• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.126-135
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• 2019

Background: Because of fear of reoperation and low efficiency, some patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) opt for Korean medicine treatment. Gold standard treatment is not present for FBSS, therefore both surgical and non-surgical treatment are possible. Studies of Korean conservative medicine for FBSS had a short duration of treatment and mainly pre- and post-treatment comparisons. And case of female patients who have worsened after childbirth is rare. The purpose of this study was to report long-term follow-up and rare cases of FBSS. Case summary: A 33-year-old female patient diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation complained with low back pain and radicular pain in the left leg after surgery in 2011. Acupuncture and decoction (Cheongpa-jeon, GCSB-5) were administered to her twice a day for about 6 years and 6 months. The patient's complaints improved with each hospitalization, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed a slight decrease in the size of the recurrent disc (L4/5) and a newly developed disc (L5/S1) that had deteriorated after delivery. Conclusion: Korean medicine could be used to manage the pain of lumbar spine FBSS patients for 6-7 years and to alleviate lumbago after delivery.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.65-73
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• 2018

Objectives : To verify Korean Medicinal Combination Treatments for patients who have Failed Back Surgery Syndrome along with scoliosis Methods : We used Acupuncture, Chuna manual therapy, Pharmacoacupuncture, Herbal medication. We measured Numeral Rating Sacle(NRS), Pain-Free walking distance(PFWD) and Oswestry Disability Index(ODI) score to evaluate the treatment effects. Results : Patients' LBP & Rt.leg pain NRS, PFWD and ODI score were improved. Conclusions : Traditional Korean medicine can be effective for FBSS patients along with scoliosis.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.199-202
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• 2007

Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a condition characterized by extreme pain after spinal surgery. Treatment of FBSS is aimed at improving function, using interdisciplinary approaches that encompass rehabilitation, psychological therapy, and pain management. If no response to conventional treatment is noted, a more interventional technique such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS) should be used. SCS is a well-established method of managing a variety of chronic neuropathic pain conditions. A 32 year-old male patient afflicted by FBSS that was irresponsive to both medication and several repeated nerve blocks showed improvement of symptoms after cervical and thoracic SCS with a single electrode. Centered on the midline of the spinal cord, single-electrode SCS can be an effective method for relieving pain and improving function.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.1-15
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• 2022

Objectives This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of manual therapy in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). Methods We searched eight electronic databases from October 2022 and only selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting outcomes for manual therapy in FBSS patients. Included studies were analyzed qualitatively. Results A total of twelve RCTs were included and three studies were meta-analyzed. Manual therapy combined with exercise demonstrated more favorable outcomes in terms of pain reduction compared to exercise therapy only (P<0.01). Some studies reported that manual therapy resulted in low efficacy, while some studies reported that specific manual techniques have a significant effect in pain relief. We, therefore, conclude that several studies have a high risk of bias. Conclusions Findings suggest that manual therapy is a safe and non-invasive, promising option for managing FBSS. However, manual therapy is not the best option in all circumstances; thus, this should be selectively applied by a well-trained practitioner. Further studies such as well-designed, risk-controlled RCTs are required to gain stronger evidence.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.41-48
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• 2014

Objectives The present study examines the domestic trend of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) in Korea. Methods The studies on FBSS were investigated via searching Korean web databases. As a result, 41 research papers were found and they were analyzed according to the year of publishment, the titles of journals which have the papers, the types of study, the definition of FBSS, employed treatment trials, and the instruments for assessment. Results The number of the research papers on FBSS published was increased since 2005. The studies on FBSS were mainly published in the Korean Journal of Pain. The most popular type of the studies were the case report and the most studies defined FBSS as persistent or recurring low back pain with or without sciatica after receiving spine surgeries. Various surgical and conservative treatments were employed in the studies and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used as primary means of assessments. Conclusions Reviewing the domestic trends of studies on FBSS and examining the definition of FBSS is essential for the future studies because there is no clear criteria for making diagnosis of FBSS. Therefore, the further studies on FBSS need to be more elaborate with the definition of FBSS, and it is also necessary to apply more assessment tools for the better understanding of FBSS from various aspects. Ultimately, this review is anticipated to benefit the future in-depth study on FBSS.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.23-32
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was performed to report the effect of oriental medical treatment for the failed back surgery syndrome(FBSS) patient after three times surgical operation treatment on herniated nuclues pulposus(HNP) L5-S1. Methods : A 70-year old patient after three times surgical operation treatment was admitted with low back pain and left leg radiation pain. We treated her by oriental medical treatment and measured McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form(SF-MPQ), visual analogue scale(VAS) and Oswestry disability index(ODI). Results : After treatment, most symptoms decreased, SF-MPQ changed 36 to 17, VAS score changed 9 to 4, ODI changed 39 to 27. Conclusions : In this study, oriental medical treatment was effective in failed back surgery syndrome patient. But the rigorous studies will be needed to define clearly that oriental medical treatment is effective in failed back surgery syndrome.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.501-506
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• 2013

