Physical Therapy for Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the most common type of car accident are the rear-ended collisions. It is known to cause the “whiplash” injury which occurs when the neck extends beyond its normal range of motion. If you suffer from whiplash, then you might experience a couple of the rolling symptoms: 

• Tightness that affects your range of motion in the neck area 
• Chronic headaches or migraines 
• Dizziness or tiredness 
• Memory problems or episodes of blurry vision
• Soreness/Stiffness on the shoulders, neck or head area

There are times when a person who suffers from Whiplash does not experience any symptoms right away. It is imperative to seek medical assistance right away after being in a car accident, especially if you believe you have experienced whiplash, but feel fine. Prolonging medical attention could ultimately result in long-term damage. 

If whiplash goes unattended, you may suffer from reduced neck mobility and chronic pain. 

Should I See a Physical Therapist After a Car Accident? 

If after a car accident, your medical examiner confirmed that you suffered from a whiplash injury, then below are a few  reasons that you should seek recovery with the help of a Physical therapist in Port Isabel or Olmito. 

Physical Therapists are the experts on how the human body is supposed to move. Immediately after being in a car accident, the adrenaline may disguise your injury, and you don’t really know the extent to which your body was affected until everyday activities start to become challenging or too painful to complete. Physical Therapy will help you strengthen the parts of your body that need to be stronger for you to not suffer from pain and to live life as you did before your injury. 

Physical Therapy could prevent long-term damage by strengthening the injured muscles right away. As previously mentioned, you do not want to go untreated after being in an accident. By going to Physical Therapy right away, the muscles that are causing pain or feeling stiff will be the priority and the recovery time will be shorter than if you’d just stay in bed. 

Physical Therapy Might Prevent the Need for Surgery

Immediately after a car accident it is understandable that the primary concern is checking for any life-threatening injuries. However, it is not uncommon for a car accident to aggravate existing conditions and result in needing surgery many years later. If no extensive physical examination is done, it is possible to miss musculoskeletal problems that will arise down the road. A good physical therapist will seek to assess your overall physical function and attempt to reinforce muscles, tendons, or ligaments that might not have the proper range of motion or strength. By maximizing your current physical condition, it becomes less likely that wear and tear will accumulate and necessitate surgery.

Finding a Physical Therapist after a Car Accident

If you are struggling with an auto injury in the Rio Grande Valley, we highly recommend you schedule an evaluation with our team at Surge Mobile Physical Therapy. Our physical therapists will take great care in assessing your injury and do our best to get you back to living the pain-free life you deserve.