Herniated Disc Treatment After a Car Accident
Car accidents can often cause immense stress on the spine, which may result in serious disc injuries. Discs are complex pieces of biological engineering. They are not simply pieces of cartilage that go in between your vertebrae. They are soft cushions that make it possible for you to comfortably move your neck and back. When a portion of the disc shifts out of place, this places pressure on the nerve causing serious pain.
Types of disc injuries include:
- Herniated disc
- Ruptured disc
- Slipped disc
- Bulging disc
At Car Wreck Doctor, we specialize in treating car accident injuries. To learn more about how a car accident doctor can help with herniated disc treatment, contact us today.
Symptoms of Disc Injuries
Symptoms of disc injuries will vary, depending on which part of the spine is affected, and whether the spinal nerves are damaged or compressed. Common symptoms include:
- Arm or leg pain (especially on one side of the body). If you’ve herniated a disc in your lower back, you will experience pain in your legs, thighs, or groin. If you’ve injured a disc in your neck or upper back, you will experience pain in your arms or shoulders.
- Numbness or tingling in these extremities is also common. This happens when the bulging disc exerts pressure on the nerve. The result is a loss of feeling, tingling, or weakness in the legs or the arms.
- Weakness in the muscles that are linked to the nerve is also common. In extreme cases, it may impair your walking or make it difficult to lift or hold items.
Herniated Disc Treatment After a Car Accident
The first part of treatment is aimed at determining the extent of the damage. This includes testing your muscle strength, reflexes, range of motion, and range of feeling. Usually, this is the extent of the diagnostic process. However, you might require x-rays or other imaging tests to determine what nerves are involved or to rule out other back problems. In some cases, your doctor will test the conductivity of your nerve to see if signals are getting through properly.
Treatment may involve therapeutic remedies to control the pain. These include over-the-counter NSAIDs, cortisone shots, anticonvulsants, and narcotics. Additionally, those with herniated discs may experience painful muscle spasms. In that case, muscle relaxants may be necessary.
If the pain is not resolved after a few weeks, your doctor may order physical therapy. In this case, routine exercise may control some of the pain and encourage the healing process.
As a last resort, the doctor will recommend surgery. In cases where the pain gets worse or doesn’t go away after six weeks or more or you experience extreme symptoms such as the inability to walk, loss of bladder control, or chronic numbness and weakness a surgeon can remove the disc and prevent it from putting pressure on the nerve. Depending on the location of the disc, the vertebrae can be fused. This will reduce your range of motion, but it will eliminate your pain.
A Car Wreck Doctor Can Help You Recover From Your Disc Injury
If you suffered injuries in an accident, it’s important to get medical attention as early as possible in order to avoid long-term issues. To learn more about disc injuries and herniated disc treatment, contact Car Wreck Doctor today.