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What Helps Herniated Discs Heal Faster?

Herniated discs are a common source of back pain, but many people don’t know how to treat them and find relief. Fortunately, some treatments have been proven to help heal herniated discs faster. The two main treatments are chiropractic treatment and physical therapy, which can both provide beneficial results for those suffering from a herniated disc.

In this article, our team at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel explores how to help herniated discs heal faster. We’ll discuss the causes of herniated disc pain, potential treatments, and lifestyle adjustments that may speed up the healing process.

What are Herniated Discs?

If you are experiencing an achy or sharp radiating pain in your shoulder, arm, buttock, or leg, you may have a bulging or herniated disc in your neck or back.

These discs act as cushions between each of the vertebrae that make up your spine, and when they are inflamed, they can cause debilitating pain.

What Causes Herniated Discs?

Herniated discs are caused by several things, but they are most commonly caused by wear and tear and accidents.

Other causes include:

• Lifting something heavy or putting too much strain on your back
• Poor posture which puts unnecessary stress on the spine

Treating Herniated Discs

Herniated discs can be incredibly painful and limit your mobility. However, there are several treatment options available that can help relieve your symptoms and provide you with much-needed relief.

The right kind of herniated disc treatment ultimately depends on the severity of your condition and the location of your affected spinal discs.

Inflammation Relief

For mild forms of herniated disc pain, the best way to decrease pain is to relieve the inflammation around the disc.

Try applying a heating pad or ice pack to the affected area for 10-15 minutes twice a day or try lying on your stomach with one or two pillows under your hips.

If the pain persists, it is important to consult with a trained physical therapist for a thorough evaluation.

See a Physical Therapist

Your physical therapist will train you to perform special exercises and stretches to help relieve the pressure and pain in the spine.

As the muscles around the spine become stronger, the pressure on the disc should be relieved, allowing for pain relief.

Here, we take a closer look at physical therapy treatments:

Passive Physical Therapy Treatments

Your physical therapist may use the following passive treatments to relieve the pain of your herniated disc:

• Deep Tissue Manual: This kind of manual is ideal for herniated discs as it uses a good amount of pressure to relieve the deep muscle tension and spasms associated with herniated discs.

• Hot & Cold Therapy: Both therapies offer their own set of benefits, and your therapist may alternate between them to get the best results. Heat increases the blood flow, while cold therapy slows circulation.

• Hydrotherapy: This can be as simple as sitting in a whirlpool bath or warm shower. It gently relieves pain and relaxes the muscles in the entire body.

• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): These machines use an electrical current to stimulate your muscles. Don’t worry, it isn’t as intense as it sounds! TENS triggers the release of endorphins, which are considered your body’s natural painkillers.

• Traction: Traction reduces the effect of gravity on the spine and gently pulls apart your bones to reduce disc herniation. It can be performed in the lumbar or cervical spine.

Active Physical Therapy Treatments

Active physical therapy can address posture, strength, core stability, and joint movement. Your therapist may prescribe an exercise program to achieve optimal results.

This may include:

• Core Stability Training: You may not realize the important role that a strong core plays in your spinal health. A strong core helps your back muscles support your spine. When your core is weak, extra pressure will be put on your back muscles. Your physical therapist may teach you different exercises to help strengthen your back.

• Flexibility Training: Learning how to properly stretch will prepare you for aerobic design and strength exercises.

• Hydrotherapy: Like hydrotherapy is used for passive treatments, active hydrotherapy uses water for pain relief. In this case, it may involve water aerobics to help condition your body.

• Muscle Strengthening: Building strong muscles is crucial to properly support your spine and better handle pain.

Chiropractic Care for Herniated Discs

Further, chiropractic care can be a great modality when used in conjunction with the above physical therapy techniques.

Some methods a chiropractor might use include:

Flexion-Distraction Technique

These spinal adjustments aim to reduce the pressure on your discs. It involves a specialized table, which allows for easier access to your spine. Your chiropractor will lightly apply force to the affected area with a pumping rhythm.

This is a gentle and pain-free procedure, making it a beneficial option for patients who are suffering from severe pain.

