Post-Laminectomy Syndrome is also known as Failed Back Syndrome. It refers to chronic back and/or leg pain and disability following laminectomy. Laminectomy is back surgery performed to relieve nerve compression or nerve root injury in the spine.
Factors contributing to this syndrome include disc herniation, chronic post-operative pressure on a spinal nerve, altered joint mobility, joint hypermobility with instability, scar tissue, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and spinal muscular deconditioning. Patients may be predisposed to Post-Laminectomy Syndrome due to disorders such as diabetes, autoimmune disease and peripheral blood vessels disease. Smoking has been found to be a risk factor for poor recovery from this type of surgery.
Symptoms include dull, aching pain in the back and/or legs. Other symptoms may include sharp, pricking and stabbing pain in the extremities. This pain may be mild to severe and can sometimes be debilitating.
Treatment of Post-Laminectomy Syndrome may consist of physical therapy, electrical stimulation and spinal injections. The physicians at AOK spine and pain will be able to accurately diagnose this condition and treat it properly.