The Advantages of  No Fault Physical Therapy Following an Auto Accident

 

Increased automobiles on roads have made our life easier, but we’re paying the price for it. The percentage of road traffic accidents is increasing day by day.

 

According to W.H.O., the majority of sufferers of road traffic accidents are children and young adults. Every year, 1.3 million individuals die due to these R.T.A.s (road traffic accidents). (“Road traffic injuries,” 2021)

 

In addition to deaths, millions of people get musculoskeletal injuries after an auto accident. Physical therapy plays a great role in the healing of such injuries. Let me talk about the benefits of physical therapy after an auto accident.

 

1. Accelerated recovery time:

 

Research studies have proven that patients who undergo physical therapy after an auto accident recover earlier from their injuries. Different stretching exercises increase blood supply to the muscles and shorten the recovery time. You must always consult a physical therapist and don’t practice these exercises at home.

 

Cervical collars usually manage whiplash injuries (injuries affecting cervical vertebrae and muscles). But the evidence is available to prove the superiority of physical therapy over conventional treatments. A physical therapist helps you perform stretch exercises. This exercise will heal your injuries earlier and will maintain the range of motion too. (Sterling, 2014)

 

2. Increased strength of muscles:

 

If a bone is broken after an accident, it will remain in a cast for weeks and even months in some cases. Our muscles are atrophied if not used for some time. Studies are available that indicate starting of atrophy in muscles after 72 hours of disuse. This is called disuse atrophy.

 

The biochemical mechanism behind disuse atrophy is proteolysis. Physical therapy exercises prevent this proteolysis and muscles from breakdown. (Reid et al., 2014)

 

A physiotherapist can recommend weight-bearing exercises at varying intervals to prevent disuse atrophy. The effect of weight-bearing exercises is demonstrated by a study conducted on rats. Different groups of rats were exposed to different time intervals of weight-bearing exercises. The results showed the effectiveness of weight-bearing in preventing muscle atrophy. (Yamazaki et al., 1998)

 

3. Reduced pain:

One of the main challenges after an automobile accident is pain. In addition to pain killers, physiotherapy is an effective alternative approach.

 

A study was published in ‘Australian Journal of Physiotherapy’ in 2008. The patients were tested for control of backache after an accident. The patients treated by early physiotherapy interventions for pain management were more satisfied. (Mo-Yee Lau et al., 2008)

 

4. Regain the Range of Motion:

 

When someone faces a car accident trauma. He may groan or wince anytime he reaches for something on a high shelf or takes a seat until the pain disappears. This type of agony and anguish might be tenfold. After an R.T.A., the primary objectives of physical therapy are to help you regain and even increase your range of motion. Whenever you rotate your head from side to side after a car accident, a cervical injury may occur pain and suffering. Physical therapists work with you to gradually integrate stretches and exercises into your rehabilitation plan that will help you regain your neck’s range of motion so you can easily swivel your head. (“4 Benefits of Physical Therapy After a Car Accident – AICA Orthopedics”, 2021)

 

5. Supports The Recovery Process After a Car Accident:

 

Patients frequently do not understand the extent of their vehicle accident-related injuries until they resume their normal activities. Pain, stiffness, restricted range of motion, and recurrent headaches or migraines are all common ailments. As a result, patients must receive physical therapy to help them recuperate.

Physical therapy can assist automobile accident sufferers in gaining strength, improving flexibility, and, as a result, reducing pain symptoms. Our professionally tailored rehabilitation routines can help patients recover from their injuries more quickly and easily than lying in bed can.

 

6. Prevent Long-Term Damage After an Auto Injury:

 

Physical therapy can help avoid long-term harm like severe pain and headaches by increasing muscle, flexibility, and mobility. Unfortunately, if the patient’s wounds are not treated promptly after a car accident, they might cause long-term damage. Start physical therapy right after your injury. You’ll have a significantly better chance of living a pain-free life for years to come. A Medscape study found that patients who did not seek medical help immediately after a car wreck were far more prone to developing intervertebral disk disease than others who did. (“5 Reasons To Undergo Physical Therapy After a Car Accident | OSR PT”, 2021)

 

7. Physiotherapy Helps Patients Avoid Surgery:

 

While major automobile accident injuries would almost certainly necessitate immediate surgery, non-life endangering injuries are not completely immune to surgery. Indeed, a vehicle accident injury mixed with normal wear and tear may require surgery later in life. This is true for people who refuse to seek therapy to avoid future difficulties. Physical therapy helps strengthen weak muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which helps safeguard the body’s numerous structures. Furthermore, it’s safe to believe that physical therapy is a far more cost-effective option for treating your pain than surgery, but this doesn’t need the interruption that surgery requires. (“5 Reasons To Undergo Physical Therapy After a Car Accident | OSR PT”, 2021)

 

References:

 

Road traffic injuries. Who. int. (2021). Retrieved 31 October 2021, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries#:~:text=Approximately%201.3%20million%20people%20die,result%20of%20road%20traffic%20crashes.&text=Road%20traffic%20crashes%20cost%20most,pedestrians%2C%20cyclists%2C%20and%20motorcyclists.

 

Sterling, M. (2014). Physiotherapy management of whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). Journal Of Physiotherapy, 60(1), 5-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2013.12.004

 

Reid, M., Judge, A., & Bodine, S. (2014). CrossTalk opposing view: The dominant mechanism causing disuse muscle atrophy is proteolysis. The Journal Of Physiology, 592(24), 5345-5347. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2014.279406

 

Yamazaki, T., Haida, N., & Tachino, K. (1998). Effects of Weight Bearing Intervals on Disuse Atrophy of Rat Soleus Muscle. Journal Of The Japanese Physical Therapy Association, 1(1), 19-24. https://doi.org/10.1298/jjpta.1.19

 

Mo-Yee Lau, P., Hung-Kay Chow, D., & Henry Pope, M. (2008). Early physiotherapy intervention in an Accident and Emergency Department reduces pain and improves satisfaction for patients with acute low back pain: a randomised trial. Australian Journal Of Physiotherapy, 54(4), 243-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0004-9514(08)70003-5

 

4 Benefits of Physical Therapy After a Car Accident – AICA Orthopedics. AICA Orthopedics. (2021). Retrieved 31 October 2021, from https://aica.com/4-benefits-of-physical-therapy-after-a-car-accident/.

 

5 Reasons To Undergo Physical Therapy After a Car Accident | OSR PT. OSR Physical Therapy. (2021). Retrieved 31 October 2021, from https://osrphysicaltherapy.com/5-reasons-undergo-physical-therapy-car-accident/.