Chronic post-surgical pain starts after surgery. Acute pain, which is normal after most surgeries, usually goes away quickly with appropriate pain-control measures. But post-surgical pain becomes chronic if it continues for more than two months.

The many reasons for chronic post-surgical pain range from tissue trauma (particularly nerve damage) to scar tissue buildup. In addition to the surgical variables, genetics and psychosocial factors play a role in chronic post-surgical pain.

Chronic post-surgical pain treatment varies with the source of the pain, how long your pain lasts, and how severe it is.

Steroid injections

Steroid injections help with pain following fracture repair, joint replacement, groin surgery, abdominal surgery, and neuromas that develop after an amputation.  

Nerve blocks

Nerve blocks treat many kinds of specific chronic post-surgical pain, including knee, shoulder, hip, ankle, and phantom pain after an amputation. Different nerve blocks can target one or a whole group of nerves.

Radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation treats the same nerves as nerve blocks, but it lasts far longer because it disrupts nerve conduction. You need to have a successful nerve block before undergoing radiofrequency ablation.

Implanted devices

Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), spinal cord stimulation (SCS), and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation are treatments in which an implanted device interrupts pain signals to relieve your chronic post-surgical pain.

In most cases, injections are the first treatment for post-surgical pain. Most people experience significant relief after targeted injections. If you don’t respond to those or you need a permanent pain-relief solution, the team will recommend a minimally invasive procedure for PNS, SCS, or DRG.

If you suffer from any kind of chronic post-surgical pain, it’s important to realize that you can get relief. Call the Pain Care Boise office today or click the online appointment scheduling tool to set up your consultation.