Car Accident
Between 1988 and 1996, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that 805,581 whiplash injuries occurred. Neck injuries are the most reported claims for both personal and bodily injury insurance claims.
If you’ve been in a car accident, you know just how quickly something can go wrong. Even a car traveling as slow as 10 miles per hour can cause injuries.
And if your neck has been injured and you don’t seek help, the long-term effects of whiplash can be numerous. Neck pain after car accident isn’t something to be ignored.
To help you recover quickly and enjoy a pain-free life, here are three ways to avoid the long-term effects of whiplash.
Symptoms of Long-Term Effects of Whiplash
After an accident, you may not feel the full effects of whiplash. Whiplash symptoms delayed is not uncommon.
In fact, you may not feel the full symptoms of whiplash until a few days after the impact. The injury itself may not be felt for a full 12 hours after the accident.
If you feel neck pain after a car accident or any other type of accident, it’s always best to see a physician to make sure there’s nothing more serious.
A doctor may recommend x-rays like an MRI or CT scan to ensure there are no other injuries. They may also recommend you wear a neck brace for a short period of time.
Also, it’s not uncommon for whiplash injuries to last for months or even years if you’ve been involved in a serious accident. To ensure you don’t suffer longer than necessary, contact your doctor and schedule an appointment.
Common Symptoms of Whiplash
Since delayed whiplash symptoms are common, you may feel some of these 12 hours or more after your accident.
Your neck or shoulders may be in pain and/or you may feel stiffness in these areas. Upper or lower back pain and even jaw pain are also common symptoms of whiplash.
Whiplash headache is a very common symptom as is dizziness, blurred vision, and even ringing in the ears. If you find yourself constantly tired, suffer from concentration or memory problems or have difficulty sleeping, these may be signs you have whiplash.
Numbness and weakness in your arms and legs are also not uncommon.
Of course, not all symptoms are physical. It’s not uncommon to feel anxiety after an accident. Especially a car accident where you may feel anxiety every time you have to travel.
If you have continued anxiety or feel you have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), get help. Talk to friends and family, get a massage, or get in touch with a licensed therapist to help you manage your feelings.
Whiplash Isn’t Always Caused by a Car Accident
Most people assume that whiplash is caused only by car accidents. But a car accident isn’t the only way to get this type of neck injury. Whiplash can occur in all types of vehicles, including while riding a bike.
Sports are another common way people get whiplash. Certain sports like boxing, karate, and football can easily cause whiplash. Other sports like horseback riding can also cause whiplash. Even an amusement park ride can cause a neck injury if the ride is too rough.
Other ways to get whiplash are when the head is jerked violently backward, when a person receives hits to the head, when someone is hit with a heavy item and when someone is the victim of physical abuse.
1. Applying Ice and Heat for Neck Pain After Car Accident
If you have neck pain after a car accident or another type of accident, ice is a great way to help reduce pain and swelling. Make sure you wrap the ice in a thin towel or cloth before you apply it to the skin. Otherwise, you risk further injury with ice burn.
Ice your neck for 15 minutes every three to four hours for the first two or three days.
After two or three days have passed with you icing your neck injury, it’s okay to start applying heat. Moist heat is best.
You can use warm, wet towels or, even better, take a warm bath. Try using essential oils in your bath that are known to help ease sore, painful muscles.
Oils such as peppermint, lavender, and thyme are known to promote healing. They also smell great and some even help ease symptoms of anxiety.
2. Best Medications to Use for Whiplash Symptoms
Your doctor may prescribe pain medications to you. Most likely, he or she will recommend you take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) to help reduce pain and swelling.
These over-the-counter medications will also help you reduce whiplash headache symptoms. Keep in mind that all medications, whether they are over-the-counter or prescribed by a physician have side effects.
Take all medications as they are prescribed and try to wean yourself off of any painkiller as soon as possible to avoid becoming dependent on them.
