Here is my experence. I had an Ortho do all my fusions. Then I went to a Neuro Dr. He would only do a Spinal Cord Stimulator. I had it for 11 months and didn't like it, so I went back to my Ortho Dr. and he used artifical bone. It has a name and I think Gloria knows it. Anyway, he said my bone didn't fuse, it just crumbled. Thats why the artifical was put in. He told me it could take up to one year to fuse solid, and that I would have less movement. At first I didn't know wheather I liked it, but it is ok. Only Neuro's put in the SCS. The Ortho never called it a failed back syndrome. Since most people don't like the SCS, I wounld not recomamed in myself, unless you like the shocked feeling. it never quit doing that, and my rep didn't do nothing about it. So, I talked my ortho into removing it. They will never do nothing about it unless you tell them you just didn't get any relief from it.

This is all I can tell you about my experence. I still have leg pain and I am going to give up on it. Three surgeries in one year is enough. I never get rid of all the pain, but the massage you talk about sounds good to me. In Dec. my Dr. is going to check for fusion by x ray.
Billie