motor vehicle accident injuries Fort Worth

Motor Vehicle Accidents

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Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries

Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of injuries. Just alone in 2012, there were over 5 million motor vehicle accidents in the country. The damage after a car accident can be immense. There are both fatalities and injuries. An accident injury from a car wreck can vary from person to person, but there are some common ones.

  • Pain and stiffness in the head, neck, and shoulders
  • Loss of range of motion in the neck
  • Chronic migraines or headaches
  • Tingling and numbness in the upper extremities
  • Dizziness and fatigue
  • Occasionally, blurred vision and memory problems

Whiplash injury symptoms may not surface right away, so it’s imperative patients seek immediate medical attention to have their physical health evaluated. Prolonging treatment could result in long-term damage, like chronic pain, reduced mobility, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Fortunately, the team at ClearCut ORTHO Physical Therapy is here to ensure you experience a complete recovery after your car accident. We work closely with your attorney and medical team to ensure you get the exact treatment you need.

Top 5 reasons patients should seek the care of a Fort Worth physical therapist after their automobile accident:

1. Support The Recovery Process

Patients often don’t realize how bad their car accident-related injuries are until after they’ve returned to their normal daily activities. Common injuries typically include pain, stiffness, reduced range of motion, and chronic headaches or migraines. As such, it’s important patients undergo physical therapy to aid the recovery process. Physical therapy can help car accident victims increase their strength, improve their flexibility, and subsequently keep pain symptoms at bay. Our specially-designed therapy regimens can help patients bounce back from their injuries faster and easier than staying in bed can, that’s for sure!

2. Prevent Long-Term Damage

Physical therapy not only helps address immediate injuries by improving strength, flexibility, and mobility, but it can also prevent long-term damage like chronic pain and migraines. Unfortunately, car accidents can cause lingering damage if the patient’s injuries are not addressed right away. If you begin physical therapy immediately after your accident, you are much more likely to live a relatively pain-free life for years and years to come. In fact, a Medscape study found patients who did not receive care immediately after their car accident were far more likely to suffer from degenerative disc disease than those who did receive immediate medical attention.

3, Being Physically Active Helps Reduce Pain

While moving around may sound like the last thing you need to do after a car accident, being physically active can actually help reduce pain and help you recover from your injuries much quicker than bed rest. Movement pumps oxygenated blood and other nutrients to the injury site, which helps the body heal itself. At ClearCut ORTHO, our specialists create unique, individualized programs to help patient’s address pain points and poor body mechanics. Every exercise or stretch that’s performed has a specific purpose and a goal to improve mobility and function. As the patient regains more and more function, he or she is that much closer to a balanced and complete recovery.

4. Physical Therapy May Help Patients Avoid Surgery

While serious car accident injuries will likely need surgery right away, non-life-threatening injuries are not exactly exempt from surgery altogether. In fact, a car accident injury, combined with natural wear and tear, may require the need for surgery later in life. This is especially true for patients who don’t seek some type of treatment to avoid these complications down the road. Physical therapy helps strengthen vulnerable muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which in turn, helps protect various structures throughout the body. Plus, it’s safe to assume that physical therapy is a much more cost-effective solution for treating your pain, and it doesn’t require the downtime that is needed for surgery.

5. Restore Function In Patients With Old Car Accident Injuries

If you haven’t been in a car accident recently but were in one nonetheless, that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from physical therapy. In fact, physical therapy can help restore function and mobility in patients with old car accident injuries. Using various strength training exercises and cardiovascular rehabilitation techniques, patients can achieve as close to a pain-free lifestyle as possible through physical therapy. Moreover, patients can rest assured knowing physical therapy is a safe, non-invasive treatment that does not require the use of opioid pain medications for relief.

Is there more than one kind of physical therapy available after a crash?

Physical therapy isn’t just for whiplash or broken bones. There are many specialties within physical therapy that may be necessary for personal injury and motor vehicle accident patients. One such sub-specialty is called cardiovascular therapy, but for accident victims, it is often related more to the pulmonary system than the heart. Bruised and cracked ribs can interfere with lung capacity, so improving breathing function is essential.

Physical therapists can also provide neurological therapy for people who suffered from traumatic brain injuries as a result of their car accident. Brain trauma can affect balance, strength and the sense of touch, among other serious problems. Therapists can even treat vertigo due to a car accident, which is key to improving function and quality of life for these patients.

Of course, orthopedic damage to the neck, back, knees and shoulders is also helped by traditional orthopedic physical therapy. This also includes Post-Operative care after orthopedic surgeries for broken bones, rotator cuff tears, etc. PT for these injuries typically includes specialized exercises, stretches, targeted soft tissue mobilization, dry needling, manipulation, and specific use of modalities.

Our expert Doctors of Physical Therapy work closely with attorneys and medical teams to coordinate care for patients suffering from auto accidents. If you’re suffering from a car accident injury, don’t delay any longer.

Contact us today at ClearCut ORTHO and let our trained physical therapists help you get on your road to recovery. We’ll have a one-on-one consultation with you, do a comprehensive evaluation and create a treatment plan targeted for your injury.

Your Next Steps…

  1. Request An Appointment

  2. Receive A Custom Treatment Plan

  3. Work Hard and Progress In Your Recovery

  4. Recover & Enjoy Life Pain-Free!

START YOUR RECOVERY, TODAY!