Nonsurgical Herniated Disc Settlement Rehabilitation for employees with a back injury often involve work with a physical therapist. Patients are normally seen for four to six weeks.
The goal of treatment is to control symptoms. Your therapist will help you find positions and movements that ease pain. Treatments of heat, cold, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation may be used in the first few sessions. Lumbar traction is used to ease symptoms of lumbar disc herniation. Hands-on treatments such as massage or spinal manipulation help reduce pain and inflammation so you can resume normal activity as soon as possible.
Healthy posture and about body mechanics, how the body moves and functions safely during activity. Therapists teach safe body mechanics to help you protect the low back as you go about your day. This includes the use of safe positions and movements while lifting and carrying, standing and walking, and performing work duties.
Next comes a series of strengthening exercises for the abdominal and low back muscles. Aerobic exercises such as walking or swimming are used for easing pain and improving endurance.
Your therapist will work closely with your doctor to help you get back on the job as quickly as reasonably possible. You may be required to do lighter duties at first, but as soon as you are able, you’ll begin doing your normal work activities. Your therapist can do a work assessment to make sure you’ll be safe to do your job. Your therapist may suggest changes that could help you work safely, with less chance of re-injuring your back.
Rehabilitation after surgery is more complex. Patients may see a physical therapist in the hospital and treatment sessions help patients learn to move and do routine activities without putting extra strain on the back.
In time, therapists may use treatments such as heat or ice, electrical stimulation, massage, and ultrasound to help calm pain and muscle spasm. They provide reassurance to help patients deal with fear and apprehension about pain. Then they teach patients how to move safely with the least strain on the healing back. Exercises are used to improve flexibility, strength, and endurance.
When your treatment is well under way, regular visits to the therapist’s office will end. But you will be in charge of doing your exercises as part of an ongoing home program.
The team at McCormick Law prefers to get involved on your side earlier rather than later. In this way we can help prepare the case for the inevitable final conflict with the workers compensation insurance company. Rare indeed is the case where the insurance simply pays for a surgery or retraining or a lump sum settlement in herniated disc settlement cases.
