![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staging.osteopathiemontreal.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nancy5-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSometimes a patient comes in and the story isn\u2019t \u201cI lifted a box and my back hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s subtler than that. And often more interesting.<\/p>\n
Nancy\u2019s symptoms began after a neck surgery involving the fusion of 3 vertebrae in late December 2025. Right after the procedure, she actually felt\u00a0aligned and surprisingly good<\/strong>\u2014a common \u201choneymoon\u201d phase. Then, days later, something shifted:\u00a0migraines started gradually<\/strong>, often felt\u00a0in the face and around the orbits<\/strong>, and within two weeks\u00a0mid-back pain appeared<\/strong>, later \u201cmoving down\u201d toward the\u00a0left low back<\/strong>. Add in a\u00a0noisy neck<\/strong>\u00a0(sensation of \u201crice crispies\u201d) and a constant sense of deep tension at the base of the skull, and you have a classic pattern we see in complex cases.<\/p>\n Why would migraines and back pain show up after surgery?<\/strong><\/p>\n Surgery doesn\u2019t only affect tissues. It can also affect the\u00a0nervous system<\/em>.<\/p>\n In someone with a history of sensitization\u2014like\u00a0fibromyalgia<\/strong>, past concussion, and significant life stress\/trauma\u2014the nervous system can become more reactive after a major physiological event. This doesn\u2019t mean anything \u201cdangerous\u201d is happening. It means the system may be running\u00a0too \u201cloud\u201d<\/strong>: more tension, more reactivity, and a lower threshold for migraine and pain flare-ups.<\/p>\n One clue in this chart is that when the mid-thoracic area (around\u00a0T5\/T6<\/strong>) was treated, it provoked strong internal sensations (\u201ccardiac sensations,\u201d heart beating with greater ease). That\u2019s not a typical \u201ctight muscle\u201d response. That reads like\u00a0autonomic nervous system involvement<\/strong>\u2014the body\u2019s internal regulator changing gears.<\/p>\n The osteopathic approach: don\u2019t fight the body\u2014guide it<\/strong><\/p>\n In cases like this, the goal is not to \u201ccrack the back\u201d and chase every symptom.<\/p>\n The goal is to\u00a0reduce global reactivity<\/strong>\u00a0and restore mechanical comfort without destabilizing the patient. That\u2019s why the chart explicitly notes:\u00a0no manipulation<\/strong>, avoid the surgical site until fully healed, and work progressively.<\/p>\n Treatment focused on:<\/p>\n What progress can look like in real life<\/strong><\/p>\n Nancy reports that migraine\u00a0frequency is much lower<\/strong>, though intensity can remain similar, and back tension can \u201cmove\u201d as the body reorganizes. That\u2019s not failure\u2014it\u2019s often the body finding a new baseline.<\/p>\n The takeaway<\/strong><\/p>\n When migraines, tinnitus, and back pain appear after surgery\u2014especially in someone with fibromyalgia or prior concussion\u2014think\u00a0regulation + mechanics<\/strong>, not force.<\/p>\n A careful osteopathic plan often looks like:<\/p>\n It\u2019s not about \u201cpushing through.\u201d Sometimes a patient comes in and the story isn\u2019t \u201cI lifted a box and my back hurts.\u201d It\u2019s subtler than that. And often more interesting. Nancy\u2019s [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[117],"class_list":["post-4400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-oasteopathic-post-surgical-treatment"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\n
\nIt\u2019s about helping the nervous system remember how to settle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"