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Facet Injections for Joint Injuries After an Auto Accident

The pain and trauma following a car accident can take the wind out of your sails. In addition, it can lead to a myriad of injuries and painful symptoms, especially if your back was impacted. The spine is extremely sensitive and spinal injuries can cause things like immobility, ongoing chronic pain, and even paralysis if not treated promptly.

Yes, the joint pain in the spine can be unrelenting, and your doctor may recommend a facet joint injection. Our pain specialists at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel explain what these injections are and how they can offer pain relief for accident victims.

What are Facet Joint Injuries?

Facet joint injuries are common in car accidents as the car stops suddenly, causing the spine to elongate and contract in a matter of seconds. This can lead to a fracture or misalignment of the facet joints.

Facet joints control the extent to which your back moves in any direction. Hyper-extension of your back can cause them to fracture or break, leading to chronic pain, and even paralysis. There are four facet joints that connect each vertebra to the vertebra above and below it in the spine.

Facet joint injuries occur when the cartilage found between the joints gets torn, leading to severe pain and inflammation due to the spinal bones grinding together.

What are Facet Joint Injections?

Facet joint injections are a minimally invasive treatment for chronic back pain caused by a car accident. They can also be used as a diagnostic tool to determine whether facet-joint inflammation is a source of pain.

A facet-joint injection comprised of a long-lasting steroid and a local anesthetic, is administered into either the joint capsule or its surrounding tissue. The anesthetic provides temporary pain relief, but the steroid reduces inflammation, relieving pain for anywhere from a few days to a few years.

Facet joint injections can be repeated up to 3 times a year for those who have short-term, but successful pain relief.

The Facet Joint Injection Procedure

During the procedure, the injection site is numbed with a local anesthetic. A needle is then inserted directly into the facet joint through the back, and fluoroscopy, an X-ray imaging technique is used to ensure precise placement.

Once the needle is correctly aligned, a combination of anesthetic and cortisone is injected into the facet joint. The entire procedure should take less than 30 minutes to perform.

You will feel immediate pain relief from the anesthetic used in the injection, but it can take several days to determine whether the cortisone steroid has had any effect.

There may be mild pain at the injection site, but it can be managed by taking Ibuprofen and applying ice.

Facet Joint Injection Recovery

Following a facet joint injection, you can return home shortly after receiving the injection and can resume your regular activities the next day. A follow-up visit to your doctor will be in about a week, and your doctor will check to see how effective the injection has been in treating your symptoms.

How Long Does a Facet Joint Injection Last?

Facet joint injections can offer relief for 3 months or longer, though some studies say that they offer pain relief for 3 to 6 months.

They can be repeated three times a year.

Wesley Chapel Pain Relief

If you have been in a car accident in Wesley Chapel and are suffering from chronic back pain, a facet joint injection may be the answer to offer you some relief.

Contact our pain specialists at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel for a facet joint injection consultation today at (813) 953-1002!

How Can I Heal a Pinched Nerve Fast?

Whether you wake up with a sharp pain in your neck or back from sleeping in the wrong position, or you have numbness that is radiating down your arm into your leg, it’s clear that something is wrong. You likely have a pinched nerve, which can be a pain (literally!)

But what exactly is a pinched nerve, and how can you heal it fast? Our medical team at Impact Medical Zephyrhills explains!

What is a Pinched Nerve?

A pinched nerve occurs when pressure or force is put on a nerve, often due to inflammation, causing it to send pain signals to the brain. Pinched nerves can be caused by sleeping in the wrong position or by damage to the nerve. Symptoms include pain, weakness, and numbness.

You should never put off seeking care for a pinched nerve as it can lead to serious complications. A pinched nerve will often need to be treated by a chiropractor, but there are some home remedies that you can try to get some pain relief.

Keep reading to learn more!

Remedies for Pinched Nerves

Though we recommend seeking chiropractic care for a pinched nerve, you can try these home remedies to get some relief before your appointment.

#1. Rest

Sleep and rest are essential for healing a pinched nerve. The body repairs itself during sleep, so getting rest may reduce symptoms more quickly.

In many cases, resting the affected area and getting extra rest is enough to allow the pinched nerve to heal on its own.

Even if you get extra rest, try not to overuse the nerve, and try to sleep in a position that relieves the pressure to help it heal.

#2. Change Your Posture

A pinched nerve can be caused or made worse by poor posture. Sitting at your desk or standing with an incorrect posture can put unnecessary stress on the body, which can strain the spine and muscles, leading to a pinched nerve.

Using cushions, neck rest, ergonomic chairs, or desks, can help relieve the pressure and allow the nerve to heal. (Plus, help prevent them in the first place!)

#3. Pain Relievers

Over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen can help reduce swelling and relieve the pain associated with minor pinched nerves.

Remember, with any drug, consult with a doctor for dosage recommendations and any potential interactions before treating your pinched nerve with NSAIDs like ibuprofen.

#4. Stretching

Gentle stretching and yoga can help relieve tension and pressure around the pinched nerve. It is important to not stretch too deeply though, as this can make symptoms worse.

If you feel any pain or discomfort with stretching, stop immediately to avoid damaging the nerve any further.

#5. Manual

Having a manual can help reduce the physical pain and inflammation caused by a pinched nerve. Applying gentle pressure around the affected area can help relieve tension, and a full body manual will help the muscles relax.

Deep tissue manual may not be a clever idea, as the extra pressure can make symptoms worse.

#6. Elevate the Legs

If you have a pinched nerve in your back, you may find relief by elevating your legs to help remove pressure from the spine.

Try putting a few pillows under your knees so your legs are at a 45-degree angle to the body. This should help!

#7. Heat & Ice

Alternating between heat and ice packs can help reduce inflammation and pain from a pinched nerve.

