Acute Spinal Injury

An acute spinal injury is sudden pain in the back or neck after a fall, accident, lift, or sudden twist. The pain can be severe, sometimes radiating into the arms or legs, and standing or moving can feel impossible. The first 72 hours are critical, early physiotherapy assessment helps us rule out serious damage, calm the inflammation, and start safe movement before stiffness sets in.

What Acute Spinal Injury feels like

• Muscle weakness
• Loss of voluntary muscle movement in the chest, arms, or legs
• Breathing problems
• Loss of feeling in the chest, arms, or legs
• Loss of bowel and bladder function
• Loss of movement
• Loss of sensation, including the ability to feel heat, cold and touch
• Exaggerated reflex activities or spasms
• Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity and fertility

Common causes of Acute Spinal Injury

• The more common injuries occur when the area of the spine or neck is bent or compressed, as in Birth Injuries (which typically affect the spinal cord in the neck area), Falls, Motor Vehicle Accidents (includes being struck as a pedestrian), Sports Injuries, Diving Accidents, Trampoline Accidents, Violence (gunshot or stab wounds), or Infections that form an abscess on the spinal cord.
• A traumatic spinal cord injury may stem from a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures, dislocates, crushes or compresses one or more of your vertebrae.

How we treat Acute Spinal Injury at Physio Wellness

There is no single fix for acute spinal injury, recovery comes from combining the right treatments for your specific situation. Your physiotherapist will assess your case in detail and recommend a plan from these proven approaches:

• Physiotherapy, Hands-on assessment and a custom exercise plan to address the root cause, not just the pain. Learn more
• Chiropractic care, Spinal manipulation and joint adjustments to restore proper mechanics. Learn more
• Spinal Decompression, Computer-controlled spinal traction to take pressure off discs and nerves. Learn more

When to come in

Book a consultation if your symptoms have lasted more than a week, are getting worse, or are interfering with sleep, work, or daily activities. We offer same-week appointments and direct bill most insurers.