Why Physical Therapy after a Car Accident?

Physical therapists are musculoskeletal experts, well-suited to treat the underlying musculoskeletal injuries that may have occurred because of a car accident. The result of a car accident is stressful and painful. You may not notice pain or stiffness immediately but for many of us, the pain will come in the following days. It is crucial to seek medical treatment immediately to rule out any possibility of a fracture that might have occurred due to the accident.

There are several types of injuries that are common in car accidents and can benefit from physical therapy. Some of these are whiplash, headaches, back pain, neck pain, shoulder, and knee pain. You can speed up the recovery time when physical therapy is added to your treatment. Repairing and strengthening damaged tissues and muscles is the ultimate goal of therapy. Physical agents such as heat, ice, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation may be used. Manual techniques are often used to help improve mobility. Some injuries are more severe and some retraining of everyday functions, such as brushing your teeth or opening a door and physical therapy in addition to occupational therapy is often beneficial.

One of the goals of physical therapy is to attempt to prevent an injury from going from acute to chronic. After an accident, you may feel as though it might be impossible to do the things that you could do before the accident. Physical therapy allows you to boost your mental health which is the key to gain optimal success with your treatment. As you continue to progress and achieve the goals that the physical therapist sets for you it will promote your confidence that with hard work you can recover from your injuries.

Physical therapy can accelerate your recovery process by aiding in healing by restoring function and mobility. It can also avoid or delay your need for surgery. Surgery should be the last resort for an injury and with physical therapy, it is possible to postpone until a more convenient time; it is common that with diligent and consistent care surgery may not even be necessary. If orthopedic surgery is necessary than physical therapy before the procedure can allow for a speedy recovery especially if you continue your care with your personal physical therapist after your surgery.

Finally, we would like to mention pain medications and the ability to utilize physical therapy to keep the need to take them to a minimum and reduce the length of time you spend on them. Physical therapy can assist by restoring function and mobility by improving your flexibility, strength, and range of motion of which will improve the consistent pain and allow you to live a life that doesn’t revolve around the need for pain medications.

Our team of doctors has the knowledge in aiding a patient that has been through a car accident. Therapeutic exercise is often used by physical therapists to help people gain range of motion, increase strength, and improve function. Patient education about a condition or illness is paramount to the practice of physical therapy, and therapists may use charts, models, and diagrams to help you understand your diagnosis and prognosis. Our office staff is competent, kind, and compassionate. They understand the seriousness of your situation. Contact the Chiropractic Clinic of South Florida for all your physical therapy and chiropractic care. https://soflochiro.com/physical-therapy/

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