According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, 4.4 million people in the U.S. are seriously injured in car accidents each year.
Car accidents cost about $380 million in medical expenses each year. The overall economic impact of car accidents in the U.S. is $871 billion per year. The United States has more car accidents than any other developed country, about 50% more than countries like Australia, Canada, and Japan.
A car accident is a hard thing to go through and car accident recovery is a crucial part of getting your life back to where it once was. Keep reading to learn some tips you should follow.
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Immediate Care Is Important
While not all car accident injuries are serious, getting medical attention right after an accident is vital. Some injuries will need attention right away and those are simple to take care of.
The injuries that might not be so apparent are the ones to watch out for. These might take hours or days to manifest but getting checked by a doctor will help you rule out anything serious before it gets worse.
Untreated injuries can make your recovery longer and more painful so getting ahead of things will make the process easier for you.
Rest Is Crucial
After making sure there aren’t any serious matters to attend to the simplest but most important thing to do is rest. This means taking some time off from work or at least from any strenuous activity.
If you’re used to being on the go at all times, resting might sound excruciating but it will pay off in the long run. Getting an appropriate amount of rest will keep your recovery process from extending and prevent chronic pain from developing.
Find the Right Doctor
Whiplash is a common car accident injury because of the impact you receive when hit. Whiplash can cause severe stress to your joints and muscles, cause neck pain, and numbness too.
Car accident whiplash recovery is possible though if you find the right doctor and the right treatment. A whiplash chiropractor is a good option to consider because these professionals are equipped in handling car accident patients.
They’ll treat you with chiropractic adjustments, muscle stimulation, and other exercises to get you through recovery successfully.
Follow Your Doctor’s Orders
After you’ve found the right doctor and they’ve prescribed you a good treatment plan, keeping to it is crucial. If you don’t follow your treatment plan to the letter you might risk having to extend recovery or developing chronic pain because you never fully recovered.
Take the necessary time off of work and your routine activities. Take the medications and practice the exercises your doctors have prescribed to ensure a successful recovery.
Ice and Heat Can Help
There are simple things you can do to navigate your post-accident recovery. One thing that can help you manage some of the symptoms you’re experiencing is using ice and heat.
Ice can reduce swelling and pain after an accident. Make sure you wrap the ice pack in a towel to avoid direct exposure and ice burning on your skin. Apply the ice to the injured area for about 20 minutes.
As you begin physical therapy for any injuries suffered during a car accident, you might be asked to use heat on your sore muscles. This helps them relax to reduce pain as well. Heat should also only be used for 20 minutes at a time.
Find Ways to Alleviate the Pain
If you’re following all of your doctor’s and physical therapist’s advice for your recovery and find yourself still struggling with pain, speak up. The pain will make the recovery process feel longer and might make going through treatment harder.
There are over the counter pain medications you can take or you can also ask your doctor for a prescription. Your physical therapist or chiropractor can try different exercises or massages to target your pain.
Eating a well-balanced diet is always important but it’s more important after an accident. Foods with the right vitamins and nutrients can help you recover faster, repairing damage to muscles and tendons.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated as well. The water and fluids can help reduce inflammation. Make sure you’re also getting your daily dose of vitamin C because it can help repair damage to tissues.
Practice Stretching
Physical rehabilitation after a car accident can be a slow-moving process. While you want to get through this process as quickly as possible, you shouldn’t try to rush it.
If your doctors give you an ok, practicing some slow stretches can help you through your healing. Don’t overdo it though because you run the risk of reinjury. Practice these stretches at least 3 times a day.
Your doctors will help you figure out what kind of stretches and exercises are appropriate depending on where you are in the recovery process. Working your way back to your routine will help you with regaining flexibility and range of motion.
Find Support
Finding support after an injury is an important step in the recovery process that’s often overlooked. While you might need friends and family to help you with everyday activities depending on the extent of your injuries, emotional support is just as important.
It’s normal to feel anxiety or even depression after a scary situation like a car accident. Your mental wellness is important because it can be what motivates you to push through the physically challenging aspects of recovery. Surrounding yourself with positive people will make things easier long-term.
Car Accident Recovery Tips You Should Follow
A car accident can turn your day to day routine on its head. Car accident recovery is a process that should be taken seriously. Finding the right doctors and following treatment plans are crucial parts of the process.
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