There are two types of injuries we treat at our office and they are acute injuries which usually involve an accident like whiplash resulting in immediate trauma and the second type of injury is chronic which can have equally dammaging effects but it just occurs over a longer period of time. For example, carpal tunnel in the wrists, chronic tendonitis and disc or joint degeneration take time to develop.

I am going to spend some time talking about acute injuries and some of the steps we take at Haas Chiropractic Clinic to treat these conditions.

There are four stages of tissue healing. The first stage is active swelling. This is when the patient experiences trauma to their neck or back and swelling occurs for twelve to seventy-two hours. Generally, we see loss of spinal motion and pain increases. Treatment may involve light adjustments to the spine, rest and supporting the injured areas with a back brace or splint. The goals of care are to minimize pain and swelling by using ice, compression and in some cases elevation.

The second stage is called passive congestion. This is where fluid is trapped in the tissues and restricts motion, causes pain and delays healing. This second stage begins by the second to fourth day following injury. Our job here is to remove fluid, offer pain relief and begin to restore motion. This is privided by chiropractic adjustments which helps to restore motion, block pain, relax tight muscles and accelerate healing. We use hot and cold packs to remove fluid, begin controlled motion exercises and use physiotherapy such as electrical stimmulation or ultrasound.

The third stage is repair. This stage begins five days after the injury and is where scar tissue is made for up to six weeks.

Lack of motion in joints causes excess scar tissue in dense patterns which also disrupts normal function and causes excess scarring, chronic stiffness, chronic pain and increased risk fo re-injury.

That is why Chiropractic care should continue throughout the repair stage, Remember, it takes longer for tissues to heal and normal function to be restored than it takes for pain relief. Pain relief is not the only goal. If motion is restored and maintained to the neck and back, tissues and joints heal in a much more functional way.

The fourth stage of tissue healing is called remodeling. This is where connective tissue remodels for better strength and flexibility. This may take anywhere from three to fourteen weeks depending on the severity of the injury. Rehabilitation is used at our office during this stage.

To summarize the role Chiropractic has in managing injuries, would be that Chiropractic can help improve and maintain motion and flexibility, this allows for better restored and maintained body functions. Chiropractic helps reduce chronic pain, and reduces the risk of re-injury and degeneration for the joints and discs of the spine.

 Both Dr. Dave and myself evaluate patients that seek our care and develop a treatment plan to fit their needs in relation th the four stages of tissue healing. Call our office at 424-6531 for more information.

Dr. Rick Haas DC, FACO