After being involved in a car accident, patients may feel immediate effects or they may not feel effects until a few weeks later. Regardless, it is extremely important that they seek auto injury rehabilitation to ensure pain or immobility related symptoms are resolved. Physical therapists are experts of the musculoskeletal system which allows them to best treat underlying injuries that commonly occur during an accident.

Common Injuries

The most-reported injury from a car accident is whiplash, which may cause neck pain, stiffness, numbness into other body parts, or headaches to name a few. Other common injuries may include headaches, fractured body parts, pain in various body parts, or injuries that required surgeries. All of these types of injuries can benefit from physical therapy.

Personalized Approach

The first benefit of seeking physical therapy for an auto-related injury is the personalized treatment plan each patient receives. While similar injuries will have similar treatment plans, each individual recovers differently. The goal of physical therapy is to repair and strengthen your injuries on a timeline that is safe and appropriate for you and your specific injury. Your physical therapist can also customize exercises and training to meet your goals.

Accelerates Recovery

After an auto injury, you are most likely wanting to return to your prior functioning as soon as possible. Luckily, with physical therapy, you will be more likely to do that. Physical therapy will focus on various types of therapy methods to reduce swelling, decrease pain, and increase your strength and mobility, allowing you to recover and feel better sooner.

Prevent Long-Term Symptoms

Lastly, car accident victims are more prone to chronic symptoms if the correct treatment plan isn’t completed immediately after the accident. The best chance of not enduring long term side effects such as chronic pain, degenerative disc disease, headaches, and many more is by seeking physical therapy as soon as possible. It is a common occurrence that victims do not experience severe symptoms immediately after an accident however, a few weeks later will notice that their minor pain is still there. Do not allow these pains or minor symptoms to linger for months and years down the line, as there is a great chance that physical therapy can help alleviate or completely resolve these issues.
If you have been in an auto accident that resulted in an injury, your main priority should be seeking physical therapy as soon as possible to resolve your pain and return to your prior functioning baseline. Physical therapy can assist patients in improving their flexibility, strength, and mobility and decreasing their pain and dysfunction. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for auto-related injuries to cause long-term damage, which is why seeking therapy immediately is important to restore function and relieve pain in the early stages of injury.