The overall alignment of the spinal complex is key structure involved and responsible for maintaining the health and resilient of the ligamentous support. When the spinal segment is misaligned or a visible deformity is presence, certain ligaments becomes shorten and others overstretched, and in an attempt to maintain the joint apposition leads to further deformation and injury.
Spinal sprains tend to cause significant pain and inflammation as per the number of tissues being damage and compromised from the trauma. Morning stiffness and reduced joint overall movement are common symptoms reported by patients.
When the spinal segment is misaligned in posterior direction, the above vertebral segments adopt a compensation pattern of dysfunction driving forward and eventually leading to certain ligamentous injuries. Hence, there are two patterns of ligamentous sprains; The sprain caused by the primary dysfunctional segments and the other group of sprains caused by the compensated segments.
Primary vertebral misalignment cause and injury on the anterior longitudinal ligament and the annular fibres surround the disc (pre disc herniation)
Spinal-ligaments-
Due to the degree and chronicity of the misalignment, the flavum ligament may bulge inward and irritate the corresponding nerve root.
Compensatory vertebral misalignment overstretches the following ligaments: Flavum, interspinous, intertransverse, supraspinous and the posterior longitudinal.
Spinal Chronic Instability is a condition that is predisposed by the presence of chronic ligamentous injuries which leads to a deformation of the elastic properties of the ligaments resulting in compromised bone apposition causing the overall instability
Is important to note that for the ligament to become injured, the previous defence mechanism have to have failed to allow the biomechanical stress to damage the ligament, therefore, the treatment care must aim to restore the health of the entire spinal complex protective structures.
Assessment Protocol
Clinical assessment to identify the key spinal misalignment dysfunctions that have contributed to this condition. Evaluation to identify the primary and compensatory spinal segments.
Soft tissue analysis to pinpoint the level of irritation in the ligaments.
X-ray
Anterior – posterior (AP) and lateral spinal views are an essential imaging to check the different patterns of spinal misalignments and compensatory segments that contributed to this condition.
MRI
Spinal MRI is essential for visualizing the extent of injury on the muscle/tendon and ligamentous layers.
Locate the exact injury point; Allows the treatment to be more specific during the application of the treatment modalities
Identify the extent of tissue damage and the presence of scar tissue; Provides valuable information regarding prognosis and the application of friction soft tissue modalities to aid on scar tissue removal.
Treatment protocol
Specific spinal adjustments followed by a rehabilitation regime to strengthen the entire soft tissue support of the spine.
Application of Low-level Laser and PEMF to aid on the cellular level of heling as well as improving the microcirculation for the area.
Friction soft tissue therapy helps to reduce dysfunctional scar tissue
Specific selected essential oil application to enhance healing
Depending on level of misalignment and chronicity a minimum of 6 weeks up to 12 weeks of treatment care may be necessary to resolve this deformity.
