Physical Therapy

Physical therapy treatment is specific to an individual and their injuries; aiming to increase range of motion, flexibility, mobility, decrease pain, and prevent further injuries. This treatment can help with fractures, post-surgery treatment, arthritis, spinal cord injuries, and whiplash. Your doctor or the emergency room doctor may recommend physical therapy as part of your treatment. Physical therapy can be used along with other types of treatment such as chiropractic care, pain management, and doctor visits.

Common injuries after a car accident include whiplash, headaches, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and knee pain. However, symptoms from these injuries may not surface right away, so it’s imperative patients seek immediate medical attention. Postponing treatment could result in long-term damage such as chronic pain, reduced mobility, or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

After a car accident, you may not feel any pain for several days. Your body, when it experiences trauma protects itself by not allowing you to feel the full extent of your injuries. When you resume your normal activities after an accident, you may notice an increase in pain and lost movement in your joints. Physical therapy helps restore your range of motion and regain your strength after sustaining an injury. By strengthening your muscles and restoring your range of motion you can decrease your pain. 

Treatment

Physical therapists are experts in muscular and skeletal structures. They are trained to treat underlying injuries by assessing the condition of your joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves.

During your initial visit, your physical therapist will perform an overall health examination; checking on the state of your limbs, joints, and pain levels. They may also check on your physical strength, range of motion, balance, and flexibility. After the evaluation, they will provide a diagnosis and suggest a treatment plan specific to you and your injuries. 

Your treatment plan may consist of heating, icing, electric stimulation, ultrasound, strength exercises, massage, etc. Depending on your condition, your therapist may give you a list of rehabilitative exercises to perform at home, which they will walk you through step by step. 

Though exercising after sustaining injuries may sound counterintuitive, exercising pumps oxygenated blood and other nutrients throughout your body which help your body heal. Every exercise or stretch your physical therapists prescribes has a specific purpose. Targeted exercises will help you decrease your pain, increase your mobility, and joint function. 

Benefits of Physical Therapy:

The benefits of physical therapy include pain management, reduction of pain medication, future injury prevention, injury recovery, improved balance, and reduced chance of surgery.

Along with aiding in recovery, physical therapy can prevent long-term damage to your joints and muscles; can address immediate injuries such as sprains, whiplash, strains, herniated discs; improve your strength, flexibility, and mobility preventing conditions such as chronic pain and migraines. 

Were you or someone you know involved in a recent auto accident? Call Auto Accident Care Network now at 801-683-1948 to connect with a live care advocate. Our team at AACN can connect you to trusted attorneys and doctors to schedule a free legal consultation, a free thirty-minute massage, and a no-cost medical exam!