There is a specific kind of frustration that comes with undergoing a major medical procedure only to find that the very problem you were trying to fix is still there. For many people dealing with chronic back pain, surgery is seen as the light at the end of the tunnel. You prepare for it, you recover from it, and you pin your hopes on it. When that surgery does not result in the relief you expected, it can feel like a devastating blow to your physical and emotional well being