The time following a brain or spinal cord injury can be confusing, overwhelming, and extremely difficult to navigate. Quite commonly, a patient and his or her family are uncertain when it comes to what to expect or how to move forward. However, taking three simple steps will ensure that the patient and his or her friend and family deal with the situation as effectively as possible.

Step 1: Educate Yourself

Whether you are the patient or the friends and family of the patient, it’s extremely important to learn as much as possible about the injury, as well as potential treatment options and long-term outcomes. The medical team that is overseeing the patient’s care is an ideal resource, and should be able to give you the answers you need. They will also be able to steer you toward additional resources and support groups that will have all the information you need pertaining to the injury.

Step 2: Focus on the Present

While it’s tempting to think about the future, focusing on the present is very important during the initial time following the injury. It’s not uncommon for a patient to take one step back for every step her or she takes forward. It’s important, during this time, to understand that recovery will take place at its own pace. Patience and support are two things the survivor will need much of at this time. While the survivor should try to be as independent as possible, he or she should not be afraid to ask for help when it’s needed.

Step 3: Prepare for the Future

Life following a brain or spinal cord injury will be significantly different than life before the injury. Focusing on the future and what it holds is a very important part of the healing process. This stage should include goal setting, determining long-term care needs, researching treatment and clinical trials, and finding support groups.

Free-floating spinal decompression may just be what you need for back pain relief.

Dr. Kendall Gearhart is one of the first chiropractors in the country to be trained in free-floating spinal decompression (FFSD). What makes this treatment worth noting is that it depends on gravity to separate your lumbar spine from the lower part of your body instead of the traditional use of a prone machine to do the work.

The patient is strapped into a machine that restrains your upper body while the the chair you are sitting in is lowered and eventually removed. This stretches the back while gravity decompresses your spinal cord. This procedure is safe to use on people who were unable to have a traditional decompression performed - those with back fusions.

FFSD has no side effects and is said to relieve pain in seven out of ten patients. Most insurances won’t cover this treatment, so if you are going to consider it an option, be prepared to pay upwards of a thousand dollars per series of treatments.