• Hold an ice pack over the affected area for 15 minutes at a time, three times a day.
• Heat pads can be used up to an hour three times a day.

#8. Make Lifestyle Changes

In the long term, including low-impact exercise such as walking, biking, or swimming into your daily routine can help keep your body in shape and reduce pinched nerves. Losing extra weight can help reduce the pressure on the nerves, and the added mobility from regular workouts can help reduce overall inflammation in the body.

Relief from Pinched Nerves

If you need relief from a pinched nerve, come visit our chiropractors at Impact Medical Zephyrhills. With our comprehensive approach, we will help reduce the inflammation near the nerve, reducing pain, and enhancing mobility.

Say goodbye to pinched nerve pain. Call Impact Medical Zephyrhills for an appointment today at (813) 706-5156!

4 Common Car Accident Injuries Children Sustain

Car accidents are already incredibly unfortunate for everyone involved, but children have much more at stake when suffering from injuries caused by the impact. Just how dangerous are these injuries to a child’s growth, and what can you do to treat them? Impact Medical Brandon is here to help!

1. Head and Brain-Related Injuries

The most concerning type of injury that a child can endure from an accident is anything involving the head and brain. A concussion or any type of injury that affects brain function has a chance to hinder their development and growth, whether it be temporarily or permanently. This creates a literal life-changing situation that is alarming for most parents. If left untreated, these injuries can lead to fluctuating behavioral habits and a decrease in cognitive function, which can affect their grades and ability to handle everyday tasks.

2. Damage to the Chest Area

A tightened seat belt or a direct impact from the airbags can be enough to damage a child’s chest. After the accident, they may experience pain in the ribs and lungs. In some cases, the pain can travel to the thoracic area. Pain in these parts is already too much to bear for many adults, but imagine children, whose pain tolerances are much lower.

3. Spinal Cord Injuries / Nerve Damage

Spine-related injuries also have the ability to pose a threat to a child’s growth, due to the fact that your nerves are stored in the spinal cord. These injuries need immediate attention because they can lead to permanent disabilities that will follow a person for life, such as trouble speaking or moving properly.

4. Bone Fractures

Some children have already experienced bone fractures at some point with their need to spend substantial amounts of energy. But unlike injuries from sports games or simply playing around, bone fractures caused by a car accident are typically much worse and can cause more intense pain.

Types of Car Accident Treatments for Children

What can you do for your child if they’ve sustained any of these car accident injuries? Bringing them to a chiropractor or physical therapist as soon as you can is a good start. Like with many injuries in adults, children can also benefit from physical treatment methods leading to a faster recovery followed by sweet relief. Chiropractic care will lessen the inflammation they may feel in their muscles, tendons, and ligaments to help them relax. Regular physical therapy sessions can help them regain any lost muscle strength or range of motion. To top it off, manual therapy will ensure that they recover more quickly and can even help with concussions. Thankfully, there’s a place in Brandon that has experts in each of these treatment methods.

Bring Your Child to Impact Medical Brandon!

Physical therapy, chiropractic care, and manual therapy are all beneficial in treating your child after a car accident. When you come to Impact Medical Brandon, we’ll give your child a thorough examination and come up with the best plan for recovery so they can continue growing to be happy and healthy! Give us a call at (813) 522-8885 to schedule an appointment.

Can Steroid Injections Help with Accident Pain?

If you’re in a car accident, you should seek medical attention right away, regardless of whether you feel pain or not. Pain and discomfort can present themselves days, weeks, or even months after an accident, which is why catching any problems early is so important. Depending on your injury, your medical provider may recommend a variety of treatments, especially if you’re in pain. One option is an Epidural Steroid Injection, a simple injection that reduces inflammation and pain. Here’s what you need to know about this simple, effective procedure.

What Are Epidural Steroid Injections?

Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) are minimally invasive medical procedures that give patients relief from arm, back, leg, and neck pain that can occur after a car accident. Administered by a medical professional, these injections supply medicine to the epidural space between the bone and spinal nerves, flushing away proteins that cause painful swelling and inflammation.

While an ESI isn’t a cure for pain, it opens the door to long-term pain relief. These injections provide enough pain relief for patients to move forward with their rehabilitation program, so they can start living a pain-free life.

Relief from a single injection can last from one week to one year, but most patients feel benefits for up to one month. Injections can be administered every two weeks if your medical provider deems it helpful.

Candidates for Steroid Injections

Not every patient is a candidate for an ESI. They’re typically reserved for patients who experience chronic or acute pain associated with spinal nerves that have been damaged, pinched, or pressured during a traumatic event like a car accident. If your doctor has determined you’re suffering from one of the following symptoms after a car accident, an ESI may be right for you:

• Bone spurs on the spine
• Herniated, slipped, or deteriorating discs
• Injury to the vertebrae
• Spinal stenosis

The Typical ESI Procedure

ESIs can be administered by a range of medical professionals, from physicians to orthopedists, pain-management specialists to neurologists. They’re often performed in an outpatient facility with the help of fluoroscopy to verify the medication is reaching the patient’s target area. The injection usually isn’t painful since it contains a local anesthetic and corticosteroid—you should only feel slight pressure at the injection site.

The procedure lasts only a few minutes, and you’ll feel instant relief from pain. The anesthetic provides relief right away. while this wears off in a few hours, the corticosteroid reduces inflammation and provides total alleviation from pain within a day. Most patients can resume normal activities the day following the procedure.

Get Instant Relief from Pain with Steroid Injections

If your doctor has determined you can benefit from steroid injections, don’t hesitate to make your appointment with Impact Medical Group of Sarasota today. Our caring, licensed professionals are here to help you on your journey to a pain-free life. Call us today at (941) 222-1157 to schedule your free consultation!