Car accidents can throw a serious wrench in your well-laid plans. If you’ve been in a wreck recently, you know just how difficult it is to keep up your previous routine during the healing process. Depending on the severity of the accident, doing too much could potentially put you back weeks or months of recovery time, so what do you do instead?
Continue Gentle Movements
The first thing to do following your accident is to continue gentle movements. One of the worst things you can do after a car wreck is completely stop all activity. If you weren’t seriously injured and just walked away bruised and sore, you should continue some form of exercise plan. While it’s vital to take it easy in the weeks following your accident, don’t stop all movement. One of the dangers of getting sedentary post-wreck is that your muscles will remain tensed from the shock of impact. With the amount of tension your body incurs, you could potentially push joints partially out of place into subluxation, only adding to your recovery time.
Of course, there are more serious issues that can arise from car accidents. For instance, if you had a spinal cord injury from your car accident, your rehab plan will look different. You’ll continue gentle movements, but they’ll be monitored more closely by a physician or physical therapist. If you had any sort of serious injury, make sure you verify any activity plan with your medical professional before you begin.
Follow Up With Professionals
The next thing to do following your accident is to follow up with professionals. Whether your wreck was a simple rear-ending at a stoplight or a severe t-boning on the highway, it’s vital to stay in contact with both your primary care physician and any specialists they recommend for you. Immediately after your wreck, seek out medical treatment, even if you don’t feel injured. Car accidents can cause internal trauma that doesn’t always present itself immediately, such as concussions or internal bleeding. These issues can worsen without treatment, so it’s better to get checked out right away rather than wait and risk it.
Along with keeping in touch with your PCP, you may want to stay close with an occupational therapist or physical therapist. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you may need some help during the recovery process. Even something as simple as a concussion from the shock can leave you struggling to walk properly. By contacting a physical therapist, you can get the help you need and get your life back on track. Don’t hesitate to contact the medical professionals at your disposal; they’re there to help.
Don’t Forget To Rest
The third thing to do after a car accident is to rest. Getting in a wreck, no matter how simple or complex, is a severely traumatic thing for your body to endure. During the process of impact, your muscles tense up and can tear, bones can break, and you can potentially incur internal bleeding. All of these injuries take time to heal, and the body heals best when it’s resting. While it’s crucial to keep moving gently, you shouldn’t expect to return to your standard level of activity right away following your wreck.
In the weeks after your car accident, don’t be surprised if you feel more fatigued than usual. You may want to sleep more, or you may find that your usual eight hours just aren’t long enough. If you feel like you need more rest, don’t hesitate to get more. Your body is probably telling you that it needs more time to heal while you sleep, so taking a nap on the couch could be the best possible thing for your recovery process. By allotting extra time for rest following your car accident, you can give your body the tools it needs to heal the tissues that were damaged in the impact.
In conclusion, car accidents can wreak havoc on your body and your routine. With these three tips, you can make recovery easier to bear.