Objective : Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an effective means of treatment of chronic neuropathic pain from failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). Because the success of trial stimulation is an essential part of SCS, we investigated factors associated with success of trial stimulation. Methods : Successful trial stimulation was possible in 26 of 44 patients (63.6%) who underwent insertion of electrodes for the treatment of chronic pain from FBSS. To investigate factors associated with successful trial stimulation, patients were classified into two groups (success and failure in trial). We investigated the following factors : age, sex, predominant pain areas (axial, limb, axial combined with limbs), number of operations, duration of preoperative pain, type of electrode (cylindrical/paddle), predominant type of pain (nociceptive, neuropathic, mixed), degree of sensory loss in painful areas, presence of motor weakness, and preoperative Visual Analogue Scale. Results : There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, degree of pain, number of operations, and duration of pain (p>0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that the type of electrode and presence of severe sensory deficits were significantly associated with the success of trial stimulation (p<0.05). However, the remaining variable, sex, type of pain, main location of pain, degree of pain duration, degree of sensory loss, and presence of motor weakness, were not associated with the trial success of SCS for FBSS. Conclusion : Trial stimulation with paddle leads was more successful. If severe sensory deficits occur in the painful dermatomes in FBSS, trial stimulation were less effective.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.93-103
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to report Four cases of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) patients after spinal fusion surgery who showed significant improvement in pain and function with Complex Korean medical treatment. Methods: This study was a retrospective observational study. We reviewed medical records of Four patients with lumbar pain or radiating leg pain, who have received spinal fusion surgery in the past. All Four patients took complex treatments of Mokhuri Neck and Back hospital which involes Acupuncture, Pharmaco-acupuncture, Gangchuk herbal medicine, Chuna and Physical therapy during about four-week of admission treatment. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), Pain Free Walking Distance (PFWD) scores were assessed before and after treatments. Results: The average of hospitalization period was 28.5 days. Mean VAS scores decreased from 6.5 to 2.3, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores decreased from 56.25 to 38.25 and Pain Free Walking Distance (PFWD) also improved from 10m to 166.6m. Conclusion: This study implies that a combination of Korean medical treatments might be effective in relieving pain, and improving the functional status of FBSS patients. Further studies are needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying the effects.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.77-86
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• 2011

Objective : This study was designed to evaluate the effect of bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy in patients with FBSS(failed back surgery syndrome). Methods : We investigated 30 cases of patients with FBSS, who had been treated from October 2010 to July 2011. We divided patients into two groups : group I was treated by acupuncture therapy only, and group II was treated by bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy and general acupuncture. We measured the efficacy of treatments using the numerical rating scale(NRS) and grade and straight leg raising(SLR) test. Results : 1. The treatment method for group II was more effective than that of group I in reducing the NRS score on the fifteenth day after admission but there was no statistically significant difference between the results of two groups on the fifth day after admission and the tenth day after admission. 2. The treatment method for group II was more effective than that of group I in NRS improvement rate from its admission day to the fifth day after admission and from the tenth day after admission to the fifteenth day after admission but there was no statistically significant difference between the performance of two groups from the fifth day after admission to the tenth day after admission. 3. Group II had a higher grade improvement rate from the seventh day after admission to the fifteenth day after admission than group I but no statistically significant difference was observed between the results of two groups from its admission day to the seventh day after admission. 4. In SLR test improvement rate the treatments applied to group II was more effective than those applied to group I. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy is effective in reducing pain for patients with FBSS. Further clinical research is needed to verify these results and findings.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the conservative treatment for FBSS patient. Method : We used Acupuncture, Beevenom, CHUNA manual therapy, Herbal medication, for this patient. And we measured of VNRS and ODI score to evaluate the conservative treatment effects. Result : Patient's LBP & Rt.leg pain VNRS and ODI score were decreased.