What Physiotherapy Can Do for Your Motor Vehicle Injuries

Dealing with the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident can be quite stressful. In addition to taking care of the damages to your vehicle, you’re also tasked with treating any major or minor injuries you may have sustained. Luckily, physiotherapy can help you recover fast. Keep reading to learn more.

The Most Common Types of Motor Vehicle Injuries

Before we proceed to discuss the role of physiotherapy in treating motor vehicle injuries, let’s take a look at some of the most common conditions that may occur during a car accident. Head injuries are extremely common vehicle accidents. They can be quite serious, such as concussions, skull fractures, and other brain injuries. They may result in dizziness, headaches, vision impairment, and difficulty in speaking, remembering things, or concentrating on tasks. Whiplash is a common head and neck injury that occurs during motor accidents, causing pain and a loss of mobility. Back and chest injuries, such as herniated discs and broken ribs, are also common. A blunt force trauma can result in fractures and muscle injuries. Similarly, arm and leg injuries are also common in motor vehicle accidents, such as sprains and strains. Most motor vehicle injuries one or more of the following:

• Pain
• Bruising
• Soreness
• Tenderness
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Numbness
• Weakness
• Tingling sensation
• Reduced range of motion
• Prolonged fatigue

Note that these injuries may not be obvious immediately. For many injuries, the symptoms don’t present until several hours later. This is why it’s imperative that you consult with a physician and a physiotherapist at your earliest to avoid any complications in the future.

Why Should You Opt For Physiotherapy?

So, now that we’ve examined the common injuries sustained in vehicle accidents, let’s discuss the benefits of physiotherapy as a treatment option.

It Lowers the Pain Level

Perhaps the most obvious advantage of getting physiotherapy is that it helps alleviate pain and discomfort. Physiotherapists use various techniques and approaches to reduce the pain level, eventually helping eliminate the pain altogether. The different exercises and modalities involved in physiotherapy are crucial for treating the pain caused by motor vehicle injuries. From gentle stretches to strengthening exercises, several pain-relieving approaches are used to treat the injury.

It Can Help You Avoid Surgery

Surgical procedures are often required for a massive injury sustained in an accident. Depending on the severity of the injury and the symptoms, surgery may be inevitable. However, prompt and regular physiotherapy sessions can help prevent the need for surgery in several cases. For instance, the exercises used help strengthen the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This accelerates the healing process and helps prevent the need for surgical intervention. Similarly, physiotherapy helps alleviate and eliminate musculoskeletal discomfort by targeting the affected structures in the body, decreasing the need for surgery. When combined with other non-invasive techniques, physiotherapy is ideal for limiting long-term damages to the musculoskeletal system and ensuring that minor (and often, major) injuries are treated without surgical intervention.

It Can Restore Flexibility & Mobility

Another huge benefit of physiotherapy is that it can restore flexibility and mobility. Physiotherapists use hands-on modalities to speed up the recovery process, improving muscle movement in the process. They apply a range of therapeutic techniques and exercises to restore the range of motion and balance, facilitating mobility and flexibility.

It Reduces Dizziness & Vertigo

You’d be surprised to know that physiotherapy can help treat dizziness and vertigo as well. Physical therapy is highly recommended for vestibular conditions and disorders. If a person has sustained an injury that’s causing imbalance or dysfunction of the vestibular system, they can find relief through physiotherapy-inclusive vestibular therapy.

How Physiotherapists Can Help You Recover

Motor vehicle accident physiotherapy is specifically designed to help a person recover from their injuries and bounce back on their feet—literally. The goal of this particular form of physiotherapy is to help the injured individual regain full strength, mobility, and flexibility. It’s meant to promote long-term health and wellness and prevent injury-related complications in the future. This is why it’s crucial to get personalised physiotherapy from a renowned institute. A physiotherapist specialising in motor vehicle accident physiotherapy will begin the treatment plan by inquiring further about the accident. They’ll ask questions to determine how the injury occurred, taking into account every detail. This will help them evaluate the extent of the injury and identify issues the patient may not have picked up on. Next, they’ll conduct a thorough examination to assess your “known” pain. The medical examination will also help them determine which movements can be easily performed by the patient and which movements they’re struggling with. Once the examination and evaluation are complete, the physiotherapist will prepare a customised treatment plan. They’ll determine which modalities and approaches to include in the treatment to target the specific pain points, depending on the symptoms and evaluation results. Usually, this includes multiple techniques. A trained physiotherapist will typically:

• Mobilise the joints by repetitive motions, gentle stretches, massages, and manual therapy
• Introduce therapeutic exercises to restore tissue and muscle function
• Design an exercise plan to gradually resume physical activities
• Discuss lifestyle plans and strategies to prevent the condition from worsening

The length of a physiotherapy treatment plan entirely depends on the severity of the symptoms being treated, the body’s response to the treatment, and the frequency of physiotherapy sessions.

Physiotherapy Services in Edmonton

At Boost Physiotherapy, we offer comprehensive physical therapy services in Edmonton to treat motor vehicle injuries. Our team of trained physiotherapists specialise in the different modalities needed to restore function, strength, and mobility after a car accident. Through our physical therapy strategies, you can expect a quick and relatively pain-free treatment. We also incorporate acupuncture and dry needling strategies in our treatment plan if needed. Get in touch with our trained physiotherapists in Edmonton for personalised physiotherapy services in the area. Book an appointment now!