Why Physical Therapy Is Important For Recovering After A Car Crash

Car crashes are fairly common, but they can still be extremely stressful.

But if you’ve been in a car crash recently, there’s more to worry about than just your car.

Car crash injuries are more common than many people realize, especially since symptoms might not show up right away.

Injuries can include whiplash, shoulder strain, and concussions.

If you’ve been in a car crash recently, even if you think your injuries are minor, you’ll want to get checked out.

Physical therapy for concussions, physical therapy for whiplash, and the many other Washington DC physical therapy options for car crash injuries can help.

Physical therapists are uniquely experienced to help you with the injuries you may be suffering from after your car crash.

Injuries can get worse over time, so you’ll want to be proactive about your health and look into physical therapy as quickly as possible.

For now, let’s take a look at what happens after a car crash.

Common Injuries From A Car Crash

You may be wondering what the most common injuries from a car crash are.

In the U.S. alone there are about 6 million car crashes a year, most of them rear end collisions.

These kinds of collisions are the cause of the most common injury from car crashes: whiplash.

If you’ve experienced whiplash it means your neck jerked forward suddenly, which can cause a myriad of unpleasant symptoms.

These include but are not limited to chronic pain and stiffness in the head, neck, and shoulders; chronic headaches; tingling and numbness in the upper extremities; and dizziness and fatigue.

Pain in the lower back, neck, shoulder, and knee are also among the more common injuries you may experience.

Why See A Physical Therapist After A Car Crash

If you’ve experienced a car crash, it’s important to see a physical therapist as soon as possible.

Your injuries may not seem like a big deal now, but they can escalate over time.

Prolonging treatment might result in chronic pain, gait issues, or reduced mobility.

Physical therapists are experts on the musculoskeletal system and help treat people who have been in car crashes regularly.

They’ll be able to bring their experience to you to make sure you don’t have lasting issues after your car crash.

Here are some of the reasons why seeking out physical therapy services after a car crash is important.

1. You Might Not Know How Serious Your Injuries Are At First

Whiplash and other related car crash injuries are notorious for not having noticeable symptoms right after the crash.

However, you may notice pain, stiffness, or a reduced range of motion in your neck once you’ve returned to your daily routine.

This is because your body doesn’t react to soft tissue damage right away.

Pain, inflammation, swelling, and stiffness develop over time.

Because of this it’s important to get treatment before your injuries lead to chronic pain.

2. Physical Therapy Can Help You With Pain Management

After a car crash, your instinct may be to keep your body inactive, but this will not actually be helpful for your recovery.

A physical therapist will make sure you’re moving in a way that will help with pain management for the specific way it’s affecting you.

Every exercise will help you improve mobility and function as you recover.

3. Physical Therapy Can Reduce Risk Of Long Term Injury

Vulnerable muscles, tendons, and ligaments are strengthened with physical therapy, which will keep your body from developing long term injury.

Manual therapy will mobilize joints and decrease scar tissue.

It can also help reduce inflammation and promote tissue healing, so long term injuries do not worsen over time.

What If I Was In A Car Accident A Long Time Ago?

Even if you did not get treatment from your car crash injury immediately, there is still hope that physical therapy can help you with your long term injury.

Your physical therapist will assist you as you regain your strength and mobility by using custom exercises designed to address your specific concerns.

Chronic shoulder and back pain can be addressed with postural exercises.

With strength training and cardiovascular techniques, you can be on the road to the body you had before your car crash.

Physical therapy is one of the most non invasive treatments for your body.

By participating in physical therapy you can avoid the use of strong pain medications while returning to your functional self.

Book Your Appointment With Capitol Physical Therapy Today

Car crashes are a very stressful thing to deal with, especially if your body is one of the things affected.

You don’t have to deal with your body’s concerns alone.

Book your appointment with Capitol Physical Therapy today.