Spinal Cord Injury Treatment in Van Nuys and Culver City probably does not need any explanation. You don’t need to be a doctor to know that an injury to your spinal cord is a very serious situation, and it requires immediate attention. Unfortunately, an individual who experiences a spinal cord injury is likely to face a long and difficult road ahead. While that is the reality of the situation, it is important to have a positive attitude and follow orders carefully throughout the recovery and rehabilitation process. With great care, and a little good fortune as well, rehabbing your body from certain spinal cord injuries is possible.
A Two-Stage Process
Typically, there will be a couple of stages involved in the recovery from a spinal cord injury. These phases can be considered the acute phase, and the rehabilitation phase. The acute phase is going to begin as soon as the injury occurs. This phase of care is critical, as it can literally be a question of life or death. Even if the injured person’s life is not in danger, prompt medical attention can go a long way toward stabilizing their condition and improving their long-term outlook. Only when the acute phase has been completed and the extent of the patient’s injuries are known can the process move on to the rehabilitation phase. The length of the acute phase is going to depend entirely on the specifics of the injury, the patient, and many other factors.
Understanding the Acute Phase
When a spinal cord injury occurs, time is of the essence. Emergency medical responders should be contacted as soon as possible, as providing the injured individual with prompt care can make a big difference in the end. Once the first responders have arrived, they will do the work of stabilizing the individual and determining the next steps. If a spinal cord injury is suspected, it is likely that the patient will need to be sent to the nearest medical facility which is equipped to deal with such trauma. Once in a hospital or other medical facility, the patient will be treated and monitored based on his or her injuries. It is possible that it will take a few days before an accurate diagnosis can be made, as the patient may be dealing with spinal shock. With something as serious as spinal cord injury treatment, no chances will be taken and it is likely that the acute phase will last for several days, and possibly quite a while longer. Eventually, a picture will become clear with regard to how much recovery and rehabilitation can be expected, based on the injuries which have been suffered. For some patients, permanent damage will have been done, and a new way of life will need to be established. For others, however, it will be possible to rehabilitate the body back to its previous level of function, or at least close to that level. Again, the opportunity for rehabilitation is going to depend entirely on the circumstances and specifics of the injury.
Moving on to Rehabilitation
Only when the acute stage of care has been completed should the rehabilitation phase be considered. When the patient is stabilized and cleared for rehab by the medical professionals providing care, attention can then to turned to how best to rehab the body. While the acute stage was focused on stabilization and making sure no further damage is done, the rehab phase is all about recovering bodily function.
There are many different types of rehabilitation possible when you or a loved one is recovering back from a spinal cord injury. Some of the common goals of the rehabilitation process include the following –
- Helping you regain your independence
- Getting you ready for vocational rehab, with the goal of getting back to work at some point
- Helping you manage the demands of regular daily activities like eating and dressing
- Improving your ability to understand your care and your individual needs.
It cannot be stressed enough that the spinal cord rehabilitation process is unique to each individual. While there are certain types of spinal cord injuries which are seen across many patients, each of those cases is unique in one way or another. The exact plan for your rehabilitation is likely to be different than the plan used for others, even if they have a similar injury.
Playing Our Role
The role of chiropractic care may come into the process later on down the line, once the acute treatment for your injury has been completed. The most important thing when an injury occurs is to call for emergency medical care and receive treatment from those qualified to deal with spinal cord injuries. Prompt spinal cord injury treatment is one of the biggest determining factors in the eventual outcome of this event. At some point in your rehabilitation process, you may be a candidate for help from a chiropractor, and our doctors would be proud to assist. Dr. Mehran Shei and Dr.Parvin Alemi make up Advanced Chiropractic Rehab Center, and we offer two locations in Southern California to serve your needs. Everyone who goes through this kind of traumatic event deserves the best possible spinal cord injury treatment. That treatment starts with the emergency attention provided by those who respond to the injury, and it continues through to the rehabilitation phase of the process. If you should need chiropractic help as part of your rehab, Advanced Chiropractic Rehab Center would love to help. Feel free to contact either of our offices to discuss your situation and we’ll discuss the options with you. Thank you for taking the time to visit our site, and we hope to serve you soon.