Any type of spine fracture, regardless of the location or severity, requires immediate attention from an experienced and knowledgeable medical professional. Neglecting to treat this injury in a timely manner can result in further injury.
Treatment of a spine fracture begins with stabilizing the injury. This helps prevent additional damage, while also controlling pain and discomfort. From there, there are several additional treatment strategies that are commonly used:
- Instrumentation and fusion: Both of these surgical procedures are used to stabilize a spine fracture. Fusion, for example, uses hardware, such as rods and plates, to hold together two vertebrae.
- Braces: There are many benefits to wearing a brace after a spinal fracture, e.g., to maintain spine alignment, immobilize the area during recovery and restrict movement to reduce pain.
- Minimally invasive surgery: These procedures, such as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, are growing in popularity. Not only do they generate positive results, but they reduce the likelihood of risks associated with traditional surgery, such as excessive bleeding and damage to surrounding tissue.
Your medical team can discuss with you the best treatment plan. This is based largely on the review of imaging tests, such as an X-ray, CT scan and/or MRI.
If you injure your back or neck on the job, your first concern should be your health. Don’t continue to work, assuming that you can get treatment if you need it in the future.
Once you receive a medical diagnosis and understand your prognosis, you can turn your attention to the accident, your rights as a worker and your ability to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.