Durable, Not Indestructible
While the spine is incredibly durable, it is prone to injury. Unfortunately, spinal injuries often come with a lot of debilitating pain and loss of flexibility in the body. Thankfully, there are a number of ways that you can protect your spine by watching out for these four common causes of spinal cord injury:
1. Overuse
Overuse is one of the most common causes of spinal cord injury found in athletes, people who work physically demanding jobs, and in people who aren’t properly prepared before engaging in exercise. The spine and its associated spinal cord can be damaged when bent too far or after a long period of repetitive motion. Likewise, a spinal injury may occur when too much weight has been placed on the spine. To avoid this type of spinal injury, pay attention to the signals your body is sending you while working out, participating in sports, or when exercising.
2. Vehicle Accidents
Vehicle accidents are another common cause of spinal cord injuries. Even small fender benders can lead to spinal injury, and many injured people will not begin to feel the full effects of this type of orthopedic injury for days or even weeks after an accident. One of the main concerns after a spinal injury, due to a vehicle accident, is recurring injury due to use. If the spine is injured and you don’t realize it, you’re likely to continue your routine like normal, meaning you could be making the injury worse. As a result, it’s always a good idea to have our orthopedic specialist, Dr. Kevin James, evaluate your spine after any type of vehicle accident.
3. Physical Trauma
Along with vehicle accidents, physical trauma ranks high on the list of common causes of spinal injuries. Whether this type of spine trauma is due to a fall or some other type of physical initiator, these types of spinal injuries can be accompanied by severe pain and disability. And in some cases, back surgery may even be required to remedy a spinal cord injury caused by physical trauma.
4. Degenerative Disc Disease
As you age, the cushioning discs in between your spine’s vertebrae can break down, and while this isn’t always a cause for concern, some individuals can experience a higher rate of break down than others. When this occurs, the condition is known as degenerative disc disease, and it can cause a great deal of pain in a person’s back. To combat degenerative disc disease, be sure to contact our orthopedic specialist if you begin experiencing any sort of discomfort or loss of range of motion in your back.
If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury in the Southlake, TX area, Advanced Spine & Orthopedics is available to help. At Advanced Spine & Orthopedics, patients receive expert treatment for a variety of orthopedic injuries, including back pain, neck pain, hip pain, knee pain, and shoulder pain.
Contact Advanced Spine & Orthopedics at 817-310-8783.
