September 2025 Healthy News from Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn - 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 deliver the relief patients greatly wished for, the ensuing 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 don’t make the grade and how patients can find genuine relief through advanced chiropractic care. Hajilo and colleagues' enlightening 2024 study exposes the troubling reality that doctors currently lack dependable ways to predict which patients will experience FBSS after posterior spine surgery, while their broad analysis links crucial risk factors that could transform 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 focused technique works by carefully decompressing and mobilizing the spine, delivering a welcome alternative to more invasive interventions. (2) Together, these revealing studies show that while post-surgical pain may be intricate and multifaceted, patients aren't helpless—efficacious, conservative treatments and even some lifestyle changes exist that can restore 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 Ashburn and Herndon 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 bright hope for back pain sufferers after surgery, and the solutions might be simpler than expected. A major healthcare study exposed that patients with failed back surgery syndrome often share adaptable 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 their symptoms, and they were proven right. Participants reported better spine flexibility and reduced anxiety through structured horticultural activities. The gentle movements of nurturing plants, combined with nature's stress-relieving benefits, generated an unexpected path 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)
See you soon!