Pelvic Blocking Treatments

This method uses specially crafted cushioned wedges. During treatment, your chiropractor will put the wedges under both sides of your pelvis. By doing so, they will draw your herniated discs away from the affected nerve.

Unlock Relief from Herniated Discs

When it comes to treating herniated disc pain, Impact Medical Wesley Chapel provides a range of options. Whether you are looking for physical therapy or chiropractic care, our team of experienced medical professionals can help you find the treatment plan that suits your needs.

We strive to provide patients with the highest quality care and ensure their comfort and well-being throughout their treatment journey.

Contact our team at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel to schedule a consultation today at (813) 953-1002!

Epidural vs. Traditional Cortisone Injections for Accident Pain Compared

Lingering pain from a car accident can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Luckily, there are non-surgical solutions that can alleviate accident-related pain, including back, leg, or other pain in the body. Epidural steroid injections and cortisone shots are simple outpatient procedures that provide immediate pain relief, helping you take your life back after a car accident. Read on for a comparison of these two effective treatment methods.

What Is an Epidural Steroid Injection?

An epidural steroid injection is a pain-relieving procedure that involves injecting anesthesia and a steroid medication into the epidural space—the outermost layer covering the spinal cord. This space contains spinal nerve roots, which can be twisted, crushed, or otherwise damaged during a car accident.

Often, it’s difficult to discover the nerve root that’s causing pain. During an epidural steroid injection, your doctor will use an x-ray and special dye to guide the needle into the epidural space that’s closest to your specific area of pain. A steroid is injected into the epidural space, providing lasting relief by targeting the pain at its source. Epidural steroid injections are used for painful conditions that affect the neck and back, including:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Herniated discs
• Pinched nerves
• Spinal stenosis

What Is a Steroid (Cortisone) Injection?

A cortisone injection is much different than an epidural steroid injection. The doctor injects the steroid directly into the bloodstream at the injury site, or the site of inflammation. Cortisone works as an anti-inflammatory medication, rather than a pain medication. As the medicine shuts down collagen-producing cells, it suppresses inflammation while decompressing and calming nerves. In short, a cortisone injection can indirectly alleviate pain, including car accident-related pain.

Cortisone injections provide short-term pain relief from a range of painful conditions, from arthritis to tendinitis. They’re commonly used to relieve pain in the ankle, elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, and wrist joints.

Are Epidural Steroid Injections or Cortisone Injections More Effective for Treating Accident Pain?

There are benefits to both epidural steroid injections and cortisone injections, and they both provide short-term pain relief. If you’re suffering from pain and you or your doctor are finding it hard to find the source, an epidural steroid injection is likely the preferred choice. It allows doctors to target the approximate source of your pain. You may feel pain for a day or two as the anesthesia wears off. As the steroid begins taking effect, you can experience pain relief for as long as several weeks.

While neither epidural steroid injections nor cortisone injections heal the underlying cause of your pain, they reduce your symptoms. Many patients find that these injections provide enough pain relief to help them move forward with their rehabilitation program, an important step to full recovery.

Accident-Related Pain Relief Is Just a Phone Call Away

Suffering from chronic pain due to an accident? The medical team at Impact Medical Group of Brandon is standing by to help! Using the latest technology and techniques, we’ll determine the source of your pain and provide appropriate treatment methods that provide meaningful pain relief. Call us today at (813) 522-8885 to schedule your free consultation.

4 Reasons to Take Child Auto Accident Injuries Seriously

Car accidents are frightening and life-threatening, especially if a child is a passenger in the vehicle. Children can suffer catastrophic car accident injuries that can affect them for life, which is why you should always seek medical attention after a collision—even if no one involved is experiencing any negative symptoms. Here are the top four reasons you should take auto accident injuries seriously, and what you should do if your child has been involved in a collision.

1. Head Injuries Can Cause Long-Term Problems

Cerebrum injuries like traumatic brain injury occur most frequently in children who are involved in motor vehicle accidents. Kids under 12 months are most likely to suffer concussions and unconsciousness, while kids in the 1-year-old to 7-year-old age group are at a high risk of skull base fractures. As you might expect, head injuries can have a devastating impact on a young child’s developing brain, so a checkup from a doctor immediately after a car accident is critical.

