Physical therapy for car accident victims suffering spinal cord injury.
Damage to the spine after a car accident is a serious medical emergency that needs to be treated immediately. Treating spinal cord injuries in time can affect the patients recovery. Motor vehicle accidents whether your the driver or passenger can seriously injure the spine.
Cortisone, hydrocortisone and prednisone, are used to reduce and control swelling that can damage the spinal cord. The objective is to remove or reduce the swelling before spinal nerves are completely destroyed, causing paralysis.
Spinal decompression surgery is sometimes needed to:
- Remove fluid or tissue that presses on the spinal cord.
- Removal of bone fragments after an injury in a car accident.
- Fuse broken spinal bones or place spinal braces
Rest may be needed to allow the bones of the spine to heal.
Spinal traction administered by a board certified spinal specialist, may be recommended. This type of treatment helps keep the spine from moving.
Hope After Spinal Cord Injury 1-800-949-6100
It is recommended that an accident victim consult with a physical therapists who can provide treatment options for muscle spasms related to car accident injuries. Once a patient has undergone treatment for a spine related injury physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitation therapies will be the next step to recovery.
Rehabilitation helps patients cope with the pain associated with their spinal cord injury.
- Exercise
- Physical therapy
- Ultrasound therapy
- Trigger point injections
- Manual adjustments
- EMS
- Therapeutic exercises
- Massage therapy
- And many more…
Recovering quadriplegic:determination and physical therapy gives hope.
A 28-year-old man is told he’ll never walk again after a tragic car accident, but with the right physical therapy and determination he proves some doctors wrong.
Vince Rutley pulled over on the highway to help his brother who was having car trouble, when he was hit by a truck.
Recounting his story, Vince says he was tossed around inside his vehicle and his head was busted open and neck had snapped causing damage to his body. Doctors told him he would never move his arms, sit up or walk again.
But against all odds, Vince is beginning to recover, just a month after the accident.
2 years later, Vince continues to surpass everyone’s expectations as he makes a greater recovery. He’s using his arms and gaining control of his wrists.
It’s important that patients suffering spinal cord injury remember that no case is the same. Everybody grows back at different levels; everybody gains function at a different levels. Physical therapy and determination shows that nothing is impossible and there’s hope for recovery.
It may take three weeks, 6 months,or years to recover fully from a traumatic car accident that has damaged a patients spine. However, there have been many stories of patients who have stood up and walked out thanks to the assistance of a physical therapist.
A few words of wisdom for those recovering from an injury to the spine: “Have a strong heart, and a positive attitude, and good things will happen”.
