MARK THUSH: Hi, this is attorney Mark Thush where we ask attorneys and doctors from around central Florida legal and medical questions that can help you.
‘Understanding Returning Symptoms’ featuring special Guest Dr. Nicole Ingrando
MARK THUSH: Hi everyone! Today’s guest is Dr. Nicole Ingrando, a chiropractor with offices in Longwood and Orlando, Florida.
Today’s question is from Diane and she asks, “About 10 years ago I was involved in a car accident. I received physical therapy, massage and chiropractic care — which really helped. Recently, my symptoms have returned. Is this normal?”
DR. NICOLE INGRANDO: That’s a great question and it’s a question that we hear almost every day. It is normal and this happens often. After you undergo treatment and you learn exercises that are designed to prevent spine pain you’ll do very very well but as you return back to your normal activities or daily life and as you return back to work functions, lifting functions and everything that you need to do, your spine will tell you over the course of your lifetime, what it needs. Just like a new born baby crying trying to tell a parent that he or she needs something, the spine is very very similar.
When you have symptoms or pain, very often this pain does not mean that you’re enduring tissue damage, but that your spine needs something. Often you want to make sure that when you’re feeling those symptoms return, a doctor is doing an exam to diagnose where this is coming from and to rule out any tissue damage or anything for you to worry about.
The next step is to find out where the pain is coming from and find out why. What is perpetuating the pain and what can you do outside of our offices to avoid it.
MARK THUSH: Ok, well let me ask you this, will she have to seek medical treatment for the rest of her life?
DR. NICOLE INGRANDO: That is not the goal. Any type of treatment — if the treatment is dictated by the diagnosis, should be very very effective and work relatively quickly. What we look for in a patient undergoing some sort of care, especially passive therapy for pain like this, is I like to hear my patients say that the pain intensity, duration and frequency is going down and their functional capacity is going up. It’s important to have measurement tools along the way to ensure that we’re headed in the right clinical direction, meaning the patient ultimately is pain free or their life is not dominated or dictated by the pain.
MARK THUSH: Ok, so I guess it’s fair to say that some injuries never resolve and may over time.
DR. NICOLE INGRANDO: Of course and it’s very different patient to patient. What’s important to know is that when your spine is hurting or you experience pain, again it’s your body’s way of trying to tell you something. It’s important that you’re with a professional that can dianose what the spine is trying to say and find ways to overcome this quickly and to manage the pain as it comes and goes. I can’t be everywhere with my patients at any given time — on vacations perhaps or at work — so I try to make it an important factor to identify the perpetuating factors and educate my patients on what they can do to prevent this pain and what they can do exercise wise or rehabilitation wise on the road to avoid the pain from coming back.
MARK THUSH: Thank you Dr. Nicole Ingrano with offices in Longwood and Orlando, Florida. Thanks for coming on the show today.
DR. NICOLE INGRANDO: It’s my pleasure, Mark. Thank you for having me.
MARK THUSH: I hope you’ve enjoyed our show today, and remember, I’m a personal injury attorney so if you or someone you know could use my help, give me a call, I’m glad to help.
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