When it comes to recovery after a car accident, physical therapy is a great way to get back on your feet faster. Patients often don’t realize just how serious their injuries were until they don’t immediately begin to regain their ability to perform daily activities. Physical therapists can work on a variety of injuries caused by car crashes. Depending on the type of injury, physical therapy can be beneficial for many aspects of your recovery. 

Here are four car accident injuries that physical therapy can be effective for: 

1. Whiplash — Whiplash has been shown to affect as many as 83% of people involved in car accidents. Physical therapy can do a lot to help this car crash injury. During the acute phase, it can reduce pain and improve range of motion. Physical therapy can also help prevent whiplash symptoms from becoming chronic. For those who do have chronic symptoms from a previous whiplash injury, physical therapy can help restore function to the soft tissue.

2. Back injuries — A strained or sprained back is a common car accident injury, and it can result in permanent disability. Physical therapy can help restore strength to the affected part of the back and improve posture. A physical therapist can also help ease your back pain using aquatic therapy and other treatments. 

3. Broken bones — Broken bones are another common injury diagnosed following a car crash. Common treatment involves putting the broken bone in a cast, but there are still ways physical therapy can help. It can help you maintain the strength in the muscles surrounding the broken bone. Physical therapists can also help you rebuild strength and flexibility in the affected area after your cast comes off. Furthermore, they can help patients regain full function of their affected limb(s).

4. Gait issues — Many car crash injuries can affect how you walk, or your gait. Your physical therapist can assess your gait to see if your injury has affected it. If it has, they can show you how to perform these movements correctly. Especially if your back was injured, this can be helpful. When you walk correctly every day, it can lessen the stress on your back, which can prevent future back and leg pain.

Need help with car crash injuries? Rehab Access Physical Therapy can help

Our Rehab Access Physical Therapy team can aid you in recovering from car crash injuries. They can do a free screening on you to uncover the best treatment for your injury. They can also build you a unique physical therapy plan intended to ease your symptoms and help prevent them from becoming chronic. 

Contact our team today to learn more about our beneficial services to treat your car accident injury or to set up a free screening.