2. Internal Organ Damage Is the Second Most Common Car Accident Injury in Children

Children suffer from abdominal injuries from car accidents more often than adults do, particularly trauma to the small and large intestines. This is the second most common type of injury children aged 4-7 years suffer from as the result of a collision. Infants and toddlers often fare even worse, with liver and spleen damage taking the top spot as the most common abdominal injury for children between one and three.

3. Pain Can Be Difficult to Diagnose and Treat

It’s often challenging for infants and young children to accurately express the pain they’re feeling or understand whether they’ve been hurt in the first place. While the symptoms of some medical emergencies may be apparent, others aren’t. You should have your child examined by a physician as soon as possible after a collision, to determine whether there are any underlying issues that could currently be causing pain or could cause pain or disability in the future if not addressed.

4. Children Often Suffer From Serious Mental Trauma Following a Car Accident

Car accidents can cause significant mental trauma for adults and kids alike, even if they don’t cause injury. Collisions are terrifying, and they can leave a child severely traumatized. Many children experience moderate to severe psychological distress even months after a car accident, so it’s important to monitor your child’s mental well-being and seek advice from a trusted medical professional, when applicable.

Seek Medical Attention After an Accident—Even a Minor One

If you or your child has been in a car accident—even a seemingly minor one—seek medical advice immediately. In many cases, pain and symptoms of injury may not present themselves until days or weeks after an accident, and early intervention can improve health outcomes for adults and kids alike. The caring medical team at Impact Medical Group of Sarasota is ready to diagnose and treat car accident-related injuries you or your child may be experiencing. Call us today at (941) 222-1157 to schedule your free consultation.

Stages of Soft Tissue Healing After an Accident

If you’ve suffered a recent muscle, ligament, or tendon injury, you’re likely wondering when you’ll feel back to normal and fully recovered. Most people expect to fully recover within a few weeks of injury, but the body often takes much longer to complete the full tissue healing process.

Soft tissue injuries like a sprained ankle, twisted knee, or torn muscle trigger the body’s tissue healing process. Here’s an introduction to the four main stages of soft tissue healing, so you know what to expect as you heal from your injury.

Phase 1: Bleeding

Depending on the extent and type of your injury, you may experience bleeding. Muscles tend to bleed longer since they have very good blood supplies, so muscle injuries often result in a larger bruise. Ligament injuries bleed much less since they don’t have as good of a blood supply.

Bleeding usually stops between four to 6 hours after injury. It’s critical to rest during this period, so the bleeding can stop. 

Phase 2: Inflammation

The inflammation phase begins within one to two hours after injury and peaks around one to three days later. Generally, the inflammation stage lasts for a couple of weeks. During this phase, you may notice swelling and warmth around your injury. Don’t panic—this is a normal part of the healing process, triggering the next stage of tissue healing.

To help your body recover as quickly as possible, make sure to elevate the injured area when you’re resting. You can also ice the area to reduce the pain and swelling. Make sure you’re keeping the injured area moving within a comfortable range to maintain strength and flexibility which also aids in the healing process.

Phase 3: Proliferation

The proliferation stage of soft tissue healing starts within 24 to 48 hours after injury, then peaking around two to three weeks later. During this stage, your body starts repairing the injury by creating scar tissue. You’ll still experience symptoms as the healing process is in full effect. At this stage, you should exercise the area, but don’t try to push through the pain. Slowly build strength and flexibility, making sure not to overload the newly-formed scar tissue.

Phase 4: Remodeling

New scar tissue needs to be trained to behave like the structure it replaced. Around three weeks after injury, the body naturally remodels the scar tissue to mimic the function of the original tissue in a process that can take up to two years. Many people find success in their healing by following a targeted rehab program prescribed by a physical therapist.

Get the Care You Need to Fully Heal From a Soft Tissue Injury

Often, the full process of healing a soft tissue injury takes longer than most people expect. If you’re not completely back to normal even weeks after an injury, don’t panic—the physical therapy team at Impact Medical Group of St. Petersburg can help. We’ll create a customized treatment plan that meets your stage of healing, so you can get closer to full recovery. Call us today at (727) 722-8103 to schedule your free consultation!