Ligament Injury in Downers Grove IL

Ligament injuries in the spine are unfortunately overlooked or not checked for a majority of the time. These types of injuries can lead to permanent pain and altered biomechanics, and they require specialized treatment to heal correctly. The two most commonly injured ligaments in Downers Grove IL in the spine are the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments. They run in the front and back of your spine over the vertebrae. The most common way these ligaments are injured is through a whiplash-type motion. This, however, does NOT mean it is only after a car accident! A slip and fall, sports injuries, and even repetitive stress injuries can potentially lead to ligament issues.

Ligaments do not heal like muscle does, as there is no direct blood or nerve supply. This means they will take a bit longer and will not heal on their own. When injured, ligaments become overstretched and can even partially or fully tear. This problem is that when they are healed, they are less flexible than they were before the injury. This in turn means someone who is not treated properly will be more prone to future injury and pain in this area. Because of this, your body starts changing movement patterns and biomechanics to compensate. The body puts increased stress and strain on other areas to help with the damaged ligament, but this overstress from the compensation leads to arthritis and degeneration.

Treatment for Ligament Injuries in Downers Grove IL

What we see a lot in our office, is people have been through therapy and treatment at other places and did not get the results or relief they needed. Most were not examined for ligament issues and none had the proper treatment. We, unfortunately, hear that they were given stretches and exercises to do, which in turn made them compensate MORE and increased the abnormal biomechanics! Now, they are worse off than when they first had the issue.

Chronic pain and symptoms can be a sign of ligament instability or poor healing. Pain can seem to move around or have started in one area and now be worse in another. It is very important to be able to identify where the actual ligament issue is, what posture or biomechanical compensation is present, and if there is any arthritis or degeneration present.

Unfortunately, arthritis can set in as quickly as six months from the injury, so it is very important to make sure you are examined as soon as possible. The quicker issues are corrected, the better recovery you will have. Call our team at Downers Grove Chiropractic Spine and Injury Center in Downers Grove IL today!