Avoiding Back and Neck Injuries

29 Jun Avoiding Back and Neck Injuries

There are many causes of back pain and neck pain, but in order to prevent an existing problem from worsening, or to prevent the onset of a problem in the first place, you must take care to avoid injury. Seattle pain management clinic can help. There are ways in which we can avoid severe injuries, especially to our back. Some injuries get progressively worse because we do not pay attention to the warning signs, which causes chronic pain problems to develop. Pain management Seattle can help.See a pain clinic Seattle trust.

One warning sign is joint pain. Joint pain can take place in your wrists, elbows, knees, or ankles. They joints are not covered by a muscle which means that pain here is very rarely associated with muscles and should not be ignored.
Tenderness is another warning sign. If you press something against a part of your body and it is tender, meaning it produces a slight amount of pain, you should pay attention. If that tenderness does not go away, it may get worse and may in fact be a larger indication of a big problem.

Another warning sign is swelling. If you have a musculoskeletal injury, it might cause swelling. Sometimes swelling is obvious to the naked eye, but other times you may not notice it. Swelling is a warning sign often associated with heat, pain, and redness in the same area.

A reduced range of motion is yet another warning sign. If you are unable to twist and turn the same as you were before, you may be experiencing an injury. This may be accompanied by swelling in the joint which can reduce your range of motion.

Weakness is another way for your body to send you warning signs. If one side of your body is particularly weak compared to the other side, you may be injured. This can mean that placing weight on one foot is more painful than the other.

If you are in the middle of an activity and you start to feel these warning signs, it is important that you stop the activity. You should then apply ice or heat to the affected area for fifteen minutes. If you can, elevate the affected area to reduce any swelling and then contact your doctor.

There are other warning signs which are much more severe. These are red flag type warnings related to your spine.
If you are experiencing spinal pain in the upper part of your spine, this is a red flag and you should take note.

If you have experienced a problem walking, numbness, and a loss of bowel control, this is a red flag.

If you have constant pain that is progressively getting worse, this is a red flag as well which you must not ignore.

If you have been misusing drugs or are on steroid medication and still experience increased spine pain, this is a red flag that you should recognize and listen to.

If you have been in a violent accident or experienced a traumatic injury and are now experiencing severe back pain, this is a red flag.

If you are having trouble bending forward or notice a structural deformity in your spine, this is a red flag that you should listen to.