Post-Surgery Pain
Post-surgery pain, also referred to as postoperative pain, is pain a patient continues to feel after a surgical procedure. Virtually all surgical procedures will result in some level of acute pain after surgery, which refers to the expected pain felt near the surgical site as the body heals.
However, pain can sometimes continue after the surgical site has healed. If it persists for at least three months after the procedure, it is considered chronic pain. Chronic post-surgery pain can impact the results of the patient’s procedure, their rehabilitation, and their overall quality of life.
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What causes post-surgery pain?
Chronic post-surgery pain is thought to result from injury to one or more peripheral nerves during a surgical procedure.
Surgery involves the cutting of tissues and nerves, which activate the body’s automatic injury responses such as inflammation.
Sometimes, these responses can change how the nervous system processes pain signals. Other times, the nerves that were cut during the procedure may regrow in an abnormal way. Either of these outcomes can lead to chronic pain after surgery.
What are symptoms of post-surgery pain?
Chronic post-surgery pain refers to pain that continues three months or more after a surgical procedure. Symptoms can include:
- Burning pain
- Aching pain
- Shooting pain
- Numbness
- Sensitivity to touch or temperature
Postoperative pain is believed to be caused by damage to peripheral nerves, which means the resulting pain is not necessarily located near the surgical site.
How is post-surgery pain treated?
The best way to prevent chronic post-surgery pain is to keep acute postoperative pain to a minimum. Studies show there is a strong link between the severity of pain in the 10 days after surgery and the development of chronic pain.
Your care team will generally review the details of your postoperative plan with you before and after your procedure. Take this opportunity to ask questions about how they will provide pain relief after the surgery and how you can continue to manage post-surgery pain at home after discharge.
If you still develop chronic postoperative pain, Twin Cities Pain Clinic offers many specialized and effective treatment options that can provide relief.
Treating post-surgery pain with spinal cord stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an advanced pain management therapy that can provide continuous, long-lasting relief from chronic post-surgery pain while avoiding the negative side effects of opioids and the long recovery times of more invasive surgeries.
With just this one procedure, you can enjoy years of reduced pain and improved mobility. Don’t suffer any longer. Call us now and learn how SCS can give you back the life you deserve.
Make an appointment with Twin Cities Pain Clinic to learn how we can help relieve your chronic post-surgery pain.
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RELIEVE YOUR PAIN, RENEW YOUR LIFE!
