Following a car accident, it is wise to make an appointment with one of the 250,000 or so physical therapists in the United States. Physical therapy is a common part of any auto accident treatment plan, thanks to its effectiveness and the numerous benefits it can provide.
Relieving Pain
One of the most important physical therapy benefits after a car accident is it can help with pain relief. Combining hands-on therapy, gentle exercises, and other treatment methods will all help with pain relief. This will not only improve your comfort level and help you engage in your daily life, but it can also reduce your reliance on painkillers, some of which are known to be ad
Speeding up Recovery
Completing car accident physical therapy will also speed up your recovery from your injuries. This is done by improving your mobility, strength, and flexibility. You will gently work the muscles that are sore or damaged from the car accident, doing so in a way that promotes healing without overworking them.
Reducing the Need for Invasive Treatments
Although not always the case, car accident physical therapy can also reduce or even eliminate the need for invasive treatments, such as surgery. In some cases, it may delay that need for surgery or let your surgeon opt for a less-invasive procedure. This reduces your risk during treatment. As a bonus, if you do still need surgery, physical therapy can help speed up your recovery after it.
Preventing Long-term Symptoms
If you were to skip physical therapy after a car accident, you would have a higher risk of experiencing long-term symptoms. It is much more common for those who do not have physical therapy to have degenerative diseases or pain later on in life. This comes from the fact that symptoms can worsen over time, but you prevent this by treating them early with physical therapy.
Having a Professional Evaluation
Another benefit of physical therapy after a car accident is that you will have a medical professional examine you and work closely with you. This increases the chances that they will spot any potential problems from the accident, even if they do not affect you yet. Even if your doctor already gave you an exam after the accident, a physical therapist may find something else. Additionally, because the auto accident treatment you have from a physical therapist involves more movement and exercise, this may present the opportunity to spot an issue only noticeable in certain situations.
Adapting to Your Needs
Physical therapy is highly adaptable, lasts for as long as you need, and features exercises and treatments targeted at specific injuries. This means that it can work well for a range of symptoms, whether you only need the average three to six weeks of therapy or need more.
It Can Even Help With Older Injuries
Although you will typically get the best results from physical therapy after a car accident if you have the treatment as soon as possible, physical therapy can even reduce the symptoms or help you heal injuries long after your accident. A similar set of exercises to regain muscle strength, mobility, and flexibility can help regardless of the age of your injury.
