Car accident injuries are no joke.
There are 20-50 million non-fatal injuries due to car accidents that occur globally each year. Many of these result in long-term disabilities.
Medical and mental health follow-up appointments are important to start your road to recovery and to stop or minimize the possibility of long-term effects.
Here are our top 5 reasons why you should seek therapy and go to your follow-up appointments after an accident.
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Hidden Injuries
Accidents are life and death situations and your body is pumped full of adrenaline. Adrenaline can mask how your body is truly feeling.
It’s best to get medical treatment as quickly as possible after an accident to find injuries you may not even know that you have.
These injuries include:
- Brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Soft tissue damage
Seeing a specialist as soon as possible can take months off of your recovery time or prevent other long-term effects entirely.
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Delays Could Affect Your Health
Serious injuries, physical or mental, need continued medical care.
Not going to your medical follow-up could result in further complications.
Delays risk a longer recovery, irritation of your injury, chances of re-injury, and injuries not healing correctly resulting in long-term health effects. In the worst-case scenario, it can lead to permanent disability or even death.
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Emotional Trauma
Injuries from accidents are not always physical. The emotional trauma after a car accident needs to receive a medical follow-up as well.
Emotional trauma can impact every part of your life. It can affect your relationships and your work performance.
We react to trauma in different ways but here are some symptoms of emotional distress:
- Disbelief
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Anger and mood swings
- Self-blame
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Sleep issues
- Withdrawing from others
- Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
A medical follow-up helps you start the healing process of working through these feelings.
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Mental Conditions
PTSD, depression, and anxiety are serious psychological conditions that need medical follow-up and can seriously alter every aspect of your life.
Don’t be afraid to get help and talk to someone. These mental conditions need prolonged care to return to normal life.
These conditions can follow you for years and going to your follow-up appointment can lead you on the path to recovery.
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Complete Medical History
What you thought was a minor injury that doesn’t need medical care could become a problem in the future.
If you end up going to the doctor or a hospital for a new problem because your injury didn’t heal properly, the specialist you see will have no idea that you were involved in an accident that caused this issue in the first place.
With a complete medical history, your physician or specialist can get the bigger picture and more accurately make a diagnosis.
Schedule Your Follow-Up Care
If you were involved in an accident, medical follow-up is crucial for your physical and emotional wellbeing.
Not all injuries are physical or immediately apparent. Even if you think you’re fine, medical and/or mental health appointments can rule out any long-term effects or hidden injuries.
Contact AJ Therapy Center Inc. for physical therapy near St. Petersburg or Tampa.