Can You Get Spinal Stenosis After a Car Accident?
Spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal canal narrows, putting pressure on the nerves. While some people are born with primary spinal stenosis, others are diagnosed with acquired spinal stenosis.
For some, this condition slowly develops due to obesity, poor posture, and other issues. However, it is also possible that the trauma of the car accident can cause fractures, dislocations, herniated discs, and other conditions that can eventually lead to spinal stenosis.
If you’ve been in a car accident in Brooklyn and think you have spinal stenosis, visit an experienced orthopedic doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Spinal Stenosis Symptoms
Spinal stenosis generally occurs in the cervical or lumbar spine. The symptoms you experience depend on the location of the stenosis.
If you suffer from cervical spinal stenosis, you might notice numbness, tingling, or weakness in your leg, foot, arm, or hand. Neck pain is also common in this condition.
If you have a severe case, you also might have bladder or bowel dysfunction. This indicates an emergency, and you need to go to the doctor immediately.
Lumbar spinal stenosis presents in the back instead of the neck. You will likely experience back pain as well as numbness, tingling, or weakness in the leg or foot.
You also might notice cramping in your legs when you walk or stand for long periods of time. The pain or cramping should dissipate when you sit or bend forward.
Treatment for Spinal Stenosis
Our Brooklyn orthopedic care facility creates a customized treatment plan for our patients. We will evaluate your condition to determine the severity and location and then create a plan for you.
Patients often respond to conservative treatments for spinal stenosis. While conservative treatments do not cure the condition, they are effective in managing symptoms. Many people live symptom-free after undergoing conservative treatments for spinal stenosis.
These treatments might include acupuncture, chiropractic care, physical therapy, and light exercise.
If you are in a great deal of pain, you also might need pain management services, such as cortisone injections. The injections reduce inflammation and pain and make it easier to rehabilitate from this condition.
Your treatment team will also explain what you can do at home to reduce your symptoms. For example, you’ll learn the proper posture to take the pressure off the nerves in your spinal canal. You’ll also learn some exercises you can do at home to rehabilitate the injury.
While conservative treatments are often enough, some people do require surgery. If you don’t respond to conservative treatment, our team will discuss the benefits of a lumbar laminectomy with you. This procedure will decompress the spine to provide relief.
Do You Suffer From Spinal Stenosis After a Car Accident?
If you suffer from spinal stenosis, getting out of bed, going to work, or even walking can be too much to bear.
You’re tired of suffering from the pain, and it’s time to get help. Our multi-specialty medical clinic located in Brooklyn at 3500 Nostrand Avenue is staffed with specialists who can treat you. Call (718) 769-2521 to make an appointment today.