The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact has extended beyond the virus itself. Many individuals have chosen not to address health concerns because they are afraid of visiting medical facilities.
The consequences of delaying care can be severe. From a spinal standpoint, a number of issues could worsen the longer you wait. Fractures, debilitating pain, neurological deficits, and cancer fo the spine are all potential afflictions individuals may be suffering from—but not attending to.
If a health problem is on your mind, you should make it a priority and seek out care. Most of the time, it’s not a major health problem, but sometimes it can be something serious that needs immediate attention.
Here’s how you can access spine care safely during the pandemic.
Stringent Precautions Ensure Patient Safety
The University of Maryland Spine Network offers advanced care at their practices across the state and has taken significant steps to ensure the safest patient experience possible.
Telemedicine is a primary option, with a full range of telehealth visits available. Video conferences are the ideal platform, providing a virtual face-to-face conversation and possibly even a rudimentary physical exam. However, you can connect with a physician via phone if you don’t have access to video.
For cases that require an in-person visit, you are allowed to come into the office. Numerous preventative measures are in place, including:
- Masking
- Aggressive sanitization
- Social distancing
- Pre-appointment screening to identify potential COVID-19 symptoms
- Strategic scheduling of patients in order to avoid multiple patients in the waiting room
The number of people who attend the appointment is also limited. However, if you need someone to help you get around or for emotional support, you can bring a visitor.
Should You Have that Elective Surgery?
In the early stages of the pandemic, UM Spine Network’s practices were limiting the surgeries performed to only those emergent in nature. In the past few months, surgical teams have resumed elective operations.
When it comes to any medical procedure or treatment, you must always evaluate the risks and benefits. Getting spine care during the pandemic is no different. Coronavirus is simply an added risk to surgery. However, the risk of being exposed to COVID-19 in the hospital is low.
Non-Surgical Therapies Can Provide Relief
Patients who choose to wait to undergo a procedure have a number of pain relief options they can implement at home, including:
- Anti-inflammatories
- Muscle relaxers
- Nerve agents to help with nerve pain
- Resting
- Avoiding strenuous activity
- Using heat or ice
- Doing home exercises
Physical therapy offices are open as well, incorporating the same stringent precautions. Patients can be referred to pain management doctors. Many of these physicians are seeing people via telemedicine visits and scheduling patients for steroid injections and other non-surgical therapies. The University of Maryland Rehabilitation Network offers first-class physical rehabilitation services across the state, giving you easy access to care close to home.
While these strategies have their limitations for severe cases, they could potentially help you get through any time where elective surgeries might be on hold or in circumstances where delaying surgery is safer than having it.
Hear From Our Experts
Listen to Dr. Kenneth Crandall, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Neurosurgeon at UM St. Joseph Medical Center, and Complex Spine Surgeon with Towson Orthopedic Associates, discuss the precautions that are in place to help you access spine care during the pandemic on the Live Greater Podcast.
