Accident Pain Management Solutions: Surgical vs. Non-surgical

Involvement in an accident can be difficult to manage, especially if you suffer an injury. You may suddenly be faced with consulting an accident attorney, insurance agents, auto-mechanics, and more, all while suffering from the pain of your injuries.

What type of injuries require surgery and which do not?

Muscular injuries like whiplash, muscle strains and muscle sprains can generally be treated without surgery. Bony injuries, which include the slippage of one vertebra on another, can cause little fractures of parts of the spinal columns (slipped discs, herniated discs). Bony injuries that can not be actively managed may lead to surgery over time.

One thing is for sure, all doctors agree that the sooner victims seek and obtain proper treatment for their injuries, the more likely they are to make a full recovery. Seeking a medical evaluation immediately following an accident will help you understand the extent of your injuries, and will allow you to chart a course of treatment and recovery.

Whether you require surgical treatment, or any of a multitude of non-surgical options, here is a short list of the different types of treatments (and providers) available to you.

SURGICAL TREATMENT

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) - Disc removal and fusion

This procedure treats injuries to intervertebral discs by completely removing the affected disc, and fusing the vertebrae which were above and below the removed disc. Your doctor may recommend this option if physical therapy or medication fail to relieve the pain caused by the damaged disc.

Arthroplasty

Similar to ACDF, this procedure involves removal of the damaged disc. However, rather than fusing the vertebrae, the doctor may replaces the disc with an implant.

Laser Spine Surgery

Laser disc repair is a minimally invasive procedure that involves removal of only part of the damaged disc - the part of the disc that is causing pain.

NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT

Surgery or not, your doctor will likely recommend some non-surgical treatments to help you manage the pain of your injury and to help you recover more quickly. Some procedures are intended to immediately alleviate pain by interrupting pain signals sent from the spine. There are several types of these procedures offered, but they are generally referred to as "blocks," and involve an injection of an anesthetic medication.

Beyond these injection treatments, there are many other non-surgical treatment options to help you manage your pain and return to good health:

Alternative Treatments

Alternative treatments (such as acupuncture or herbal remedies) may help you find pain relief. As the name implies, they are alternatives to medication, physical therapy, or surgery-the typical Western approach to medicine. You may consider going to a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner; CAM is a somewhat sweeping grouping of practices and therapies that aren't considered part of conventional medicine right now, but you may want to try them.

Chiropractic Treatments

Chiropractors believe one of the main causes of back pain and neck pain is subluxation: that's when your vertebrae are not correctly aligned and your joints can't move as well as they should. Chiropractors treat subluxations with a combination of techniques, including applied pressure, massage, and manual manipulation of the vertebrae and joints (called adjustments).

Need a chiropractor? Visit our Chiropractic Directory.

Physiatrists or Pain Management Specialists

Physiatrists are medical doctors that focus on pain management. Acute pain is described as severe or sharp and may signal something is wrong. The pain experienced during dental work is an example of acute pain. Pain lasting 6 months or longer is defined as chronic. This type of pain varies from mild to severe and is consistent. Arthritis pain, for example, is often chronic. Although chronic pain is difficult to manage, combining different treatments often produces a good outcome.

Examples of different types of pain-causing spine problems include degenerative disc and joint disease, sciatica, spinal stenosis, spondylosis (spinal arthritis), spondylolisthesis, vertebral and other spinal fractures, and whiplash.

Physical Therapy

Your doctor may recommend that you go to physical therapy to strengthen your spinal muscles and help your body deal with back pain. You'll do a mix of passive and active treatments: read about the differences in those treatments and how physical therapy will help you recover from back pain or neck pain.

All content on Accidents.com is for informational purposes only and is NOT intended as legal or medical advice. Please seek advice from a professional on any related topics.

Tags:  Accident Injury · Accident Pain Management · Accident Treatment · Chiropractors · Physical Therapy · Reconstructive Surgery