Pain after the disc surgery | Disc herniation surgery

Pain after the disc surgery

The occurrence of pain after an operation is not primarily worrying, but to a certain extent normal. Every surgical procedure is a heavy burden on the body. Depending on the duration and positioning of the body during the operation, pain is often caused by muscular tension.

Pain in the area of the surgical scar is also harmless up to a certain point, as the skin and surrounding tissue have been damaged by the incision and must regenerate afterwards. This area is irritated shortly after the operation, sensitive and can therefore also hurt. However, pain in the scar area can also be caused by an inflammation of the wound, which must be treated promptly.

The spinal nerve, which was relieved by the disc surgery, also needs a certain regeneration time. This explains why the pain caused by the herniated disc does not disappear immediately after the operation, but decreases day by day. A further cause of pain after a herniated disc operation is scarring.

The pain caused by this can occur immediately after the operation or develop only in the further course. Scar tissue forms in the nerve root area, which can lead to nerve irritation. In this case, patients often complain of pain radiating into the legs.

Besides scar tissue, bleeding or inflammation in the operated nerve root area can also cause pain. Here it is essential to take appropriate countermeasures quickly. Possibly, a material intolerance may occur as a general surgical risk, which is associated with pain after the operation.

After excluding all other possible causes of pain, the unsuccessfulness of the operation must be taken into consideration. On the one hand, it is possible that despite the surgical intervention the causal problem, the herniated disc, has not been removed. On the other hand, nerves or surrounding structures may have been affected, which now causes the pain.

A final reason for pain after a herniated disc surgery is the so-called “post-nucleotomy syndrome”. This is a therapy-resistant and often chronic pain after a herniated disc surgery. The causes are variable and have to be clarified individually.

A burning and electrifying pain character can be indicative of the presence of such a syndrome. In addition, pain in the context of a post-discectomy syndrome is motion-dependent and is often accompanied by additional discomfort such as tingling and numbness. Regardless of the cause of the pain after a herniated disc surgery, a doctor must be consulted urgently in case of long-term pain. A timely follow-up has therapeutic and prognostic relevance.

Rehabilitation after a slipped disc surgery

Rehabilitation is of enormous importance after the operation of the herniated disc. The patient must learn to adapt his movements and posture to the new situation. In rehabilitation, physiotherapy, muscle building, postural exercises and stretching strengthen the muscles of the spine and the rest of the body.

In this way the patient should recover quickly after the operation and future complaints should be prevented. Thanks to today’s microsurgical procedures, rehabilitation can often be started within the first week after the operation. The duration and type of rehab depends on the condition and severity of the symptoms.

The duration of rehab can be between 3 and 8 weeks. There is the possibility of an outpatient, semi-inpatient or inpatient rehab. Depending on the cost unit, the costs for this are not fully covered and a personal contribution must be expected.

The cost carrier can be the health insurance, but also the pension insurance. In the case of patients who could tend to return to work after rehab, the pension insurance fund often acts as the cost carrier, since the patient will continue to pay into the pension insurance fund when his or her ability to work is restored. The application for rehabilitation is made by the patient together with his treating specialist or family doctor.

In severe cases, the ward physician can apply for follow-up treatment. This is intended to bring the patient back into the physical condition to live independently at home and then to go into the rehab applied for. In addition to medical rehab, occupational rehab can also be relevant. Here the patient is reintroduced to his work place or retrained if he can no longer carry out his original profession.