By Ajit Lamba 13/09/2021 Motor Vehicle Accident

What Physiotherapy Can Do for You After a Car Accident

Physiotherapy Professionals Parramatta 12 Ada Street Harris Park NSW 2150: What Physiotherapy Can Do for You After a Car Accident

Ever wondered What Physiotherapy Can Do for You After a Car Accident? Motor vehicle accidents are unfortunate events that occur on a daily basis, leaving drivers, passengers and pedestrians injured and traumatised. If you were involved in a car accident and managed to walk away from it unharmed you can consider yourself lucky. However, experience has taught us that most injuries received in a motor vehicle accident are not always immediately evident. It is not uncommon for back pain and a variety of other injuries to fully manifest themselves hours, days, or even weeks after the accident. It is for this reason that you are always best advised to see your GP and Physiotherapist immediately following an accident. Physiotherapists are rehabilitation specialist trained to assess and monitor neck and back pain. Physiotherapists after assessing you, will prescribe a beneficial treatment program aimed at restoring you to your normal, healthy self. The longer you delay in seeking treatment, the more prolonged the rehabilitation process will become.

Even if you were initially taken to a hospital for evaluation of your neck and back pain or other accident related injury you are still advised to consult with your family GP and Physiotherapy rehabilitation specialist in the days following. A hospital visit is intended to identify life threatening and urgent injuries like blunt trauma, fractures, concussions and internal bleeding. Soft tissue injuries and the need for rehabilitation strategies are not urgent issues in the ER setting and may need to be addressed by a follow up visit with your family doctor or your rehabilitation specialist – Physiotherapist.

Most soft tissue injuries don’t fully present until several days or weeks following the accident. If a treatment plan is not put in place to address these issues; range of motion, muscle strength, nerve and joint function can all be compromised. A Physiotherapist understands how motor vehicle accidents impact a human body and can evaluate and follow your progress using orthopaedic and neurological testing. A treatment plan can be developed to regain healthy mobility and prevent deterioration.

Common Motor Vehicle Accident Symptoms

Low back pain: This can be caused by a variety of spinal injuries and should be assessed by a Physiotherapist immediately. Spinal instability or even a vertebral fracture can begin as a mild pain which can radiate through the spine and body. Low Back Pain can be an early sign of very serious issues that often go undiagnosed until more severe symptoms begin to develop.
Neck sprain, also known as whiplash is one of the most commonly sustained motor vehicle accident injuries. Whiplash is caused by a fast motion forward and or backward. Whiplash is often accompanied by headaches ranging from mild to severe, pain between the shoulder blades, stiffness of the neck, fatigue, irritability, numbness of arms and even dizziness.
Headaches are very common occurrences after car accidents. Headaches that do not respond to over the counter analgesics or persist over several days should be evaluated further.
Paresthesia and radiating pain presents as numbness, tingling, and even travelling or shooting pain. This is usually a sign of nerve irritation or damage and needs to be evaluated sooner rather than later as untreated conditions become chronic and resistant to improvement.
Dizziness can be a sign of serious injury and can impact on many aspects of your well being including balance, coordination and spatial awareness and must be investigated further.
Irritability, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and social withdrawalare all common features following a car accident. While most of these symptoms resolve on their own, some persist and require support and some form of treatment. Your rehabilitation specialist is all too aware of these signs and symptoms and can provide you with reassurance and assistance in obtaining the help that you need.

Contact Us:

Do you need assistance with your injury? Experienced Physiotherapists with essential knowledge. You can call us anytime to have a confidential discussion with our expert Physiotherapists. For more information on how we can further assist you, please call our clinic number on 0479 080 800 or send us an email on [email protected] for further details. Our Physiotherapists are Medicare, NDIS, DVA and Work Cover approved, specialising in injury management and rehabilitation to get you back on track.