Chiropractic care and physical therapy after work injury
Injuries that are suffered at work can be serious. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what type of job that you have either. A segment of our chiropractic clinic’s patients are treated for work-related injuries. Some of the most common work injuries that our patients are treated for include:
Slipping and Falling or Tripping and Falling
• Slipping and falling or tripping and falling
• Repetitive motion injuries
• Being accidentally hit by an object
• Overexertion from working with or lifting heavy objects
More than a person’s pride can get hurt after slipping or tripping and falling. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, falls result in 8 million emergency room visits every year. They account for 21.3 percent of all emergency room treatment. Falls are the leading cause of workers’ compensation claims. When a person trips, he or she usually falls forward. When that person slips, he or she will usually fall backward. The spine is at risk in either event, but it’s particularly vulnerable to injury when a person slips and then falls. Falls can damage tissue in muscles, tendons and ligaments and cause chronic pain. Possible chiropractic treatment modalities for these types of injuries might include stretching, massage, trigger point therapy and balance adjustments. After a few treatment sessions, a patient should start experiencing some improvement. He or she can then begin progressively phasing into ordinary activities.
Repetitive Motion Injuries
These types of injuries develop from doing the same motions over and over again. Perhaps the most common repetitive motion injury is carpal tunnel syndrome. It affects the median nerve that extends from the forearm to the hand through a channel in the wrist. The nerve can become compressed and swollen, and ligaments and tendons can become inflamed. Carpal tunnel syndrome is commonly suffered by assembly line workers. Others who use vibrating tools or computer keyboards for long periods of time are also affected. Symptoms can include stiffness in the hands and wrists, numbness and tingling in the fingers, swelling in the affected area and reduced flexibility and strength. Some people might not even show any visible signs of a repetitive motion injury, but they’ll have difficulty performing various tasks like buttoning a shirt. Effective chiropractic options for treating repetitive motion injuries might include chiropractic adjustments, massage, stretching and strengthening exercises and physiotherapy. The goal is increased flexibility and range of motion.
Accidentally Hit By an Object
Workers being accidentally hit by an object happens more often than most people think. As per the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, 93 construction workers were killed in 2017 after being accidentally hit by an object. Those accidents resulted in 9.4 percent of all construction fatalities during that year. If struck anywhere from the chest up, it’s likely that the neck will suffer sudden trauma without even being hit, much like a whiplash injury. More than a million people suffer neck injuries every year. About 10 percent of them are chronically affected. Symptoms can consist of headaches, muscle spasms, numbness and tingling into the arms and hands, dizziness and blurred vision. Since every neck injury is different, treatment plans will differ too. Depending on the severity of the injury, treatment could last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Some common treatment techniques involve:
Overexertion
• Chiropractic adjustments and passive motion that move an involved joint back to where it should be positioned
• Muscle relaxation and stimulation using either electronic or manual pressure on trigger points
• Exercises that are initially supervised by your doctor of chiropractic and later used at home for continue improvement and prevention of relapse
Lifting heavy objects, especially repeatedly, can cause serious low back injuries. We’ve all been told that we should never lift with our back. There’s a reason for that advice. Used properly, your legs are a better muscle group for lifting. When lifting with your back, you always risk moving your vertebrae out of alignment. When that happens, vertebrae or spinal discs can impinge on spinal nerves, or even worse, on the spinal cord. Less serious lower back injuries are torn back muscles, but those muscles can take several weeks to heal. If you suffer a low back injury from heavy lifting, treat it with rest and ice. After that, you’ll want to arrange for an evaluation and chiropractic treatment for the condition. For a lower back injury, the treatment objective is to properly align affected bones, joints and muscles in order to alleviate the low back pain and restore range of motion and functionality. Depending on the nature and extent of the condition, treatment might also include active release and massage therapy.
Comprehensive Spine & Spots Center is well-versed in Maryland’s state’s workers’ compensation payment for chiropractic and rehabilitation services laws. Speak to Dr. Cohen is you have any questions about chiropractic treatment for a work-related injury.
