Rehabilitation after compression fractures of the spine: physiotherapy, corsets

A compression fracture of a vertebra is one of the most dangerous back injuries. Even if the spinal cord survives, splicing the damaged parts lasts very long. What to speak of the fractures affecting the spinal cord. When the rupture the person becomes paralyzed.

For any consequences of the spinal injury required physical therapy.

This method of treatment is effective and does not require material costs. For minor violations structure of the spine, affecting the spinal cord, physical exercise will help to return back to its former flexibility and give the person the ability to walk normally.

Even if the diagnosis is very poor – the gap of the spinal cord, do not despair. There are operations that can restore mobility to the feet, but the chance is very small. Exercise in any case will be a great addition to any treatment.

Role of therapeutic exercises in rehabilitation

Complex physical therapy is effective for injuries lumbar and thoracic spine. There are focused muscle strengthening which can significantly reduce the load on the spine. A fractured vertebra has more chances to recover in the presence of well-formed muscular system. Any rehabilitation after compression fractures of the spine includes gymnastic exercises.

• Be sure to read: restoration of the spine

You should start gradually, most people are allowed to make movement of the body after 10 days. If the severity of the compression fracture is quite high and there are shifts of the vertebrae, not earlier than 2 weeks.

When it comes time the doctor spends the first gymnastic exercises – coups in the stomach. It is important to go to the correct position, to abut with one hand and gently roll over. You also need to put a small pillow under the thoracic spine, this is one of the security measures. With exercise even in the supine position, the patient makes muscles shrink, reducing the risk of physical inactivity. It is also necessary to prepare the body for the next, more difficult exercises.

• See also: Compression fracture of the spine in children.

In a short time, when it's been about 8 weeks, the patient should try to stand up. Before that, testing the muscles of the back, tested their strength and if they can support the spine. In addition, the doctor examines the patient and checks for pain response to touch to the fracture site.

If all the tests doctor married successfully, you can try to stand up, but it should be done very gently, avoiding excessive stress on the vertebrae.

You can't lean forward, it stretches the spine and prevents the splicing of the parts of the vertebra. Also can't sit up, the load on the spine increases excessively. One of the main rules – compliance posture.

Simple compression fractures

When there is no displacement and severity of fracture is small, the treatment is accelerated. On the first day after surgery begins a course of physiotherapy. All the exercises are executed lying on your back. From the beginning it is better to only perform breathing exercises, it will help to organize the work of the cardiovascular system and make the spine in the thoracic position.

• See also: What is a compression fracture of the spine?

You can slightly raise the lower back above the bed surface, reducing the muscles. It is prohibited to lift your feet, lifting your heels off the bed. Allowed movement then one leg, then the other. All the exercises carried out smoothly, softly and gently. Gradually, the duration of gymnastic techniques increases. The third week begins with exercises covering turns the stomach. The first attempts made with the help of a doctor, the next one on their own.

• See also: the Treatment of compression fractures of the spine.

You can further enhance exercise. Now the patient lying on the stomach (in turn) and resting his elbows on his bed, Flex and bend the back. Muscles contract and become stronger, the main thing is the smoothness in the movements. A few days after successful implementation of this kind of exercise challengecomplicated – extension and flexion is performed without hands.

The next step is exercise that involves lifting your legs out of bed. If all is successful, you can begin to make movements that mimic Cycling. Also a great choice will be exercises where you have to simultaneously raise left arm and leg and then the right.

At this period of rehabilitation (about six weeks) it is already possible to try to raise up both straightened legs at a certain angle and keep them that way.

When the period of rehabilitation up to two months, the doctors carry out inspection and survey. In the absence of pain in a certain position, you can try to stand. The first attempts are necessarily conducted in the presence of a specialist and only on the bed. Man tries to stand, pushing off the bed with his knees. If successful, in a short time allowed to stand is already fully on his feet and beside the bed. The standing time gradually increased, followed by a transition to a commit steps. When the time reaches six months and pain when walking no sitting position is getting resolved, but slowly and not for long.

The last step in this treatment is the performance of numerous physical exercises in the standing position: partial squats (to parallel with the floor), various extension, and tilt. It is important to keep your back straight.

When is 12 months of rehabilitation, the person is considered to be relatively healthy. But it is important in this situation to maintain a healthy lifestyle and not to forget about the gym.