There are times when your whiplash symptoms are more severe and require stronger painkillers than what over-the-counter drugs like Advil can provide. Your doctor may then write a prescription for stronger painkillers and muscle relaxants.
3. Massage and Other Homeopathic Treatments
If you have neck pain after a car accident, you don’t have to put up with the pain. Instead, contact a homeopathic therapist to help you heal more quickly.
One type of therapy that’s extremely beneficial is massage therapy. Massage therapy is used to reduce muscle tension and stiffness.
Massage therapy treatments also help with a greater range of motion, circulation, and reduces headaches. It also helps reduce chronic pain symptoms.
Massage therapy can also help reduce emotional symptoms as well. This type of therapy is known to reduce tension and creates a feeling of well-being.
If massage therapy isn’t for you. There are other types of homeopathic treatments such as Rolfing and chiropractic therapy that have shown benefits for patients seeking out pain reduction.
Regular Exercise Also Helps
Don’t forget the power of exercise. To help you stay pain-free, it’s best to continue exercising your neck on your own on a regular basis.
Your neck holds up your head which weighs about 12 pounds. Regular exercises can help alleviate all types of neck pain associated with a variety of activities.
Get Help Today
Whether you were just injured or you still feel the long-term effects of whiplash, don’t wait any longer to get the help you deserve.
You can live a life pain-free. You just need to get the right type of help.
Massage therapy can help. Book your appointment with us today.
Car Accident
4 Types of Physical Therapy Treatments to Help You Recover
When undergoing physical therapy it’s important to make sure you’re getting the right treatment. Here are the 4 types of physical therapy treatment to know.
An estimated 20 to 50 million people suffer car accident injuries each year. If you’re one of them, you may want to consider visiting a physical therapist to help you completely recover. A trained physical therapist has all kinds of tools and treatments at their disposal to help heal whiplash, back injuries, and more.
Here are four types of physical therapy treatments that you can expect to help your recovery from a car accident.
1. Joint Mobilization
One of the most common therapies that physical therapists perform for faster car accident recovery is joint mobilization. This involves gently moving a person’s joints to increase flexibility and ease pain.
This is a passive treatment, meaning the patient doesn’t do any work and allows the physical therapist to move their muscles for them. Your physical therapist, however, will also show you movements that you can perform at home in between sessions to supplement healing.
2. Massage Therapy
Massages can be quite effective for soothing whiplash, a common car accident injury. A massage session can improve your range of motion and reduce muscle stiffness.
An added benefit is that it helps your mind relax along with your body. This reduces stress and contributes to psychological healing, which is just as important to treat following a traumatizing experience such as an accident.
3. Exercise
Physical activity, if done carefully and slowly at first, is actually one of the best ways to encourage healing. Your physical therapist may also use a variety of exercise tools such as exercise balls, a Pilates reformer, resistance bands, and more to work the injured area.
4. Ultrasound
Ultrasound waves penetrate the skin and tissue to target muscles and promote the healing of muscle strains and damaged ligaments. An ultrasound gel is first applied to the area to allow the wand to smoothly glide over the skin and deliver the healing waves.
Ultrasound is effective in treating car accident injuries because it increases blood flow and can reduce inflammation.
We Offer All Types of Physical Therapy Treatments
When you’re a patient recovering from a car accident injury, these are just some of the many types of physical therapy treatments you can expect to help you recover from a car accident injury. We offer these and more at our three convenient locations.
If you’re recovering from a car accident and would like to learn more about how physical therapy can help you, contact us to make an appointment.
Car Accident
3 Reasons to Start Physical Therapy After a Car Accident
A car accident can have lasting and unexpected effects on your long term health. Here are 3 major benefits of starting physical therapy after a car accident.
In 2016, there were over 34,000 fatal car crashes in the United States and over 12 million non-fatal accidents. Car accidents can be very scary and cause an infinite number of injuries. Immediately following the accident, you could have broken bones, head injuries, cuts and bruises, and more.
