Spinal Injuries – Importance of Aftercare to Your Recovery
Since the spinal cord is highly prone to injuries, it doesn’t hold the power to repair itself after any damage, unlike other body parts. There are many reasons for spinal Injuries, including trauma, compression from infection or tumor, and deprived blood supply. Each year witnesses approximately 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injury in the US.
As the nature of surgery is so sensitive, the people who receive it get through many emotional breakdowns. Sometimes they become overwhelmed to see themselves alive and hitting the ground. Sometimes, they become paralyzed due to depression and rage, wondering why they became victims of such a painful experience.
In this blog, we have tried to encapsulate how one can walk on the road to a quick recovery. And this depends on keen aftercare and precautions for sure!
The Stage of Survival Is the First Step to Recovery
The road to recovery is often long and uncertain; however, if you make it through the first 24 hours of your spinal cord injury, you have thwarted the most challenging phase already.
The moment you get back your senses in the hospital is the moment when you realize that you have survived one of the most catastrophic injuries.
From this point onwards, the real uncertainty begins as some spinal cord injury survivors spontaneously start walking, while others never experience walking in their entire lives.
If you have survived, remember you have already achieved an incredible achievement. Be hopeful for what your future holds. The true recovery begins from within you!
Additionally, a healthy lifestyle, family and friends’ support, and sound physiological health altogether work behind the scenes of your quick improvement.
Physical Therapy – A Milestone in Your Recovery
Physical therapy doesn’t happen at a specific timeframe of the recovery period; instead, it keeps on going and doesn’t get over. However, after getting discharged from the hospital, physical therapy must be done on the survivors. Many people show a quick recovery response to it and experience incredible improvement. The recovery depends upon the level of energy you introduce to the therapy and the dedication you show in following your therapist’s instructions.
Physical therapy is more than just doing exercise. It helps in gradually rewiring your nervous system and, ultimately, stimulating your brain to work around the regions of the injury. Though there is no 100% guarantee of the therapy’s effectiveness, it is one of those activities linked with hope.
Psychological Recovery — Another Recovery Factor That Often Gets Undermined!
Usually, physical therapy is given more emphasis. However, psychological therapy is as important or sometimes even more for recovery. If you have poor psychological health, it can profoundly affect your physical health. And doing physical therapy while having deteriorated physiological health is as similar as blindly throwing arrows at an unspecified target.
You will have to adopt the attitude of being content even in pain. Though mastering this attitude will take you time, it is necessary to fix your spinal cord injury damages. There is no disgrace in seeking psychological assistance.
The significant after-effects of the injury are anxiety, depression, and several other mental health issues; therefore, relying on physiological therapy will be the best bet for quick recovery and mental stability.
The Word From Very Well
Though the tips mentioned above fuel the process of a speedy recovery, we should keep in mind that patience is the ultimate key that opens the door to improvement. Impatient behavior is one of the reasons why people go through unwanted pain or setup. In the chase to embrace the recovery at a faster rate, they often end up lifting heavy items and doing extensive exercises. That is undoubtedly not the right approach.
The safest action is to follow and execute the doctor’s post-surgery self-care plan carefully. In case any unusual symptoms appear, including but not limited to fever, signs of infection, wound drainage, difficulty in controlling bowel movement or urinating, or unmanageable pain, your next immediate step should be to visit the doctor right away.
If you want to find the most appropriate and working remedy for your spinal injuries, the strategies by Chiropractor la Quinta will be your best bet to cope with your back injury.
Last but not least, hope sustains life!