• See also: the Treatment of compression fractures of the lumbar spine.

Orthopedic corsets

Sometimes the compression fracture of the spine, if the degree of injury of the weak and not affected the spinal cord, is assigned to the corset. However, not all people need such a measure. The corset is usually designed for those people who cannot guarantee exact observance of all instructions, it is usually poorly disciplined children and adolescents. Rehabilitation course also lasts about a year, but finding the patient in the hospital is minimized. The corset considerably limits the range of permissible movements, which significantly reduces the risk of complications, but there are difficulties.

One of the main difficulties – shortness of breath from protective devices. It is important to focus on exercises that trains the respiratory system. Complex physical therapy is tailored to the features of the corset.

• See also: Rehabilitation after compression fractures of the thoracic spine.

Performed physical therapy special interest groups, which are combined in patients bearing the corset. The first exercise performed in a prone position: it is necessary to raise his head from the pillow, cutting the muscles along the spine. Further, the work included and the shoulder girdle, which increases the load on the muscles and thus strengthens them. Also effective are exercises with direct zakidyvanie legs. After that, patients as trying to lift one of the feet, and the other prevent it. Creates a gentle load that can strengthen the back muscles.

Any therapeutic gymnastics in a corset must be accompanied by correct breathing, contributing to enrichment of blood with oxygen, the formation of correct posture in the thoracic spine. It also increases the lung volume, which is the prevention of suffocation.

• See also: Crack the spine, how to treat?

Especially important procedure of removing the corset, everything is done very slowly and gradually. On the passage of 10 - 12 weeks from the date of appointment, the fixture can start to remove before going to sleep, but no more. The next step will be the removal of the corset for a short time standing a little to get used to. But to get rid of the supports is possible only in the lying position.

After a few weeks you can try to go without a corset, but only until the first pain. At the same time walk must be constantly increased to have been progress in the development of muscles.

If a year has passed since that moment as have been obtained of a compression fracture of the spine, exercises can be performed without the corset. Exercises in the standing position will be focused on strengthening of muscles – extensors of the back. Sometimes have to wear a corset, but only after gymnastics. Correctly performed exercises will help to restore spine mobility and relieve pain. People that with persistence will come to the decision of this question, sooner or later will feel the full rehabilitation after a spinal fracture.

• See also: orthopedic Pillow for cervical spine

Severe compression fractures

As awful as it sounds, but full recovery after severe compression fracturethe spine is possible only in case of partial rupture of the spinal cord. If a vital structure is completely broken, most likely the person will be paralyzed, but we cannot lose hope, because there are many experimental operations.

Patients with complicated compression fractures of the spine also perform exercises from a course of physiotherapy. Incomplete severing of the spinal cord, they give a chance for the successful rehabilitation and a return to a normal way of life, and in full – prepare one for the special way of life.

• See also: Fracture of the thoracic spine.

An important feature of such exercises – the limbs should lie in the correct position, the physician helps the patient in it. The first exercise is rolling the patient on the bed (independent). The subsequent course of physiotherapy will be performed on the floor, it helps to distract the patient from bad thoughts and anguish which brings the constant lying in bed.

The first exercise on the floor will also be rolling, followed by psychological support is very important. Next, you can perform gymnastic tricks already on my stomach.

If there is no complete break of the spinal cord, the patient soon passes to a previously specified courses of physiotherapy, helping him to recover fully and once to his feet. In the case of a complete rupture of the spinal cord, the person strengthens certain muscles of the back and arms, develops cardiovascular and respiratory system. Also exercises are a great prevention of inactivity and stagnation. The main thing to remember is that there is always a chance for recovery and hope for the best.

Contraindications to physical therapy

Despite the fact that the use of therapeutic exercises in compression fractures of the spine of any complexity is a huge, sometimes impossible to use these exercises. It is important to listen to the advice of the doctor, that he gives direction to conduct therapy or a ban.

• See also: Rehabilitation after spinal surgery.

In such cases it is usually contraindicated to conduct a course of physiotherapy:

• The patient is in too serious condition;
• There are many complications caused by compression fracture of the spine – sudden changes in body temperature and pressure;
• When executing any exercise a person feels pain that is not terminated;
• The patient feels helplessness, the inability to do anything;
• Strong disorders of the nervous system complicating any movement;
• Gastro – intestinal disorders.