Dealing with a traumatic back injury is like dealing with a new type of life at times. You have to rethink how you approach the day and what your normal routine is. But at the same time you’re ready to get back in the swing of things. Here are 4 things a Gaithersburg chiropractor will want You to know after a traumatic back injury:
- Healing takes time. No matter how good of shape you’re in, it takes time for your body to heal from a traumatic injury. Rushing back too soon can result in the area being re-aggravated. The key is consistent progress and listening to your body, not pushing it too hard. This isn’t about enduring the most pain.
- Decrease the pain and inflammation first without drugs. Medication has its place but a drug that blocks the sensation only masks the problem, not solving the issue. Address that the pain cycle can cause actual healing and will help gain strength to reduce the chances of injuries in the future.
- Exercise is not for early stages traumatic injury. Although exercise does help later in the healing process, at the early stage it will hinder your progress.
- Stages of soft tissue healing: Acute, Repair and Remodeling Phase.
Acute phase: Initial phase when injury occurs. Usually within the first 24-48 hours after injury.
Repair Phase: Inflammation and swelling subside from injury area and therapy can start to address problem area and stabilize once pain is decreased.
Remodeling Phase: Creating new postural and movement patterns with the guidance of therapy. This is essential to not only return to everyday life but to gain new movement patterns to decrease the chance of an injury in the future.
These four things to consider will not only benefit you to pace yourself during your recovery, but are also an excellent resource to share with others that may feel they are not making enough progress quickly or need general knowledge about the steps to treating an injury.
It’s also important to remember that if you’ve suffered a traumatic back injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to financial compensation that can help pay for treatment and recovery costs. If you think your injury may qualify, contact a personal injury lawyer today.
Thanks to our friend and co-contributor, Dr. Brian Paris of Advanced Spine & Wellness Center for is insight into traumatic back injuries.