Traumatic spine injuries occur frequently and in most cases lead to negative health effects.
One such condition is distortion.
If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, this pathology can provoke dangerous complications.
Contents of the article
- What is the nature of the injury?
- Causes of trauma
- Classification of damage
- Characteristic symptoms
- Diagnostic methods
- Objectives and methods of treatment
- Complications and consequences
- How to prevent injury
What is the nature of the injury?
This term is commonly understood as traumatic damage to the column of the spine, which is characterized by a partial or complete rupture of ligaments.
In this case, this condition is not accompanied by disruption of work or displacement of the vertebrae.
In most cases, the neck region is injured, since all other vertebrae are tightly connected to each other and do not have such high mobility.
The average age of receiving such injuries is 20 to 40 years, with men and women suffering from this pathology equally often. As for professional membership, this injury is more likely to affect athletes.
Causes of trauma
The main causes of the development of this disease include the following:
- traumatic spine injuries;
- increased physical activity;
- sedentary lifestyle, which leads to a weakening of muscle tissue;
- incorrect position of the trunk at the time of lifting weights;
- is an overly soft mattress for sleeping, which causes the spine to flex;
- incorrectly matched pillow, which raises its head too much;
- sloppy head turns.
Choosing the right mattress and sleeping posture is an important factor
Damage classification
Depending on the location of the traumatic injury, the spinal distortion can be:
- of the cervical region;
- of the thoracic;
- of the lumbar.
There are several other types of damage:
- Direct - in this case the effect of the damaging factor is carried out directly on the spine. This category includes all kinds of twists and bends.
- Indirect - the appearance of damage directly depends on the force of the impact. To such a distortion lead a variety of falls.
Characteristic Symptoms of
To detect the distortion, it is necessary to analyze the symptoms characteristic of this pathology:
- pain in the area of damage;
- impairment of mobility of the injured spine;
- appearance of edema in the area of injury;
- pain enhancement when feeling the affected area.
Diagnostic Methods
To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to conduct a series of examinations. Typically, they include the following:
- Survey of the injured - the physician should collect the maximum amount of information regarding the mechanism of receiving the
injury. - Inspection of the patient - the specialist analyzes the mobility of the spinal column, the presence of edema, the sensation of a person when they feel the damaged area.
- Radiography - this disease is characterized by preservation of integrity and normal location of the vertebrae.
- Magnetic resonance imaging - makes it possible to visualize the ligament apparatus and detect damage. This research is conducted quite rarely, because it is very expensive.
As a rule, the correct diagnosis can be made by excluding contusions of the spine and fracture of the spine.
Aims and methods of treatment
The main objectives of treating distortion are to restore the mobility of the spine and prevent the development of dangerous complications.
When receiving damage, the patient needs to provide first aid, which is to immobilize his body .The person should be put on a hard surface and immediately taken to the hospital.
This pathology requires compliance with bed rest for 4-6 weeks. Effective procedures include the following:
- massage;
- exercise therapy;
- acupuncture;
- thermotherapy;
- magnetotherapy;
- electrotherapy.
The main method of treatment is massage. With this procedure, you can maximally relax all muscles and start the process of tissue repair. Thanks to this, the healing of ligaments is much faster.
Such techniques as electrotherapy, magnetotherapy and thermotherapy, also contribute to the recovery of the human body.
They are based on the use of electric and magnetic fields, as well as local heat exposure. Thanks to these procedures, it is possible to strengthen the immune system, relax the muscles and normalize the patient's condition.
For severe damages of the cervical spine, the use of the collar of Shantz is indicated. This orthopedic device allows you to fix the neck muscles and prevent their contraction. Thanks to this, you can protect your neck from any movement.
The collar should be placed in such a way that the lower part is in contact with the collarbones and the upper part with the lower jaw. This device is usually recommended to be used for 8-10 weeks.
If a person experiences severe pain, they use neocaine injections, which are made to the lesion focus.
Complications and consequences
Provided adequate treatment of complications after this pathology is almost never the case. Some people have headaches.
There may also be aching pain in the area of traumatic injury. However, such symptoms can occur only if a person does not receive proper treatment.
How to prevent injury
To prevent the development of such a disease as a distortion of the spine, you need to control all your movements. For example, head turns should be as accurate as possible. Do not make sudden movements.
For those who are accustomed to constantly work with heavy loads, you must adhere to certain rules:
- During lifting weights, the back should be straightened and looked straight ahead.
- Categorically it is not recommended to bend down - at first it is necessary to sit down.
- The cargo should be placed in the center of the body.
- When lifting heavy objects, do not perform sudden movements or jerks. In addition, it is not recommended to look away.
- Moved cargo must be placed, performing the reverse sequence of movements.
- When a heavy object finds a fulcrum, it is not recommended to perform sudden movements or bends. It is necessary to slowly rise and take a vertical position.
It is also not recommended to buy a soft pillow. In addition, it should not be very high above the bed. 
It is recommended to protect the spine from drafts and hypothermia. Contraindicated and sudden movements. To strengthen the muscle tissue, every morning should perform light gymnastics.
The complex of exercises should be chosen by the doctor taking into account the individual characteristics of your body.
To strengthen the neck muscles, you can do such exercises:
- chin tilt forward, then gently toss your head back;
- perform head inclinations in different directions;
- do a neat circular movement of the head.
It is recommended to perform such exercises 3-5 times. In addition, with prolonged sedentary work, it is recommended to take breaks. Due to short warm-ups, it will be possible to relax the muscular apparatus of the back.
Distortion occurs as a result of traumatic back injuries and is accompanied by quite strong pain sensations. In most cases, the work of the cervical spine is disrupted.
To prevent such processes, you need to deal with the prevention of this ailment. If the distortion still appeared, the victim should be immediately taken to the hospital.
