4 Types of Therapy You May Need After an Auto Accident

Auto accidents are common and can cause many types of injuries. Even in a smaller accident, these injuries can vary from minor to severe. In fact, in many cases, initial treatment after the accident isn't enough to provide proper healing, and many people need rehabilitation therapies after an accident. If you would like to know more, keep reading.

1. Chiropractic Therapies

Chiropractic care consists of two groups: manipulations and modalities. Manipulation refers to the process of popping joints. This releases some pent-up gasses and helps to reduce pain and regain mobility. Of course, your joints can only move freely if your muscles are relaxed. Modalities are procedures that help make it easier to adjust your joints.

Common modalities include heat, soft tissue mobilization, ultrasound, spinal traction, and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation. In addition, the chiropractor may suggest lifestyle changes and home exercises that can help boost your overall chiropractic experience.

2. Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is another great therapy to consider after an auto accident. First, massage can be a great way to loosen muscles before a chiropractic manipulation or other types of therapies. In some cases, a massage alone may be just what you need. For example, if the auto accident only causes soft tissue damage, a good massage may smooth out those knots.

Relaxing the muscles may also help with some neurological pain, such as a pinched nerve from an inflamed muscle. There are multiple types of massages, but after an accident, your massage therapist may recommend a deep massage or a trigger point massage. A deep massage targets deep muscles, which may have been damaged in the accident. Trigger point massage focuses on areas of tight muscle fibers.

3. Neurological Physical Therapy

If you do have some neurological damage, your doctor may recommend neurological physical therapy. One reason people need neurological physical therapy is that they have some kind of damage to a nerve, which can cause numbness, tingling, and weakness in extremities. Even something as minor as some numbness in your fingers can actually be the result of nerve irritation in your neck or shoulder area.

Of course, many people seek neurological physical therapy after an accident because of brain trauma. Even if you are buckled, when you get in an accident, your head may move forward, backward, or side-to-side fast. This can lead to a concussion or other brain complications. Without treatment, these can result in serious side effects.

4. Orthopedic Physical Therapy

After a car accident injury, many people need some kind of orthopedic physical therapy to fully recoup, regain mobility, and eliminate pain. During an accident, your body takes a lot of force, which can affect bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. You may even break bones or tear soft tissue. One common injury after car accidents is whiplash, which results from the head being forced forward and backward quickly.

If you have whiplash, you lose mobility in your neck, which may prevent you from being able to touch your chin to your chest or fully turn your head. Even if the area eventually heals on its own, you may still have limited mobility and stiffness, but orthopedic physical therapy helps by retraining those muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons how to work together properly again.

Car accidents are no joke, and they can cause serious injury or even death. Even after the initial treatment, you may struggle with long-term effects, such as limited mobility. If you want to learn more, or if you need an attorney to help you get the fair settlement you deserve, contact us at the Law Offices of James B. Gillespie, Jr., PLLC.