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With over 17 million drivers on the road in Florida, there are a lot of opportunities to end up in a car accident. In 2016 alone, 254,155 drivers and passengers were injured in auto crashes throughout the Sunshine State.

Injuries from car accidents can’t always be fixed with an operation or a quick trip to the doctor. Some conditions, like whiplash, can have long-lasting effects and should be treated by a licensed physical therapist.

Read on to find out why physical therapy in Tampa is beneficial after an accident.

Speed Up Your Recovery

Many of us think that the best way to recover from an injury is to get lots of rest. While that’s true to a point, too much rest can actually slow down your recovery.

After the first couple of days, it’s important to start moving again — in the right way. Therapy allows you to get back on your feet in a safe, controlled environment so you don’t do too much too soon.

Physical therapists have an arsenal of gentle exercises and other treatments to choose from. These can help you regain lost range of motion, increase strength, decrease pain, and heal faster.

Prevent Further Injury

If you go right back to normal activity after your injury, you’re at risk of causing even more damage.

After a soft tissue injury of any sort, your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues will be weakened until they heal. This weakness can contribute to the development of a new injury, sometimes in a different (but related) location.

For example, if your hip was injured in the collision, you might start to walk differently to compensate for the pain and weakness. This misalignment and change in gait can lead to pain in your knees, ankle, and back.

A physical therapist will identify your weakened areas and give you a specific exercise plan to strengthen them. The exercises are designed to help you heal and protect you from further harm.

Catch Injuries That Are Hiding

Car accidents can cause a lot of trauma that isn’t apparent right at first. Symptoms of concussions, back injuries, whiplash, and nerve damage may take hours or days to appear.

If you start to experience these symptoms up to a couple of weeks after your accident, it may be due to hidden injuries:

  • Headaches
  • Neck pain and shoulder tension
  • Numbness or tingling in limbs
  • Back pain
  • Dizziness
  • Irritability or fatigue

Don’t ignore these symptoms, as they could be signs of a more serious injury. If you start to feel like there’s more going on than meets the eye, ask a physical therapist about it. They can identify and treat hidden injuries to help you start feeling normal again.

Getting Physical Therapy in Tampa, Florida

If you’re looking for car accident-focused physical therapy in Tampa, see Dr. Cruz at AJ Therapy Center. He and the rest of the bilingual team at AJ Center know how to identify and care for the long-term effects of an auto crash.

Don’t wait and hope that your pain will go away on its own. Put your health first and contact us today to schedule an evaluation.