| Author | Message | ||
     Teddagreek |
Its been a little over two months since my wreck... Almost a lowside until the bike hit the big drop off of the road and I high sided and was flipped like a pancake... I just finish Physical Therapy but the last month I haven't made any progress.. I had a MRI done and I have quite a few buldging disks. Got to go back for another round of Therapy.. I have to do traction and some other stuff.. My Question has anyone had this done and did it help? This really sucks I feel like this is never going to end... | ||
| Elf |
Yes, I had it done. I was a passenger in a nasty MVA (it hit my side of the vehicle! had to cut away part of the door/roof!!) and one of the many injuries was a cracked T5-6 with associated soft tissue injuries. It's somewhat uncomfortable while you're in the traction harness, because it pulls with force, but you will feel better afterwards. Your back won't be so "compressed" feeling. The Dr. that I had do this also coupled it with ultrasonic and heat therapy before the traction, and TENS unit coupled with "dry-point needling" (a form of acupuncture) afterward (this felt GOOOOOOD!!!). The whole treatment took a couple of hours a day for approximately 6 weeks. He rotated in some massage(by his rather attractive massage therapist  ) towards the end when I could handle it better. Have you ever had someone lift you off the ground to "crack" your back? It's like that, only without the violence. It's a gradual strong pull. I think I walked out of his office 2 inches taller! | ||
| Swampy |
I am sure it is different for everybody. 10+ years ago, I had buldging disks as diagnosed by the pain that I had in my legs. Dr. wrote scrip for PT: traction, massage, hydro, electro stim. and exersize. Original Pt(Jerk) who was too busy checking out the asses on the women at the facility didn't help at all, eating up 45 days worth of insurance! I didn't get better until the massage therapist took my case when the Pt went to Bahamas for vacation. The Massage therapist did massage and a little spinal manipulation. I got better in two days! So for the next 15 days I saw only the massage therapist. The next time, 8 years ago, my legs started to numb I went to the Dr. and again he wrote scrip for PT: Massage, electro, Hydro, exercize. During the evaluation I told them what worked. I was branded by the facility and by the third time I went there they asked me to leave. I drove to my chiropractors office, paid for 30 min. massage and an adjustment and walla! I could walk again. I made one more trip to the Dr. office because he had me scheduled to see a neuro surgeon in a couple of days, and he asked me to bend over and touch my toes which I could do without pain. And he couldn't belive I could do it. When I told him what worked he said, well don't loose my number we will probably see you again soon. So the moral of the story is Traction hurt me, and did not help in any way towards my recovery. Massage and manipulation did. Also the Physical therapists really take offence when I told them "Read the Scrip, IT SAYS MASSAGE, thats the only thing that helps me, do what is on the scrip" I can only assume they don't like to touch people.  So now I just cut out the middle man and every couple of years about this time, I make an appointment with my Chiropractor. | ||
| Etennuly |
I had surgery for such a thing sixteen years ago..took ten years to get back to 85%. Did all of the stuff ELF did and more. Just happy to be functional. I have a recommendation. You will feel taller and better for a time after the stretching, this is when it is great to have a pool. Just get into the pool in a vertical position in water up to your neck. Do this right after the therapy, it will relieve the affects of gravity. I would do it as long as I could every day afterwords. You will notice how much it helps as you get out of the water and feel the gravity coming back. Seemed like the longer I was in there the more time my back had to heal with less pressure on it. If it keeps you from sleeping at night get sleep therapy, it did me more good at the time than any other one thing. Best of luck, rest a lot, relearn how to do even the easy stuff. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I get spinal compression from bouncing up & down in a truck seat all day, I use an Osteopath (dunno if that's the same as a chiropractor) once in a while & it sorts me right out. If you're into self help & have a trustable friend with a high enough garage & an electric winch, have him or her hang you upside down by your feet after a nice long soak in a hot bath. I don't guarantee results but I've done it & know of at least one other person who has with no ill effects. You're effectively using your bodyweight as traction mass. | ||
| Retired_cop |
I have degenerating cartiledge and arthritis in my back, which coupled with 2 herniated and 1 ruptured disc, cause some very uncomfortable moments to say the least. I see a chiropractor once a month for spinal alignment and this has kept me up and around for the past 10 years. 2 orthopeadic surgeons have declined to work on my lower back since there is no way of knowing if there will be an improvement. As swampy said above, if the chiropractic works keep it up and very few doctors will prescribe/refer chiropractic care. Good luck and I feel your pain since I have been there, and still am. | ||
| Teddagreek |
I went for the traction and it wasn't even some nice machine I had heard of..They just kind of hung me up with straps on this contraption.. I had to take the next day off work and hurt worse than after the accident.. I'm done with physical therapy and am seeing a Chiropractor now... Thanks for all the input.... |
