September 2025 Healthy News from Johnson Chiropractic - Second Chances: How Flexion Distraction Therapy (and Even Gardening!) Rescue Patients from Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
From Surgical Disappointment to Relieving Hope: The Cox® Technic Solution for Persistent Back Pain
When back surgery or neck surgery does not provide the relief patients desperately hoped for, the resulting condition—failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS)—can leave them feeling stuck between ongoing pain and fear of additional procedures. But new research illuminates both why some surgeries are deficient and how patients can find genuine relief through well-studied chiropractic care. Hajilo and colleagues' enlightening 2024 study discloses the disconcerting reality that doctors currently lack dependable ways to predict which patients will experience FBSS after posterior spine surgery, while their wide-ranging 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, delivering a welcome alternative to more invasive interventions. (2) Together, these eye-opening studies show that while post-surgical pain may be intricate and multifaceted, patients aren't helpless—effective, conservative treatments and even some lifestyle changes 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 advantage of treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for Richmond failed back surgical syndrome back pain sufferers.
TIP OF THE MONTH: “Grow” Your Way Past Back Pain
Speaking of lifestyle impacts on post-surgical FBSS, recent research is offering renewed hope for back pain sufferers after surgery, and the answers might be simpler than expected. A major healthcare study revealed that patients with failed back surgery syndrome often share adaptable lifestyle factors – smoking, excess weight, and mood disorders – signifying that attending to these areas could significantly improve outcomes. Even more heartening is research on therapeutic gardening, where two-thirds of chronic back pain patients deemed gardening could help the way they felt, and they were proven right. Participants reported improved spine flexibility and reduced anxiety through structured horticultural activities. The gentle movements of tending plants, combined with nature's stress-relieving benefits, made an unexpected way to healing. These studies suggest that recovery might grow not just in medical offices, but through lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, handling weight, dealing with issues of mental health, and literally returning to our roots in the garden. (3,4)
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