However, many people don’t realize that there is still a risk of injury long after the car accident has happened. With their adrenaline flowing, a victim of a car accident may not realize the extent of their injuries or that they have any injuries until later.
It is always wise to seek out physical therapy after a car accident for this reason. Keep reading to learn about three major reasons to seek professional help if you’ve been in a wreck.
1. Mitigating Long-Term Health Problems
While physical therapy can offer relief to injuries that occur during the accident, there are injuries which are not immediately noticeable. Back, neck, and shoulder pain and stiffness can occur as a result of an accident but not show up until later.
Physical therapy after a car accident can help reduce pain, stiffness, and the need for surgery. It can go a long way towards speeding up the recovery process after a car accident.
2. Avoiding Surgery
Often times injuries that don’t display symptoms until long after the accident can turn into serious issues. Sometimes, these injuries even require surgery. By seeking out physical therapy soon after the accident, you can treat these hidden injuries and reduce or get rid of the need for surgery.
Certain injuries, if left unchecked, can lead to surgery and costly hospital bills. It is always best to visit a medical professional immediately following an accident. This will help with any claims you may wish to make later on. A doctor will also be able to recommend a physical therapist to see as well as document the need or desire for physical therapy to an insurance company.
3. Improving Quality of Life
There are times when it’s hard to tell if a car accident caused your injuries. These issues can rise up years after an accident and take a serious toll on the quality of life of a person.
Physical therapy can help in a couple of ways with this. One, as mentioned earlier, is to help relieve these issues before they become serious health concerns. In this respect, physical therapy can improve quality of life before the quality of life is even diminished.
If the injuries go unchecked, however, and quality of life diminishes, physical therapy helps you take back control of your life.
Physical Therapy After a Car Accident
Physical therapy after a car accident can be beneficial to someone that’s suffered an injury. While the recovery process can be hard with injuries, it can be just as hard without visible injuries.
If you’ve been in a car accident and feel like you may have underlying injuries or wish to learn more about the benefits of physical therapy contact us today!
Car Accident
Over 2 million people are injured in auto accidents in America each year. The injuries that can result from a car accident can be quite severe.
One of the main things a person needs to do when involved in an auto collision is to seek out medical treatment. Even if you don’t feel like you are injured, you still need to let a medical professional check out you to ensure there are no internal injuries.
Injuries to the neck and head are quite common for people involved in car accidents. The road to car accident recovery can be a long one.
However, there are a number of things you can do to speed up the healing process and here are some of them.
1. Go Home to Start the Car Accident Recovery Process
The biggest mistake that most people make following a car accident is failing to go home and get some rest.
Most people fail to realize that being involved in a car accident is as traumatic as having surgery. Failing to give your body the rest it needs after an accident can lead to lots of problems in the future.
Some medical professionals maintain that failing to take time off after a car accident can add nearly six months to the recovery time. The adrenaline that floods your body following a collision can dull pain receptors and mask injuries.
While lying in bed may not be your idea of a good time, your body needs rest after an accident.
2. Your Body Needs Fluids After an Accident
Drinking at least six cups of water each day for a week after your accident is essential. Putting these extra fluids in your body can help to reduce inflammation.
You need to also put more vitamin C in your diet after an accident. This vitamin also reduces inflammation and can help greatly during the tissue repair process. The electrolytes produced by vitamin C help to neutralize the free radicals that can increase inflammation.
There are a number of electrolyte powders on the market that you can add to your water to get a boost of vitamin C.
Be sure to avoid drinking too many sodas during the car accident recovery process. The high fructose corn syrup in these drinks can interfere with the production of collagen in the body. Collagen is a necessary element when trying to heal from things like muscle tears.
3. Let Your Singing Voice Be Heard
The shock of a car accident will usually cause a person to gasp. This shock can also cause your diaphragm to tighten, which can deprive you of oxygen.
