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Common Knee Injuries & How We Treat Them

Your knees are extraordinary joints, offering both stability and flexibility as the largest joint in the body. But even the steadiest legs can buckle under certain conditions. Knee injuries are as common as they are painful, often stemming from sports, accidents, or underlying health issues. Here’s a breakdown of common knee injuries and the various treatment options that promise to restore your lower body’s powerhouse to full health.

The Anatomy of a Knee Injury

Before we can brace ourselves for the treatment, understanding how and why knee injuries occur is crucial. The knee joint comprises bones—the thigh bone, commonly known as the femur, the shin bone, or tibia, and the patella, or kneecap—which are supported by muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Injuries can involve any of these elements, leading to strains, sprains, or more significant damage like tears and fractures. Common culprits of knee injuries include:

Overextension in sports, such as football or basketball
Sudden twisting movements that the joint was unprepared for
Repetitive motions, common in careers or hobbies that put strain on knee structures

Injuries might manifest as immediate pain, swelling, or the inability to bear weight. This is your body’s way of signaling distress in a highly functional area, and prompt care is essential to prevent chronic issues.

Your Path to Recovery After a Knee Injury

When knee injuries sideline you, the road to recovery can feel like an uphill battle. But with the proper knowledge and care, it’s a summit worth climbing. Treatment regimens vary based on the type and severity of the injury, but a combination of rest, rehabilitation, and perhaps surgery can mend what’s broken.

First Steps Post-Injury:

The RICE Protocol: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation
Supportive bracing or devices to aid in immobilization
Over-the-counter pain medications for relief

Beyond the Basics:

Physical therapy aimed at strengthening and flexibility
Manual therapy to address secondary issues and enhance the healing process
Pain management approaches such as injections to alleviate symptoms

Surgical Solutions:

In severe cases, orthopedic surgery might be necessary to repair ligament or tendon damage
Post-surgical rehabilitation is critical for restoration of joint functionality

Holistic Care at Impact Medical Group of St. Petersburg

Understanding that your recovery is about more than just the knee, Impact Medical Group offers holistic care that looks at the entire picture. Our services go beyond treating the knee to address the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the patient, partnering with them through the various stages of rehabilitation. Our compassionate, holistic approach involves:

A team is comprised of specialists in multiple areas, ensuring a comprehensive treatment plan
Prioritizing open communication, so patients understand their condition and the steps toward recovery
Providing personalized care that suits each patient’s unique needs and lifestyle

Don’t journey through life with a knee injury dragging you down. Seek compassionate, holistic care at Impact Medical Group of St. Petersburg. Schedule your free medical evaluation by calling us at (727) 722-8103 and take the first step toward recovery.

How Do Chiropractors Treat Vertigo Caused By Whiplash?

In the aftermath of a car accident, the physical toll on your body can be a challenge to recover from. One of the most common injuries is whiplash injuries, and a symptom that comes along with whiplash is vertigo. This is a sudden sensation of spinning or dizziness that can leave you feeling disoriented and off-balance.

What you might not know is that chiropractic care can help treat whiplash and vertigo. Today, we’ll talk about how our chiropractors at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel treat these common accident injuries and ultimately bring balance to your body and mind.

What is Vertigo?

Vertigo is a common occurrence when patients are suffering from whiplash. Because it is caused by a misalignment in the neck, we call it cervical vertigo. These misalignments in the cervical spine affect the vestibular system, which leads to inflammation in the ear. This in turn causes the dizziness and balance problems that describe vertigo.

Let’s discuss a little deeper.

Vertigo occurs when small calcium crystals, also called otoliths, are dislodged in the inner ear and travel into the ear canals. These canals help the body maintain balance, and when the delicate balance of the inner ear is compromised, this leads to vertigo.

Symptoms of Vertigo

The symptoms of vertigo are very common to those in other whiplash-associated disorders.

These include:

Balance issues
Headache
Nausea
Neck Pain
Ringing in the ears
Blurred vision
Light-headedness

If you are experiencing any of these issues, we urge you to seek medical treatment as soon as possible for relief.

