The spine is the longest and most supporting bone in the human anatomical structure. Unintentional injury or disease to the spinal cord is one of the dreadful hustles to overcome. But the medical sciences have evolved with advanced treatments, and any Miami’s spine surgeon out there is ever-ready to support you. But before you rush to the treatments and surgeries, you should be well acquainted with the step-wise procedure to approach for the best.
Here are a few tracking stages which might help you detect the need for one.
Detecting Early Symptoms
Spinal problems can arise due to inherent issues or external injury. Before you approach the doctor, you can self-check to figure out the possible symptoms.
- Check For Shooting Pain: If you have met an accident, there are chances of bone fragment fractures, displacement of the ligaments and disc. You should go for further examination if you feel shooting and piercing pain in the lower back. Even if it isn’t the case of the external blow, wrong sitting postures or lifting heavy weights can distort the spine. Spinal pain can also crawl up to shoulder aches, vertigo symptoms, persistent migraine or frequent giddiness.
- Check For Posture Discomfort: If you aren’t able to walk and sit like the way before and the spine hurts in a stiff position, it can be due to extra bone growth or broken fragments.
- Check For Other Disfigurations: Swelling of the lower back, numbness of the pelvic region and stiff muscles or improper bladder movements with discomfort in urination can also be the symptoms of an affected spine. It is advised to consult a general physician if these symptoms exceed for a few days.
Going Through Tests
Approaching the doctor, you have to undergo certain examinations and tests to target the apt reason for the discomfort and further references. The doctors generally undergo a physical examination at first. Your posture is checked for inherent diseases like scoliosis or bone fragment distortion, with external features as abrasions and swelling.
Further, X-ray scans are generally preferred to oversee if the bone structure of the spinal cords. Advanced tests as MRI or CT scans are performed to get insights into the muscular and lymphatic arrangement. As we age, hormonal imbalance or ailments like osteoporosis can give rise to a weak spine. The doctors may also perform blood tests to examine the hormonal and nutritional levels.
3- Choosing The Favourable Treatment
Based on the test results, the doctors diagnose the source of the issue and suggest treatments. If the issue is in the preliminary stage, medical surgery might not be required. Physiotherapy and recreational exercises are best to help with.
Obesity or alcohol addictions are also leading reasons which can be controlled with an appropriate change in food and diet. The patients are provided with neck or waist belts to support their posture temporarily. They can also use lumbar cushions or back cushions to adjust their spine accordingly. Oral medication suffices the need.
If the tests display serious ailments requiring higher attention, the patients are referred to a qualified spine surgeon. Vertebroplasty to repair the compressed tissues and bones, discectomy to solve the herniated disc issues or spinal fusion joining the bone fragments are common advanced surgeries.
Some exceptional stages might also require implants or external rod installations. Spine surgeons have recently upgraded to minimally invasive laparoscopic methods, which are effective to approach, and quicker to heal.
Any mode of treatment, be it a recreational therapy or the surgical procedure through an expert surgeon, you comply with the rehabilitation procedures and take measures for better recovery.
It is highly necessary you notice the symptoms at the latest to avoid the issue peaking to its severity. Because, ultimately, the quicker you act, the less you suffer!