If you are having a hard time getting a deep breath following a car wreck, chances are your rib heads are jammed against your spine. This often happens when the seatbelt you are wearing during an accident suddenly snaps against your lungs during impact.
The best thing you can do to fix these issues is to sing at the top of your lungs. This not only helps to move compressed rib heads, it can relax your diaphragm as well.
If you don’t feel like singing, you can do a bit of exercise to fix these issues. Lying down on your back and holding both sides of your rib cage while breathing deeply can be helpful.
Performing these deep breathing exercises on a daily basis can make it much easier for you to decrease pain and discomfort.
4. Schedule an Appointment With an Osteopathic Physician
Once the dust from your car wreck has settled, you need to schedule an appointment with an osteopathic physician. These types of physicians are trained to use their hands to diagnose and treat injuries caused by car accidents.
Not only can these physicians check your injuries out, they can provide you with manual techniques to address things like inflammation and pain.
5. Avoid Physical Activity For a While
If you live an active lifestyle, not being able to exercise or play sports is not something you want to experience. However, you will need to avoid strenuous physical activity for a few weeks after your car accident.
Playing sports or performing demanding exercise routines shortly after a car accident can make your injuries much worse. Some people think that just because they aren’t in excruciating pain that they can push their limits after a car accident.
Doing this will usually lead to a person’s injuries getting much worse. While waiting to play sports or exercise may be difficult for you, it is the best thing for your body.
6. Light Exercise Can Be Helpful
While you need to avoid physical contact sports and weightlifting, doing light exercise can be quite helpful during the recovery process. Going for a walk on a flat surface can help you get out of bed and stretch your muscles.
Before you begin going on these walks, you need to consult with your primary physician. They will be able to give you some guidance regarding how long your walks should be and how frequently you should take them.
7. Wear The Right Shoes
When trying to recover from injuries caused by a car accident, you need to focus on wearing comfortable shoes. While high heels, cowboy boots, and platforms may be fashionable, they will not provide adequate support.
Getting a pair of athletic shoes that can provide your ankles with adequate support is a must. These types of shoes may not win you any fashion awards, but they will provide you with the support you need.
8. Be Careful What You Lift
For a while after your car accident, you will have to be careful about what you lift. Most medical professionals recommend that car accident victims avoid lifting anything over five pounds.
Trying to lift too much can put a strain on your neck and back. While it will be difficult to avoid lifting heavier things, your body will thank you for the effort.
Getting Professional Help Can Make Recovery Easier
Working with medical professionals who are familiar with the car accident recovery process is a must. These professionals will be able to provide you with the guidance you need to get your body well in a hurry.
Are you looking for more information on the recovery process following a car accident? If so, check out the helpful information on our website.
Car Accident
Over 2 million Americans head to the emergency department for an automobile accident injury each year. Unfortunately, auto injuries in Tampa are just as common.
If you’ve recently been injured in a car wreck, you may be wondering about physical therapy in Tampa. Physical therapy uses non-invasive techniques to help you recover after your accident.
Yet, when it comes to physical therapy techniques, you have quite a few to choose from. That’s why we created this guide to the best physical therapy for auto accident sufferers.
Wondering which physical therapy techniques are a must-have? Then keep reading for everything you need to know.
Physical Therapy for Pain
The first symptom you may experience after an accident is pain. Paraffin baths can help provide temporary pain relief. This type of physical therapy is also effective for increasing mobility.
If you’re experiencing lower back, neck, arm, or leg pain, mechanical traction may be for you. Mechanical traction works on the spine. Practitioners will stretch and separate the individual vertebrae, which reduces pressure on the spin and relieves pain.
A final physical therapy to try is ultrasound therapy. This technique uses audio waves to help with inflammation after an injury. Reducing inflammation can also help alleviate pain from an older injury.
Circulation and movement therapy is another technique you could try. This type of physical therapy for an accident helps to improve blood flow in the injured region. This can help oxygenate the injury and speed up healing.
