A spinal injury can be life-changing and debilitating. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal injury, you might wonder what you can do to regain mobility and reduce pain. The impact of this type of injury often lasts long after the initial trauma. Whether you have suffered from a car accident, motorcycle accident, or a different kind of injury, you need to be sure to get treatment in Naples from a spinal injury doctor.
Fortunately, there are treatments available to help reduce pain and improve mobility. Our Naples spine injury treatment doctors can offer care and treatment options that range from chiropractic care, to physical therapy, to surgery to help patients recover from their injuries.
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Causes of Spine Injuries
Spinal injuries are a serious problem that can cause significant disability or death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 250,000 and 500,000 people are diagnosed with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) every year. Most of these injuries result from preventable causes, such as slip and fall accidents and car crashes caused by negligent driving.
Types of Spine Injuries
There are two main types of spinal injuries:
Complete Spinal Injury
A complete spinal injury is a break in the spinal cord that causes permanent, irreversible damage to the nerves that control all or some of your muscles and other body functions. Since there is no nerve function below the point of injury, you lose all feeling and movement below that level.
Incomplete Spinal Injury
Also known as incomplete paralysis, an incomplete spinal injury occurs when the injury damages the nerves controlling one side or part of the body. Your degree of paralysis depends on how much nerve damage there is and where it occurred along your spine – the more extensive the injury, the greater the risk for complications.
The two types of spinal injuries usually manifest in different ways. Some of the ways include:
Herniated Discs
A herniated disc occurs when there is damage to a disc’s outer layer, which causes it to bulge outwards into the spinal canal. This results in pressure on nearby nerves, which can cause pain and numbness in the arms and legs.
Spinal Stenosis
If you have spinal stenosis, there is too much space between two vertebrae (bones) in your spine, or one vertebra has moved forward compared with another vertebra next to it. This can cause pressure on nerves leading from your brain down through your neck and upper back, resulting in pain and numbness throughout your body.
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra slips forward over another vertebra. It may cause pain and irritation of the nerves that exit through this area and weakness in muscles on one side of your body, or loss of balance or coordination (ataxia).
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine that typically occurs during adolescence but may not be noticeable until adulthood. Scoliosis can be mild, moderate, or severe and may only affect one side of the spine or both sides symmetrically (bilateral).
Fractured Spine
Fractured spines occur when there is a break in one or more vertebrae due to trauma or wear and tear over time. The treatment method depends on the severity of the fracture and the damage to the surrounding nerves and ligaments.
Effects of Spinal Cord Injury on the Body
A spinal cord injury can occur anywhere along the spinal column from the base of the skull to the top of the buttocks and can cause paralysis or other disabilities. The effects of a spinal cord injury depend on the severity of the damage, but they can include:
- Inability to move or feel parts of your body
- Difficulty controlling bowel movements or bladder function
- Sexual dysfunction and infertility
- Loss of feeling in limbs, especially below the level of injury
- Loss of bowel and bladder control
- Reduced body balance
- Increased risk for infections and other complications from immobility
- Reduced metabolism
- Abnormal breathing rate
Naples Spine Injury Treatment Options
At Naples Community Injury Center, our goal is to get you back on your feet and live life to the fullest. We offer a variety of effective treatments to help you with your pain, such as:
Chiropractic Adjustments
Chiropractic adjustments employ gentle force to manipulate the spine and reduce pressure on nerves and joints. This helps restore mobility and improve circulation in the affected area.
Pain Management
Spine injuries can be excruciating. We will work with your doctor to manage the pain. We provide a variety of medications and non-pharmacological techniques to treat your pain.
Physical Therapy
Our physical therapists will work with you to help you regain strength, mobility, and function following your accident or injury. Some of the types of physiotherapy treatments we offer at Naples Community Injury Center include:
- Massage therapy, which can help increase flexibility, loosen tight muscles, and relieve pressure on your nerves. Massages are also known to reduce stress, which can often cause injuries to worsen.
- Resistance training, which helps reduce back pain and build muscle. Your therapist can even recommend exercises you can perform at home without pushing you too far.
- Electrical stimulation (ES) uses electrodes to help with injury treatment. Your doctor will place gentle magnetic fields near the site of your injury, which can help reduce pain.
- Spinal manipulation, during which your physiotherapist will use their hands or a machine to gently force your spine into the correct position.
- Muscle energy techniques (MET), which help patients maintain mobile joints and loosen tight muscles.
Your doctor may recommend any combination of these techniques, depending on the type of spinal injury you’re suffering from.
Rehabilitation
The goal of rehabilitation is to restore function after an injury or surgery. Our team will work with you on exercises designed specifically for your condition to improve your strength, flexibility, and balance.
Neurology
Our neurologists are experts in diagnosing and treating disorders of the nerves and spinal cord.
Personal Injury Care
Our specialists provide individualized care to each patient according to their needs. We also work with all major insurance companies, so you don’t have to worry about paying out-of-pocket for your treatment.
What to Do After a Spine Injury
If you are suffering from back pain, you should see a doctor immediately. Your doctor will perform an examination and then order tests to determine the severity of your injury. Then, your doctor will give you a prognosis for recovery time, and what kind of treatment options may be available to you.
Secondly, if you suffered a serious spinal cord injury due to someone’s negligence, it’s important to sue for damages. Seek help from a personal injury attorney to help build your case against the responsible parties. Our medical documentation may serve a great purpose when providing evidence for medical costs and treatment plans.
Preparing for Your Appointment at Naples Community Injury Center
When you make an appointment for treatment from our physical therapists and chiropractors, we do everything we can to make you feel as comfortable as possible. We will listen to you explain your symptoms, assess your condition, and create a treatment plan specific to you and your needs. Our team wants you to feel free to ask us questions and discuss how your condition is affecting your daily activities.
During your first appointment, you can expect:
- To discuss your medical condition. You’ll want to be ready to talk about your injury, including the symptoms you’re experiencing and the length of time you’ve noticed them.
- To review your medical history. Your doctor will need to know about any medications you take, allergies you have, surgeries you’ve undergone, and any other medical conditions you were diagnosed with. We may even conduct a physical examination so we understand the full picture of your health.
- To create your treatment plan. Once our doctors understand your spine injury, we will create a plan to help you feel better. We will explain each of the treatments we recommend, demonstrating stretches and exercises we might have you perform. Our team can also work with you to find an ideal schedule for your appointments.
Before you visit us, make sure you stay hydrated, eat a snack or light meal, and wear comfortable clothing. Depending on your condition, our chiropractic team may begin treatment during your first appointment, so we will want you to be prepared to move around during physical therapy techniques or spinal adjustments.
Start the Healing Process and Get Treatment for Your Spine Injury by Calling Us Today
If you have been injured or have sustained a spine injury in Naples, our medical professionals at Naples Community Injury Center can help you. Our multidisciplinary team will provide complete care in a healing environment to enhance injury and pain relief. Contact us today and set up an appointment to discuss your spine injury case.
