Unfortunately, each step in this process is often ineffective at addressing the patient's pain or creates a variety of complications that make their situation even more unbearable. For this reason, it is critical to understand the risks of each part of this process and the safer alternatives that can permanently alleviate joint and spinal pain.

Note: persistent or recurrent pain after spinal surgery, back pain following spinal surgery is referred to as "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome" and affects between 10-40% of people who receive a spinal surgery.

Common Spinal Pain Generators:

In most cases, joint pain has a cause that must be identified to treat it. For example, when treating spinal pain, we find it is critical to address:

Tight muscles—rarely recognized despite being common (particularly of the iliopsoas and quadratus lumborum—two large and frequently tight muscle groups which directly attach to the lumbar spine). Physical therapists typically focus on strengthening rather than stretching/releasing tight muscles.

Misalignment—requires adjustment and lifestyle corrections. A common cause of misalignment are uneven leg lengths which tilt the pelvis and hence the spine (and can be corrected with an appropriate heel lift).

Ligamentous laxity—often the primary cause of spinal arthritis, muscle tightness, and disc problems as tight ligaments are necessary to ensure bones stay in the correct location and do not impinge tissues.

Disc herniation—not the most common cause of back pain but sometimes a significant contributor (and frequently used as a justification for disastrous spinal surgeries). In most cases, disc herniations result from vertebrae bending too far forward, which pushes the discs back and compresses the nerves behind them.