Physical Therapy for Swelling
Swelling is another symptom you may experience directly after an accident. Vasopneumatic devices use water pumps and braces to cold-compress the swollen area. When applied during therapy, these devices decrease blood circulation and inflammation, which can reduce swelling.
Physical Therapy for Relaxation
Even if your pain and swelling are gone, you may still need physical therapy to help you relax. Car accidents can be stressful. Using techniques like manual therapy can help you feel calmer as well as improve flexibility and range of motion.
Manual therapy, also known as manipulative therapy, is a medical type of massage. Manual therapists use their hands to apply pressure. In addition to helping you relax and feel more flexible, manual therapy can reduce any lingering pain.
Physical Therapy for Strength
Once your injury is fully healed, your physical therapist may recommend therapeutic exercise. Therapeutic exercises can range from yoga to strength training. The goal is to improve your physical strength, balance, and stability.
For more significant injuries, you may require neuromuscular re-education. This therapeutic technique requires you to retrain your muscles and central nervous system to communicate normally. That way, you can return to life as normal.
Find Relief After Auto Injuries in Tampa
Auto injuries in Tampa can be devastating but not if you see a physical therapist. A physical therapist uses techniques to help with pain and swelling, relaxation, and strength.
Are you looking for physical therapy in Tampa to help you recover from an auto accident injury? Get in touch with us to request an appointment with Tampa’s AJ Therapy Center today!
Car Accident
Each year, about three million people suffer a non-fatal injury in an auto accident. Some injuries are debilitating or life-changing even though they aren’t fatal.
Navigating your way through the healthcare system is difficult at best. Are you in pain and dealing with a serious injury? You shouldn’t have to deal with problems accessing the services you need to get better.
No matter how you’re injured or how bad the injury is, many people need an advocate who understands the healthcare system.
That’s where case management services can help. Keep reading for more information about case management services and what we offer.
Case Management
Case management is a specialty practice that’s cross-disciplinary. A case manager’s main function is advocating for clients and working with the client’s support systems. The goal is the promotion of wellness and improvement in the client’s health.
A case manager facilitates services. She also educates, advocates, and helps with communication across the different health disciplines. Our clients receive support in many different aspects of daily living.
A case manager takes a holistic approach. That means she takes into account the physical, medical, mental, emotional, financial, and other needs of the patient.
Case Management Services
We treat every patient based on her individual case. We have a set of services that guide the path to wellness. These include the following.
Advocacy
Each patient has different needs depending on his injury or issue. Patients who don’t understand the healthcare system need someone advocating on their behalf. This includes defending your rights within the healthcare system.
Support and Monitoring
We support your treatment plan and make sure you’re receiving all necessary services within that plan. We track the situation and ensure you’re happy with the services.
Healthcare Decisions
Do you have trouble understanding medical language? Are you having problems making healthcare decisions for yourself?
A case manager works with all providers helping you understand and make decisions.
Financial Needs
Are you having financial difficulty and can’t meet your basic needs? A case manager can intervene and help with short-term crises. These may include issues such as eviction or unpaid utility bills.
Transportation Help
Transportation to and from medical appointments can be a big obstacle. A case manager coordinates medical transport by ambulance if necessary. He also helps you get to your providers for treatment.
Mental Health
A case manager can also help with mental health or substance abuse appointments. Some physical injuries lead to post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental health issues. The case manager coordinates the services best suited to your recovery needs.
Appointments
A case manager can come to your appointments with you. This ensures you understand everything the provider is doing for you.
Case Management Services for Your Recovery
Don’t navigate the healthcare system on your own. It’s hard in the best of times but with an injury or other healthcare concerns, case management services are a great option.
A case manager helps you every step of the way, ensuring a holistic approach for each individual. The case manager adapts to each situation and finds the best options.
Are you in need of case management services? Please contact us today.
