There are many things that can cause a spinal cord injury like car accidents, sports, falling, or slipping. After this type of injury, connections between the spinal cord and brain are inhibited and messages that tell body parts what to do malfunction or no longer work. A person now experiences decreased mobility, chronic pain, partial or complete paralysis, and stiffness. Someone with a spinal cord injury faces an extensive and often painful treatment involving pain management, physical therapy, and surgery if required.
Spinal cord injury symptoms may involve no longer being able to control your bowels or bladder, back pain, difficulty walking, and numbness in the extremities. The extent of your injury is determined with the use of MRI’s, CAT scans, neurological evaluation’s, and X-rays. A neurological exam is done to assess sensitivity to stimuli and the strength of your muscles, which also can help determine where your spinal cord injury is located.
First, chiropractors in San Diego will have you begin a treatment of corticosteroids to decrease inflammation and relieve pressure to reduce the risk of further damage. To help heal bones you may be put on bed rest for a period of time. Back pain can be reduced by a treatment know as spinal decompression. This is a safe non-surgical procedure that can be done in your chiropractors office. A gentle stretching of the spine is done using motorized traction. The traction helps to release pressure on your spinal cord due to pinched nerves, which in turn reduces pain. The aim of this procedure is to cause a suction, which attempts to reduce the severity of bulging or herniated discs lessening back pain and pressure. Surgical types of spinal decompression can also be done if the non-invasive kind does not provide enough relief and pain reduction. Surgery is preformed to increase the space through which spinal column nerves travel.
If you suspect that you have a spinal cord injury, a consultation with chiropractors in San Diego is a must. Treatment is imperative so the severity of this injury does not become worse, and the chiropractor can decide which treatment is best for your type of injury.
