Most often, doctors do not attribute bruises to severe damage. This can not be said about spinal injuries, the symptoms of which will be described in this article. All spinal injuries that were received as a result of a blow can provoke very dangerous consequences, leading to severe pathologies for the human body. A bruised back can block muscle function, impair mobility of the limbs, and blood circulation. Such injuries must be taken very seriously, because even the most insignificant can provoke damage to the spinal cord. In this article, we look at the symptoms of a bruised spine, therapies, and the consequences that may occur.
general information
A trauma to the spine is usually called a traumatic lesion of the spinal column, which occurs without violating the integrity of the vertebrae and spinal cord. Statistics show that such back injuries are currently common. The frequency of their appearance among other injuries of the musculoskeletal system is from 3 to 10%. As a rule, such injuries in most cases are recorded among representatives of the stronger sex, whose age ranges from 35 to 45 years. Most of the bruises occur in the lower region, where the first lumbar vertebrae are located. In rare cases, the cervical spine suffers from bruises.
Causes
The main reason for the appearance of a bruise, as a rule, is any mechanical effect. This should include:
- Mechanical shock by a heavy object or blast wave.
- Falling from a height or back on the water.
- Fainting.
- Domestic and sports injuries.
- A header when diving on a hard surface, for example, contact with the bottom of the river.
- Fight.
- Collapse of a building or blockage.
- Unsuccessful landing.
- Injuries due to accidents.
Statistics also indicate that in most cases the cause of the injury lies precisely in a car accident. The severity of such an injury is particularly affected by the weight and age of the victim, as well as the general state of his health.
Varieties of bruises
Symptoms of a bruised spine will vary depending on its type. They can affect a variety of parts of the back, and also vary in place of localization. As a rule, they are classified into several groups: bruises of the cervical, lumbar or thoracic region. By severity, they are all divided into three main groups. Symptoms of spinal injury in these groups will also be different. Consider them.
Light form
Redness appears on the surface of the skin on the back. Signs such as swelling of the tissues, hematomas, bruises, abrasions, or wounds are also noticeable in this case.
Moderate damage
As a rule, such injuries are accompanied by parallel concussion of the spinal cord. In most cases, after such bruises, a violation of the state of nerve fibers, vertebrae and intervertebral discs occurs. Deviations regarding neurology disappear after a short period of time.
Severe injuries
This form is accompanied by severe damage to the body, since in this case the spinal cord is affected. In parallel with this, necrosis is formed, hemorrhage of the tissues of the spinal cord. In most cases, such violations are irreversible, which is why it is impossible to restore the fully normal functioning of the human body, even using various methods, including long-term treatment.
Symptoms of a severe bruised spine determine the extent and nature of the damage. In patients with such injuries, areflexia, autonomic disorders, loss of sensation, paralysis and much more are recorded.
Compression injury
We continue to consider the symptoms and treatment of spinal injury, as well as its varieties. In the case of compression trauma, compression of the vertebrae is observed, leading to a contraction of the spinal cord. There are many different reasons for this kind of bruising, but most often it is triggered by a fall, an accident, osteoporosis, as well as an unsuccessful landing on the legs.
What are the symptoms of compression contusion of the spine? Such a lesion is characterized by sharp and severe pain, a feeling of weakness, numbness, compression of the nerve roots and vertebral instability. The consequences will be very serious. Often, such injuries provoke the development of osteochondrosis, radiculitis.
Without spinal cord injury
Such back injuries are accompanied by severe pain, swelling of the soft tissues, the appearance of bruises and bruises, soreness, which intensifies in case of excessive load or movement. As for the prognosis of such injuries, in most cases all the symptoms of a bruise of the lumbar spine without damage to the spinal cord disappear after a few weeks. Sometimes post-traumatic osteochondrosis acts as consequences.
With spinal cord injury
A back injury can cause a variety of injuries affecting the back of the brain. These include rupture, concussion, bruising, squeezing, hemorrhage. Of course, in these cases, treatment is not carried out at home. Symptoms of a bruised spine and its symptoms will depend on the severity of the injury. As a rule, in case of damage to the spinal cord, the symptoms are as follows:
- The appearance of sharp pain.
- Aphonia.
- Tetraparesis.
- Slow heart rate.
- Spinal shock.
- Numbness of the skin immediately after an impact.
- Violation of swallowing, cardiac function.
- Urinary retention.
- Bruising of the lumbar can be accompanied by loss or violation of sensitivity, severe pain in the legs, as well as paralysis in some areas of the lower extremities.
