Physical Therapy After a Car Accident: 5 Things You Need to Know

People involved in car accidents often dismiss the idea of whiplash, without getting themselves checked by a doctor afterward.

But according to statistics, out of the 3 million Americans who sustain these injuries each year, half of this amount goes on to suffer from long-term pain. Leaving it untreated can even lead to disability.

So why is seeking physical therapy after a car accident important?

Contents

1 1. Recover Effectively
2 2. Stop Long-term Damage
3 3. Help Pain Management
4 4. Avoid Surgery
5 5. Help Lingering Untreated Injuries
6 Physical Therapy After a Car Accident

1. Recover Effectively

There’s enough to worry about following a car accident – such as deciphering who is at fault. So the best thing to do, if you feel pain, is to see a physical therapist. This will be one less problem to deal with down the line.

It will ensure you recover effectively. And often it will unearth an injury that you might not have noticed yet.

Whiplash tends to be caused after a rear collision, leading to stiffness, lack of mobility, headaches, and soreness.

Immediate physical therapy will treat the issue from the off, preventing it from getting worse and helping you to feel better sooner. It is more effective than merely taking a week off work and staying in bed.

2. Stop Long-term Damage

Physical therapy is also a way to stave off long-term damage. It can be a pre-emptive move, even if you don’t feel unwell or in pain.

Chronic pain and migraines are common side effects from whiplash and these can crop up down the line, in a delayed response. Whiplash can lead to conditions such as degenerative disc disease as well.

Injuries such as these are more likely diagnosed in patients who suffered an accident and didn’t seek treatment straight away afterward.

3. Help Pain Management

No one enjoys being in discomfort and pain. And aside from greater ailments or injuries, treating whiplash with physical therapy will make you more comfortable, sooner.

Seeking this treatment encourages recovery, while bed rest stunts it.

The moves performed during physical therapy help pimp oxygenated blood and other nutrients to your injured area, nurturing faster repair.

4. Avoid Surgery

Physical therapy can even prevent you from needing surgery down the line.

If your car accident was not, on the surface, a serious collision, it’s likely you won’t need surgery right away. Perhaps you won’t ever need it. But if you suffered a minor degree of whiplash, the need for serious medical attention can crop up later.

This is another reason to bite the bullet early with physical therapy. It will cause you less time, stress, and money than surgery and recovery time will.

5. Help Lingering Untreated Injuries

Another benefit of physical therapy after a car accident is treating dormant or lingering injuries that you already had.

Whiplash can cause these to rear their heads once again, and getting therapy will not only help with new injuries but help heal old ones too.

These could be from past car accidents or simply from other ailments you have experienced over time, and never got checked or treated.

It’s always a good idea to keep abreast of accident news, to know your rights.