Healing Herniated Disc After A Car Crash
Being told you have a herniated disc in your spine is something no one wants to hear. Unfortunately, Tiffany received this devastating news after a serious car crash. A week after Tiffany’s accident, she started to feel excruciating pain in her thighs and could barely walk. She then knew it was time to find a solution to her chronic condition.
Tiffany went to have an MRI done, and the results came back positive for a herniated disc in her lumbar spine. Her first doctor recommended that she have a series of epidural shots or surgery to repair the herniated disc. That frightened Tiffany, who needed to make ends meet as a working mom.
As a hairstylist, Tiffany works a physically demanding profession. While it may not require heavy lifting or rigorous activity, being a hairstylist requires the individual to stand on his or her feet for long periods and often assume and hold uncomfortable positions for prolonged periods.
Dr. Rachael, one of Tiffany’s clients, stated, “I started to notice that instead of Tiffany bending down to plug in her equipment, she was always asking me to do it. I started asking her if something was going on, and that’s when she told me how she’s in pain every day.”
Thankfully, Dr. Rachael introduced Tiffany to Dr. Hooman Melamed, who provided her with a second opinion and path to treatment without surgery. Dr. Melamed said, “It is very important to get Tiffany started in a strong rehab program because the stronger the body and core, the better the patient can heal and less likely to reinjure yourself again. Moreover, if spine surgery were to become necessary, then you can tolerate the surgery and also less risk of re-injuring yourself after the operation.”
Some of the changes Tiffany has made from listening to Dr. Melamed was getting on the Paleo diet, a diet that typically consists of lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. A Paleo diet will help Tiffany get in optimum shape, putting less weight and pressure on her spine. Dr. Melamed stated, “Tiffany may not even need the operation. I’ve had patients where you get them in optimum shape, and you get rid of a lot of the inflammation inside the body, and they end up not needing surgery.”
Tiffany received free weight management coaching from the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. She also received one year’s worth of free personal training with a local certified personal trainer.
As Tiffany’s story demonstrates, the majority of back pain can be relieved with conservative treatment plans. These paths often include physical therapy, chiropractic care, or nutritional changes to a patient’s diet. As a highly skilled and sought-after surgeon, Dr. Melamed is dedicated to crafting a treatment plan to work with a patient’s situation and put them on a path to living their best life.
If you suffer from chronic back pain and conservative treatments have failed to help, call (424) 21- SPINE or visit https://www.thespinepro.com.
