Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of injuries. Just alone in 2012, there were over 5 million motor vehicle accidents in the country. The damage after a car accident can be immense. There are both fatalities and injuries. An injury from a car wreck can vary from person to person, but there are some common ones.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Head and back injuries from a car wreck are typically the most serious. Head injuries can lead to vision problems, skull fractures and concussions. With a concussion, you may experience dizziness and headaches. Another common car accident injury is a herniated disk. Neck and chest injuries are also common, with whiplash being the most common accident injury. Whiplash can be very painful and restrict movement. The sudden movement of the neck and head in a car accident can cause whiplash. Blunt force trauma from a car accident can collapse lungs and break ribs.
Indeed, car accidents can result in a wide variety of injuries. For a quicker recovery, it’s best to engage in physical therapy treatment.
Physical Therapy After a Car Accident: The Reasons Why
There are many, many reasons to undergo physical therapy after you’ve been in a car crash. It supports the recovery process. After a car accident, you may experience pain, reduced range of motion, headaches or stiffness. Keep in mind that these symptoms may not appear right after a car accident. Physical therapy helps you to keep pain symptoms at bay, improve flexibility, increase strength and recover faster. It can also prevent long-term damage from a car accident, including migraines and chronic pain. The sooner you get physical therapy after a car wreck, the more likely you are to have a pain-free life. As a matter of fact, a Medscape study revealed that those who didn’t receive physical therapy were much more likely to suffer from degenerative disc disease.
Physical therapy can also help to reduce pain. Exercise pumps oxygen, blood and nutrients to the injury site and enhances healing. Every stretch and exercise has a specific goal for recovery and improves function and mobility. A physical therapist can develop a personalized treatment plan, targeting the specific injury. Physical therapy can also help to avoid surgery after a car accident. It strengthens ligaments, tendons, and muscles, which protect the body’s structures. It’s also a much more cost-effective solution.
Physical therapy can also restore function in patients with old car accident injuries. You can still benefit from physical therapy even if you had an injury years ago. Using cardiovascular rehab techniques and strength training, it can help relieve old pain and improve mobility. Plus, it’s a non-invasive treatment, and you won’t wind up having to rely on pain medications for relief.
Physical therapists can even treat vertigo due to a car accident. In as little as one treatment, they can fix a dysfunction in the vestibular system. Types of physical therapy include massage, manual manipulation, ultrasound, ice and cold therapy, specific exercises, targeted massage, stretching and aquatic therapy. It’s a holistic approach to healing after being in a car accident. In addition to treatment after a car accident injury, physical therapists can provide services for pulmonary rehab, neurologic rehab, cardiovascular, orthopedic and post-op care.
If you are suffering from an injury sustained in a car accident, contact Optimal Motion and let our trained therapists help you get on the road to recovery. We will schedule a one-on-one consultation with you, do a comprehensive evaluation, and create a treatment plan just for you.