How Chiropractors Treat Vertigo

When a patient comes in with whiplash or vertigo, we first perform an examination to determine the cause. Then, we will work on fixing any subluxations or misalignments that have occurred.

Treatments we may use include:

#1. The Epley Maneuver

This is a common treatment that chiropractors perform to treat vertigo. It involves moving the head through different positions to help dislodge calcium crystals in the inner ear, which alleviates symptoms and restores balance.

The most fascinating thing about the Epley Maneuver is that it immediately offers relief. In just a few minutes, patients will be free of the relentless spinning sensation and nausea that are hallmarks of vertigo.

#2. Spinal Realignments

By correcting misalignments in the spine caused by sudden jolts or the impact of a car accident, chiropractic adjustments can help restore proper function and reduce pain associated with whiplash and vertigo

For these conditions, chiropractic treatment has many benefits including:

Promotes proper healing by addressing subluxations
Reduced inflammation which is crucial for recovery from whiplash and vertigo
Since we aim to address the root cause of pain, chiropractic care offers relief from back and neck pain without the need for pain medication

Plus, when it comes to vertigo, spinal adjustments can target specific areas of the spine that may be impinging nerves that are responsible for balance and spatial orientation. These adjustments can improve communication between the brain and body, potentially decreasing dizziness and disorientation often experienced with vertigo and whiplash.

Get Relief from Vertigo Today

Through gentle chiropractic adjustments tailored to each individual’s needs, our team at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel offers a holistic approach to alleviating both whiplash and vertigo by targeting the root cause of these conditions and promoting long-lasting relief.

Ready to say goodbye to the discomfort of vertigo? Schedule an appointment at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel for a chiropractic consultation today! Call (813) 953-1002 to get started!

If You’ve Been Hit On A Bicycle, Here’s Exactly What You Need To Do

The moments after a bicycle accident are often full of shock as adrenaline pumps through your body. In the hours that follow, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, especially if you have been injured.

Whether you are dealing with minor scrapes and bruises or more serious injuries, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Once you have been examined by a doctor at Impact Medical Zephyrhills, they may recommend that you begin physical therapy or chiropractic care depending on your injuries.

Let’s go over the steps you should take in the aftermath of your bike accident.

At the Scene of the Accident

If you are seriously injured, you may not be able to collect any evidence of what happened, but if you can, speak with any witnesses or bystanders who may have seen the driver and the vehicle that hit you.

Don’t assume that police officers will be able to identify witnesses, or find crucial evidence such as where you and your bike landed, and what damage was done during the accident. Having a witness take photos before anything is moved can be vital to understanding how the accident occurred.

Next Steps: Seek Medical Treatment

Whether you think you are seriously injured or not, it is imperative to seek medical treatment immediately after the crash and provide your doctor with any details and injuries that occurred.

While broken bones and sprains are obvious, symptoms of other injuries such as whiplash, concussions, and TBIs are often less overt.

Remember, the symptoms of concussion can manifest days after an accident, so don’t dismiss them.

Symptoms can include:

Dizziness
Light-headedness
Disorientation
Poor balance
Headaches
Memory problems
Changes in personality
Disrupted sleep patterns

Any of these symptoms should be examined by a medical provider.

Treatment for Accident Injuries

The treatment that you receive for your accident injuries after a bike accident will depend on the extent of your injuries.

If you are experiencing whiplash, we may recommend chiropractic or manual therapy to fix any misalignments in the spine and soothe sore neck muscles.

But if you have sprains, strains, or broken bones, your recovery might involve more extensive treatments such as pain management and physical therapy.

Rest & Recovery

No matter what kind of injury you sustained in your accident, the most important thing to focus on is rest and recovery. This means not overdoing it if you are hurt.

Of course, the first step is to treat minor scrapes and cuts with warm water, antibacterial cream, and band-aids.

Then we recommend practicing RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) for injured ligaments, tendons, and bones.

The most important thing is to rest the injured area.
Use ice packs if the affected area is swelling for 15-20 minutes and repeat every few hours.
Next, compress the injured limb with a brace or wrap to reduce mobility and decrease swelling.
Elevate the injured body part above the level of your heart, which will help reduce pain and swelling.

