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Failed Neck Syndrome Treatment Options

Most patients have satisfactory results after neck surgery. Yet there is a small percentage of patients that continue to have symptoms after surgery, even when the procedure is performed by highly skilled surgeons.

What are the treatment options for failed neck syndrome?

Treatment options for failed neck syndrome depend on the cause of the failure, and the amount of pain and disability it is causing. Treatment may be conservative, minimally invasive or supportive therapy.  If there is a structural cause for the pain, surgical intervention may be considered after a detailed workup.

Non-surgical treatment is aimed at addressing pain and improving physical function. Options for conservative management include:

  • Anti-inflammatory and pain medicines (NSAIDs, Tylenol, muscle relaxants, gabapentin, opioids)
  • Antidepressants and antiepileptics that are effective for nerve pain
  • Physical therapy to improve strength and flexibility
  • Cervical epidural steroid injections to reduce pain and inflammation

Surgical management may be indicated in carefully selected candidates if a surgically correctable abnormality is found. Examples of reasons for surgical intervention include misalignment, spinal imbalance, non-union (when a bone graft does not properly fuse the bones around it), nerve compression, or recurrent disc herniation.

For a recurrent herniated disc, the disc may need to be partially or completely removed with a microdiscectomy either via a tube or endoscopically using a small camera. For a non-union, another bone graft or bone graft substitute with possible hardware may be needed to stabilize the cervical spine. Sometimes, Dr. Singh is able to take down the incomplete fusion and convert it to a cervical disc replacement thereby restoring motion in the patient’s neck.

Schedule a consultation

Dr. Kern Singh provides specialized treatment options for failed neck syndrome, including revision surgery and minimally invasive techniques, at his offices in Chicago, Naperville, and Oak Brook. His personalized approach ensures the most effective treatments to address persistent post-surgical neck pain. Schedule an appointment today to explore your treatment options and regain pain-free mobility.

References

  • https://www.asianspinejournal.org/journal/view.php?doi=10.4184/asj.2018.12.3.574
  • InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Neck pain: Overview. 2010 Aug 24 [Updated 2019 Feb 14]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK338120/
  • Kazeminasab, S., Nejadghaderi, S.A., Amiri, P. et al. Neck pain: global epidemiology, trends and risk factors. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 23, 26 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-021-04957-4
  • https://health.ucdavis.edu/spine/specialties/failed_back_and_neck.html
At A Glance

Dr. Kern Singh

  • Minimally invasive and endoscopic spine surgeon
  • Inventor and surgeon innovator with multiple patents in spinal surgery and instrumentation
  • Author of more than 10 textbooks in minimally invasive spinal surgery
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Dr. Kern Singh Promoted to Vice Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

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