epidural Steroid Injections
Still one of the most effective ways to calm down irritated nerves—especially if inflammation, scar tissue, or post-op flare-ups are contributing to your pain.
🔥 Medial Branch Blocks & Rhizotomy (RFA)
If your pain is coming from the facet joints—those small stabilizing joints in the back of your spine—we use diagnostic medial branch blocks to confirm the source, then perform radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to disable the tiny pain nerves. This procedure can provide relief that lasts 6–12 months or more.

🦴 Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain: Often Overlooked
After a spinal fusion or long-standing back problems, the sacroiliac joints (where the spine meets the pelvis) can become inflamed.
We treat SI joint dysfunction with:

⚡ Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS)
A small device delivers gentle electrical impulses to the spinal cord, reducing pain signals before they reach your brain. It’s ideal for patients with FBSS, chronic radicular pain, or nerve-related pain after surgery

🌐 DRG (Dorsal Root Ganglion) Stimulation
For very focal, stubborn nerve pain—especially in the foot, groin, or knee area— DRG stimulation offers targeted relief with even more precision than traditional SCS. This can be especially effective for patients with pain that didn’t respond to other treatments.

So, Is It Too Late for Relief?

Not at all. Whether it’s been three months or three years since your surgery, if you’re still dealing with pain, you deserve a new plan. As a board-certified interventional pain specialist, we help patients get their lives back every day—without another major operation.

If you’re searching for a spine specialist or orthopedic specialist in NYC with expertise in post-surgical pain, you’ll find personalized, innovative care at UES Interventional Pain.

Why Choose UES Interventional Pain?

  • ✅ Board-Certified in Pain Medicine & Interventional Spine
  • ✅ Advanced techniques like RFA, DRG, and neuromodulation
  • ✅ Conservative-first approach, with surgical referrals when truly necessary
  • ✅ Convenient Upper East Side location—because help should be near home

Don’t Settle for “Just Living With It”

Your spine surgery may not have been the last stop—but it doesn’t have to be the end of your journey toward relief. Let’s find out what’s really going on—and fix it.

📍 UES Interventional Pain, Upper East Side NYC
📞 Call now or book your appointment