It was a rough winter this year. Lots more people ended up slipping and falling on patches of ice they did not expect to slip and fall on, and they fell much later in the winter/spring season than expected. If you were one of the unfortunate ones who slipped and fell on late season ice, cracked some vertebrae, and bruised your back, you should see a chiropractor right away. Here is what he/she will suggest as far as treatment and massage therapy are concerned.
You Cracked a Vertebra!
Your chiropractor will see in the x-rays he/she takes of your back that the area of your back that hit the concrete has some hairline fractures. These will take weeks to heal, and you cannot pick up anything over five to ten pounds while you heal. As for any pain you feel, massage therapy can help, but it has to be done a certain way.
Careful Massage Therapy
The massage therapist who works with or for your chiropractor will initially work around the bruised area in your back. Once this area has healed, the therapist will slowly and carefully begin to massage around the cracked bone(s) in your back. Since massages are never to be done right on top of the bones in your back (ribs and shoulder bones are okay), you do not have to worry about the massage therapist re-injuring you or slowing down the healing process.
The massages will also help your back bones and soft tissues heal faster and feel less painful. Touch causes the body to release pleasure endorphins that are natural painkillers. Massage also increases circulation to the wounded area, speeding healing. Your chiropractor will monitor the healing process via additional x-rays.
More X-Rays Six to Eight Weeks Later
Most bones in the human body require six to eight weeks to heal. Some, like your femurs (thigh bones) require more time because of their thickness and size. The vertebrae in your back are small and need less time to heal. Your chiropractor will take new x-rays of your back at this point in time in your treatment. If the bones have sufficiently healed, he/she can begin to treat alignment issues that were the result of your fall.
Realigning Your Back
Now, after the massage therapy, the healing time, the x-rays, and everything else, your chiropractor can begin adjustments. Hopefully, your fall did not twist your spine out of whack. A few weeks to a couple of months and you should be your old self again.
Share15 May 2018
Hi there, my name is Georgette Limerick. I am excited to share my knowledge about chiropractic procedures with you today. I was a softball player through middle school, high school and college. I often stood on the pitcher's mound and lobbed the ball over the plate. The constant movement of my shoulder pulled the ligaments and joint out of alignment. Eventually, I developed an immense amount of pain throughout my neck, back and shoulder. The pain even shot down my arm to my fingertips, making it difficult to work at an acceptable pace. I visited a chiropractor several times to see if some precise adjustments would help. After the third visit, I was convinced the procedures healed me. My site will explore the benefits of chiropractic procedures in detail. Thanks for coming by.