- The appearance of spastic paralysis on all limbs in case of injury to the upper cervical vertebra.
- In case of a bruise of the cervical region, skin changes are often observed, for example, dry face.
- Neuromuscular and arterial spinal syndromes.
- In the case of severe damage to the spinal cord, acute respiratory failure also develops.
Forecasts for concussion are not always favorable. The duration of rehabilitation of patients with minor injuries can be up to six months or more. Most often, residual effects persist throughout the patient's life.
Diagnostics
So, we examined the possible consequences and symptoms of bruising of the spine, which may differ depending on the type of injury. In case of back injuries, it is very important to correctly diagnose, therefore, during the diagnosis, specialists use the most modern methods.
Usually, in case of symptoms of a bruise of the thoracic spine or any other specialist should conduct a visual examination. This is required in order to establish the mechanism of injury, as well as to understand the order of occurrence of such symptoms, to identify possible deformations in the back area and the presence of violations. The doctor feels the back and spine to identify painful foci, as well as muscle tension. This procedure is the same as in the case of symptoms in case of a bruised spine in a child, or in the case of an adult.
A neurological examination may also be prescribed. To do this, the doctor checks the patient for the safety of reflexes, the absence or presence of paresis or paralysis, makes a check of pain, temperature and tactile sensitivity, and also reveals violations regarding motor activity.
An x-ray examination is mandatory, which is required in order to confirm or exclude possible damage to the spinal column, which should include fractures, cracks, narrowing of the spinal canal. X-ray allows you to assess the size of the deformity of the spine, as well as the state of paravertebral tissues. This study is carried out in the lateral and posterior projections.
The most informative research method is magnetic resonance imaging. It is prescribed if necessary, a detailed study of the site of the injury. This diagnosis allows you to determine and evaluate in detail the condition of the spinal column, nerve processes, as well as the membranes and vessels of the spinal cord. Magnetic resonance imaging is able to determine the integrity of bone tissue and intervertebral discs.
To confirm or exclude subarachnoid hemorrhage and other changes during bruising of the spine, lumbar puncture is prescribed. Without fail, it is necessary if the patient had severe symptoms of a bruise of the cervical spine.
Computed tomography is performed in order to most accurately examine the damage. It helps to identify possible cracks and fractures. Also, such an examination specifies the degree of damage to the bone and cartilage structures located in the spinal canal.
A blood and urine test indicates the absence or presence of an inflammatory process in the patient's body.
First aid
In order to successfully carry out the treatment of spinal injury in the future, the patient needs to be provided with the right first aid. To do this, it is not necessary to have a medical education or study medical volumes. You can find out home treatment, the consequences, symptoms and causes of a bruised spine from this article. The main recommendations for first aid for bruising are as follows:
- Make sure that the patient is breathing. If there is no breathing, then he should undergo artificial ventilation.
- Next, you should ensure complete immobility to the person. Never carry or lift the victim. Thanks to complete rest, the damage can be aggravated. If a person's neck is injured, then this spine should be immediately fixed with a homemade tire. If there are no serious symptoms, then the place of the injury should be fixed with a very tight bandage. An ideal option would be fixing the neck using an orthopedic special collar.
- If there is a pronounced swelling or swelling at the site of the injury, then a cold compress or ice should be applied there.
If a slight bruise of the spine was received, then therapy is carried out at home. A severe to moderate injury requires emergency care.
Medical manipulations
After providing first aid, the patient is placed in the department of neurosurgery or traumatology, transporting him by car, laying him face down on a stretcher. There, anti-shock therapy is carried out with the monitoring of pressure indicators, maintaining the function of the damaged internal organ, if any.
To ease the pain, the victim is given analgesics, as well as anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs, anticoagulants, angioprotectors and other drugs. Depending on the symptoms, other medications and procedures are prescribed for therapy. In most cases, patients with back injuries are prescribed a course of massage and exercise therapy, wearing a corset and physiotherapy. On the recommendation of a specialist, the injury site is lubricated with warming and analgesic ointments for some time.
After this, rehabilitation measures are carried out. During this period, bed rest should be replaced with moderate motor activity, but without overloading the body. To improve local blood circulation and speed up the healing process, doctors recommend thermal compresses that are applied to the bruised area.
As for surgical intervention, it is prescribed only in isolated cases.
Possible complication
If a spinal bruise has not been cured in a timely manner, then in the future it may cause the development of some neurological consequences. The most common complications are paresis, curvature of the spinal column, paralysis of the limbs, as well as loss of skin sensitivity.