Returning to your job with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) can be difficult, particularly if your work is physically demanding or laborious. FBSS is a condition that refers to the continuing or newly developed symptoms after an unsuccessful neck or back surgery. Having to return to work while still experiencing spinal pain is not a pleasant thought, but you may not have a choice. If this is the case, your physician might suggest that you revisit a conservative treatment regimen, such as the options outlined below, to help you get through each day.

Conservative treatments for FBSS

Whether you work in an office, a shipping warehouse or a daycare, managing your FBSS pain during work hours will most likely be necessary. Conservative treatments that may help alleviate pain include:

• Medication. Your physician may suggest you take prescription or over-the-counter pain medication or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Be sure to follow proper dosages and keep enough on hand to help you during the day.
• Rest. Resting your neck and back may be impossible for some jobs, but you should try to take a few minutes to lie on the floor with knees bent and arms flat at your sides. This can help relieve spinal pressure from standing or sitting for long periods of time.
• Hot and cold therapy. Applying a cold compress to painful areas in 20-minute increments may help calm inflammation. Applying heat might aggravate irritated tissues but can release muscle tension and promote blood flow. Alternating the cold and hot therapies may give you the best results while at work.

If working with failed back surgery syndrome is unbearable

For some people with failed back surgery syndrome and debilitating pain, going back to work seems impossible. If this sounds familiar to you, contact USA Spine Care. Our board-certified+ surgeons perform minimally invasive procedures that have helped more than 75,000 patients find relief from neck and back pain.

At USA Spine Care, 81 percent of our patients have reported returning to work within three months after our minimally invasive decompression procedures.^ To learn if you are a potential candidate for our outpatient surgery and to receive a free MRI review,* reach out to our dedicated team today. We can help you recapture your quality of life from your chronic pain and discomfort.