Spinal cord injuries may happen at any time, and every patient with a spinal cord injury must be prepared for a lifetime of recovery. Some patients will not be able to walk again, others will experience pain from the injury and a lucky few will fully recover. This article explores how spinal cord injuries happen, how they are treated and how you may move on with your life.
1. Car Accidents
Car accidents can easily cause spinal cord injuries, and you must be aware of any discomfort in your body after an accident. Your injury may be relatively minor compared to other, but intense pain in your back could be due to a spinal cord contusion. Passengers or drivers who are rendered unable to move must be taken to a hospital for treatment immediately. The spinal cord cannot be repaired after it is snapped, but any other injury can be treated in one way or another.
2. Paralysis
Patients who are paralyzed by a spinal cord injury must move on with their lives as quickly as possible. There are adaptive services that will help patients go on with their jobs, pursue their passions and live a full life. A patient may be confined to a wheelchair, but that patient can go on to do great things. Quick treatment will help patients get back to a normal schedule as quickly as possible.
3. Intense Pain
Intense pain caused by a spinal cord injury must be treated by a doctor immediately. You may not be paralyzed today, but your injury could deteriorate over time. Discs in your back could damage your spinal cord more, and broken vertebrae could sever your spinal cord. You must ask your doctor about a course of treatment that will keep you out of danger.
4. Surgeries
Surgeries to repair your back or spinal cord will cause you quite a bit of discomfort, but the repairs to your back will help you remain healthy for the rest of your life. One surgery may help you repair a small spinal cord injury, but several surgeries may be required to help you get back to normal. Spinal cord injuries are just as complex as brain injuries, and your doctor may prescribe a course of treatment that takes some time to complete.
5. Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a requirement for any spinal cord injury patient, and you must commit to your physical therapy after your treatment. Physical therapy requires you to complete several different exercises that will help build strength in your body again. The muscles in your back will help you recover after your spinal cord injury, and a physical therapist will help you develop muscles in your back. You may move on to a workout routine that involves work in the gym once you are strong enough.
6. A Total Lifestyle Change
Your spinal cord injury will cause you to make a total lifestyle change once you have recovered. Your focus on recovery will cause you to get in better shape, change your diet and be more careful with your health. Your doctor and physical therapist will help prescribe a new lifestyle that will help you life comfortably after your spinal cord injury. Even patients who are paralyzed will have a new lifestyle that will keep them healthy and free of infection.
Your spinal cord injury is not the end of your life, and you must work with a doctor who will help you create a new lifestyle that will promote recovery. Your treatments will vary, but you must follow the advice of your doctor to make a full recovery.
Steve Roberts founded the Law Office of Steve Roberts, LLC. By sticking to his principles of protecting the rights of people injured due to another, provide honest hard work, maximizing client recovery, and that clients always come first, he has developed a strong relationsip with the Colorado Community. If you have been injured, check out Colorado Roberts Law to speak to an attorney today.