Your physical therapist or chiropractor may recommend gentle stretching and exercises as your body begins to heal, but it will ultimately depend on your pain level and the symptoms you are experiencing.

How Long Does it Take to Recover from a Biking Accident?

Of course, it is important to remember that everyone is different, and recovery time depends on the extent of the injuries your body is recovering from.

If you have a sprain or a broken bone, it can take a minimum of two months to heal. For other minor injuries, recovery could take weeks. Everyone recovers at a different pace, so do not put pressure on yourself to recover more quickly than your body has the energy to.

For the best recovery, we recommend increasing your water intake and eating a healthy diet. This can help your body heal more quickly.

Get Relief from Accident Pain

If you have been on the unfortunate receiving end of a bicycle accident, we know how overwhelming it can be. Don’t dismiss any pain or symptoms of injuries. Contact our accident-care clinic at Impact Medical Zephyrhills as soon as possible after your accident, and we will help you recover and get back to what you love.

Schedule an appointment today at (813) 706-5156!

How Common Are Traumatic Brain Injuries In Motorcycle Crashes?

If nothing can get between you, your bike, and the fresh Florida air, then you owe it to yourself to ride safely. While wearing a helmet and going the speed limit is a great start, you should also understand the consequences of bike-related accidents and how to handle them. Find out just how common traumatic brain injuries are in motorcycle crashes before visiting Impact Medical for effective accident treatment near you.

Every Florida Motorcycle Crash Statistic You Need To Know

It’s easy to have a carefree attitude when hopping on your trusty motorcycle and the freedom of open air is calling your name. But when the unfortunate strikes, you would have wished that you prepared yourself better. Take a look at this statistic, for instance:

According to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), roughly 8,000 motorcycle-related accidents happen in Florida a year.

With such a high number of motorcycle-related accidents occurring each year, there’s a good chance that you could be part of the thousands affected. Should you find yourself in this situation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claims that over 80% of motorcycle crashes result in injury or death.

Needless to say, there’s a high likelihood of sustaining an injury if you get into a motorcycle-related accident, and the most common injury for bikers involves the head.

How The Brain Is Susceptible To Ejection Injuries

Most motorcycle crashes lead to what’s considered an “ejection” injury, with the rider typically being thrown off of the vehicle with no belt system in place. Ejections often lead to head injuries because victims tend to land on the ground at great velocity, with their heads making contact with a hard surface.

The skull is made to protect the brain in most cases, but that’s usually not enough to prevent brain injuries in the event of a motorcycle accident. With a large enough impact, the brain can collide with the skull and show the same effects of being hit directly. The radical back-and-forth movement of the brain can also lead to a damaged nervous system.

“How can I tell if I have a traumatic brain injury?”

It’s rather common for a brain injury to result in swelling and possibly some bleeding. However, traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be identified by the following signs:

Confusion
Dizziness
Headaches
Loss of consciousness
Severe pain

If you suspect that you may have serious head trauma, it’s best to consult a medical professional immediately. TBIs can worsen after the original head trauma, so proactive care is the best move.

Can TBIs Be Treated? Yes, And We Can Help!

When faced with TBI, who do you turn to? Of course, you should always reach out to your local emergency responders in the event of an accident. But for treating symptoms of a head injury after the fact, you can find relief in chiropractic care.

Skilled chiropractors like the ones at Impact Medical are trained and experienced in treating common head injuries like whiplash, soft tissue damage, spinal misalignments, and more. Spinal adjustments are especially effective for treating concussion systems by targeting the nerves in your spine.

Learn more > What to Know About the Power of Chiropractic Care for Head Pain

The next time you take your bike out for a spin, be sure to wear a helmet as they can greatly reduce the risk of head injury. Drive carefully remembering the consequences of getting into a motorcycle accident, and know that Impact Medical specializes in post-accident care with treatments tailored to ejection injuries.

Think You Have A Brain Injury? Visit Impact Medical Today!

At Impact Medical, we treat traumatic brain injuries with profound knowledge, modern technology, and exceptional care. Contact your nearest location today to ask about our comprehensive TBI services:

Neurodiagnostic testing
Computerized eye-tracking analysis/video oculography
Neurocognitive assessment
Computerized posturography

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