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Back or Neck Injury: What to Do?

By: Richard A. Convery What protocol should I follow if I suspect I've hurt or done some damage to my back or neck? In other words, what should I do, and what shouldn't I do when I have hurt my back or neck? These are questions that have been asked of me so many times over the years, and if answered correctly, the responses play a major role in the likelihood of a speedy recovery. As a consequence of any sudden traumatic episode, whether it be an injury like a fall, an impact injury, a compression incident that affects the spine, or for pretty much any other episode that has persuaded you to suspect a trauma has occurred, there are two matters that should be considered urgently.
The first of these matters is the high likelihood the spine has been compressed as a consequence of the episode, due either to the weight-bearing effect of the episode causing a vertical compression of the spinal column, or the muscles have contracted into a protective spasm shortening their fibres across segments of the spine. This is commonplace and often results in prolonged spinal compression if not addressed within a short-to-medium timeframe directly after the episode. It is worthy of note though that with appropriate action this is generally reversible, however failure to do so can, and usually does, result in degenerative and painful consequences. Both of these factors can and generally do occur simultaneously.
The second matter involves the distinct possibility that the traumatic episode has produced a response by the body in the region causing the soft tissue and/or the vertebral column to become inflamed. Additionally in this scenario, the body often dumps fluid into the affected region to immobilise the region. Urgency in dealing with inflammation, and fluid, should be seen as a priority because the quicker the inflammation is controlled, the sooner the process of rehabilitation can begin. It is widely agreed that the presence of inflammation and/or fluid must be addressed as the first priority before any other strategies toward recovery are implemented. To ignore this phase will generally delay the prospects of genuine progress, and in truth, will probably prolong the suffering significantly.
Let's look at the first matter, that of possible [and very often probable] spinal compression. When handled in an appropriate manner, the inflammatory phase can be avoided completely, or in the very least, can be minimised significantly by simply de-compressing the spine as soon after the episode as possible. In fact, as a general rule, the sooner the better. The way this is done is crucial to recovery, and must be done before the spinal compression has had time to have a degenerative effect. In other words, before the compression creates a traumatic and inflammatory reaction within the spinal column and its surrounding soft tissue. In the vast majority of cases, this process does not entail medical supervision or specialised equipment, provided the compression hasn't been sufficient to destroy the integrity of the spinal column itself, or its individual components. Often it is the failure to reverse the effects of prolonged compression that results in degeneration, and is not the initial compression episode.
The means of achieving spinal de-compression is a critical one, and for convenience and practicality, this should be done utilising the person's own body weight, and done in accordance with a proven de-compression strategy. This strategy must embrace the 3 essential elements of rehabilitation; 1) restoration of body symmetry, 2) restoration of the spine's three movement functions, and 3) restoration of specific spinal support strength. This final issue is one that can be lost rapidly after a trauma by virtue of muscles beginning to atrophy within days of the episode. The means of de-compression should be performed in a non-weight bearing environment with the spine horizontal, or with the spine vertical but in a buoyant medium such as water, provided the water is kept moderately below body temperature.
The second matter, as stated above, relates to the likelihood of inflammation being present, a response which often occurs after the sorts of traumas detailed above occur and when spinal de-compression has not been effectively performed quickly enough after the trauma. This matter cannot be overstressed, and should be considered as a matter of absolute urgency as soon as possible after the episode has occurred. Even as a precautionary measure, if sufficient trauma has occurred, a protocol that suspects inflammation should be followed.
Immediately after the essential de-compression of the spine, and ideally prior to the body cooling down after the trauma has occurred, it is wise to follow the I.C.E. protocol. The I.C.E. acronym affords a prudent and effective way to combat the effects of inflammation and fluid. 'I' standing for ice, which is a naturally occurring analgesic and a safe way to reduce and minimise inflammation. The 'C' stands for compression and is an efficient means of reducing fluid, and the 'E' stands for elevation, a useful method to assist in draining fluid to be eliminated from the body
As soon after the presence of inflammation and fluid has been eliminated, an effective strategy to achieve de-compression and restoration of the three spinal movement functions should be initiated. The former mind-set of 'bed rest and the problem will heal itself' is about on par and as effective as expecting a magic pill to make you better. Bed rest, particularly bed rest with a de-compressed spine and atrophying muscle fibres is tantamount to a painful failure, and the sooner a person is able to address both these issues, albeit within a respectful consideration of possible inflammation and the presence of fluid, the better positioned the person is to make a complete and rapid recovery from the perils of back and neck pain.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Richard A. Convery is an expert on neck and back pain relief. Over many years he has been helping many thousands of people to alleviate their pain; shoulder neck, upper back pain and back pain lower back you can visit his back pain site at lower back pain exercise to learn more.

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