Physical Therapy After an Accident: What You Can Expect

A car accident is a traumatic experience and the months following one can feel like a roller coaster. Once you’re out of the hospital and ready to get back to everyday life, a physical therapist can help you regain the strength and muscle coordination to do all of your daily activities. We wanted to provide you with some information about what to expect.

Brain Injury
If you’ve suffered neurological injuries, physical therapists can help you regain day to day life skills that allow you to live independently such as brushing your teeth, bathing, and dressing.

Spinal Cord Injury
Physical therapy can also help with damage to the spinal cord as well as the destruction or misalignment of the skeletal structure of the spine. For patients confined to bed or a wheelchair, therapy helps them keep their muscles active and prevent them from atrophying with lack of use.

Massage Therapy
Massages are more that just a relaxation tool, they help clear the lymphatic system to get rid of toxins that are stored in the body after a trauma, allowing your body to heal. Massage also increases blood circulation and allows the lymphatic system to release fluids trapped in the tissues of the body.

Joint, Bone and Ligament Injuries
The therapist will target your injury with exercises that increase mobility, flexibility, and muscle strength. The movements can be strenuous at times so be sure to communicate your comfort level to your therapist. You may need special equipment such as particular footwear, splints, or crutches.

The right physical therapist can help you regain mobility after an accident. The goal is to get you back to living your day to day life!

What exercises or types of therapy have you seen work the best?