When Should You Enlist the Help of a Spine Doctor in Atlanta?

In total, an adult has 33 vertebrae, each of which transmits signals to different regions of the body. Even minor misalignments in any of these areas can have a significant influence on the body. There can be numerous circumstances where your spinal cord gets in danger. When in the city of Atlanta, this risk increases due to various reasons. 

The spinal cord gets damaged in tons of ways, but external trauma is the most common in Atlanta, Georgia. Spinal pain can be mild to severe, ranging from a minute nuisance to a whole disability. It may affect the lower or upper back, neck, hips, and other body parts. Tumors, blood loss, or stenosis can cause non-traumatic damage to the spinal cord, albeit this is not as prevalent. Anyone suffering from a spinal problem can only receive treatment if they understand what is causing their pain. 

What are Spinal Cord and Back Injuries?

When the spinal cord gets injured, it causes a loss of function, such as movement and feeling. Even if the spinal cord is not severed, function loss can ensue. The backbone is usually intact in individuals who have had a spinal cord injury, but the damage causes them to lose function. Spinal cord impairments are not the same as back ailments such as ruptured discs, spinal stenosis, or pinched nerves. A back or neck break without a spinal cord injury is feasible if only the vertebrae shatter and the backbone itself is unaffected. The person may not develop paralysis after the bones get stabilized.

Back pain is one of the most prevalent types of pain experienced by people in the United States, specifically Atlanta. Nearly everyone has experienced back discomfort at some point in their lives. It is one of the most common reasons people seek out a back pain specialist. Back pain can be anything from a slight ache to crippling back muscular spasms. It can impede mobility and impair your ability to complete even the most fundamental duties. Therefore, visiting a back injury doctor becomes essential. There is no harm in knowing what is going with you, which is why we have compiled a list of back injuries, their causes, and their respective treatments. 

Types of Back and Spinal Cord Injuries

1) Sciatica

Sciatica occurs when the nerves that make up the sciatic nerves are pinched, compressed, or irritated. It begins to affect the body from the hip and progresses down the leg to the foot. If you have been in a car accident, you are very likely to get sciatica. What if you didn’t know? The discomfort you experience will be minimal to severe. It gets diagnosed as running along the sciatic nerve by your accident damage doctor. Muscle weakness and a numb, tingling sensation in the toes, leg, and foot are also symptoms. 

2) Lumbar Spinal Injury

The lumbar spine is the lowest and most crucial part of the spinal cord. The vertebrae in the lumbar spine are particularly thick because they bear the highest weight of any spine’s portion. When the spinal cord in the lumbar vertebrae is injured, the hips and legs frequently lose control, but not the upper body. People with lumbar spinal cord injuries have little or no voluntary control over their bowels or bladders, but they can manage themselves with the correct tools. The injured person may require a wheelchair or braces to walk, depending on their leg strength.

3) Thoracic Spinal Injury

The thoracic spine is located in the upper and middle back. It connects the neck and lower back’s cervical and lumbar spines. Its fundamental purpose is to keep the body in a stable and upright position. The pain in the spine may spread to the arms, legs, or rib cage. Thoracic spine fractures are most commonly due to an incident, such as a car accident, a fall, or a sports injury. It is why you may experience pain from the back to the front of your chest. 

4) Disc Herniation

Herniated discs are one of the most common spinal injuries sustained in an automobile collision. Slipped or ruptured discs are other names for them. Herniated discs are a firm rubber shell that surrounds the soft, jelly-like structure of our thoracic vertebrae or spinal discs. They provide vital support to the spine, which acts as a shock absorber that allows the spine to flex easily while also holding the spine’s bones together. One of these rubbery cushions between the vertebrae may get contaminated as a result of an automobile collision. Since the strain on the nearby nerves and nerve roots is too severe, it leads to the disc slipping or even rupturing. If you have herniated discs, you may have some of the following symptoms.

• Impacts muscle weakness in the vicinity of the nerves.
• If you feel sharp, throbbing pain radiating from the shoulders or low back to the arms or legs.
• When there is insensibility or tingling in the legs or arms.

5) Spinal Stenosis

When the tiny spaces within the spine grow too narrow, spinal stenosis occurs. The narrowing of the gaps between the spine’s vertebrae usually occurs in the lower back or neck. Others may get severe and painful symptoms, necessitating surgery. It is challenging to figure out what’s wrong with you, and it is even more complex to treat. It is critical to be aware of the signs and symptoms of spinal pain. The next step after that is to get medical attention as soon as you discover something is wrong. Loss of range of motion or inability to sit up straight, pain when sitting, standing, or walking, discomfort when lifting items, stiffness or tightness in the upper or lower back, numbness, soreness, or muscular spasms, or a dull or acute pain are all symptoms to watch for.

What is the Main Cause for These Disorders?

Anyone can suffer from a spinal injury. Spine discomfort can be due to minimal movements or more severe damage. If you have gone through any of the following events, it is critical to visit an orthopedic hospital and get help. The following are some of the most common reasons:

• Sports or work-related repetitive motions.
• Car accidents.
• A sedentary lifestyle or a lack of activity can weaken back muscles, leaving your spine and back more prone to injury over time.
• Scoliosis and other medical disorders have an impact on the spine and general health.
• Heavy lifting or incorrect lifting of objects.
• Vertebrae can become brittle with age. Bulging discs are more prone to occur as people age. A bulging disc puts pressure on nerves, perhaps leading to the previously mentioned herniation of discs.

What Can Be the Treatment for Such Disorders?

Orthopedic doctors can also administer injections to relieve back pain or discuss novel treatment options for joint degeneration and arthritis, such as stem cell therapy. In some scenarios, you may need back surgery. Whatever your condition is, spine doctors in Atlanta can treat it with several therapy choices to reduce discomfort and improve your abilities. Back pain specialists can develop a treatment plan that addresses your specific concerns while also reducing pain. Chiropractors use gentle adjustments to the spine to correct spinal misalignments that can lead to pinched nerve inflammation. Back pain due to injured or pinched nerves can be treated with epidural injections or nerve blocks by spine experts or chiropractors.

Final Words

After an accident, it is critical to get professional help for your injuries. Not only can this help you stay on a healthier path but help avoid any of this from happening again. So, get your condition diagnosed and hop on to the road to recovery!