Car accidents are all too commonplace on Pennsylvania roads these days, with countless individuals suffering from personal injuries as a result. Even the most minor car accidents can result in injuries ranging from minor injuries to those that are more severe and life-changing.
In many personal injury cases, the initial medical treatment a victim receives following a car accident is not enough for them to heal properly. Often, victims require physical therapy after a car accident. This long-term rehabilitation can last for weeks, months, and, in the most severe cases, even years, and can cost a significant amount of money.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Pennsylvania car accident due to the negligence of another party, you’ll want to ensure that you are compensated for all medical bills related to the accident, past, present, and future. A personal injury attorney can help fight for the compensation you deserve to cover the cost of any physical therapy that you need to heal properly following a car accident.
This post outlines four common types of physical therapies that an accident victim may require following a car accident.
Chiropractic Therapy
Whiplash is perhaps the most common car accident injury that chiropractors treat. However, it is advised that accident victims seek a chiropractic evaluation for any neck or back-related issues within 72 hours of the accident.
There are generally two types of chiropractic care:
Chiropractic Manipulation
Chiropractic manipulation or chiropractic adjustment is a process by which the chiropractor applies controlled force to spinal joints, improving function and mobility while reducing pain. This process works better when the patient’s muscles are more relaxed, and that’s where the second type of chiropractic care comes in.
Chiropractic Modalities
Chiropractic modalities will relax a patient’s muscles to make manipulation easier. Common types of modalities include electric nerve stimulation, spinal traction, ultrasound, soft tissue mobilization, and heat.
In addition to the treatment that a chiropractor might provide, they may recommend certain lifestyle changes, including changes in your diet and exercise, to enhance the chiropractic experience.
Massage Therapy
After a Pennsylvania car accident, many victims have found massage therapy beneficial.
Massage therapy can loosen a victim’s muscles before chiropractic manipulation, and other treatments or massage therapy by itself may be all you need. Accident victims who suffer only minor soft tissue damage benefit from massage therapy.
Massage Therapy can also help ease neurological pain, like pinched nerves caused by inflamed muscles. There are a variety of massage therapy techniques that may be beneficial to an accident victim. Two of the most common types of massage therapy for accident victims are trigger point massages and deep massages. Deep massages target serious muscle damage sustained in the car accident, while trigger point massages focus on tightened muscle fibers.
An experienced massage therapist will be able to recommend the best course of treatment for injuries caused by a car accident.
Neurological Physical Therapy
Neurological Physical Therapy is a specialized treatment of nervous system injuries. Neurological damage is not uncommon in a motor vehicle accident. Your doctor could suggest neurological physical therapy if you have suffered neurological damage in a car accident.
Neurological physical therapy is most commonly associated with traumatic brain injuries, often caused by blunt force trauma in a car accident. However, any nerve damage resulting in a weakness in the extremities, tingling, or numbness can benefit from neurological physical therapy. Even minor numbness in the fingers can signal nerve damage in the shoulders or neck and can benefit from neurological physical therapy.
Your doctor can tell you if neurological physical therapy is necessary following an injury from a motor vehicle accident.
Orthopedic Physical Therapy
The sheer force of an accident can affect a victim’s muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments. Broken bones and soft tissue tears are also common. Orthopedic physical therapy may be necessary to eliminate the pain, regain mobility and fully recuperate from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
Whiplash is a condition resulting from a victim’s head quickly being forced backward and forward. Whiplash results in a loss of neck mobility, and although it will eventually heal, stiffness and limited mobility may persist. Orthopedic physical therapy can help whiplash and other mobility conditions by retraining ligaments, bones, muscles, and tendons to work together properly.
Car Accident Lawyers in Pennsylvania
Personal injuries caused by a car accident can be quite serious and require long-term therapy. To receive the compensation you need to cover the cost of long-term treatments and physical therapy after an accident, you’ll want to hire an experienced personal injury attorney.
The Pennsylvania car accident lawyers at the Thistle Law Firm help car accident victims obtain the compensation they deserve. Contact the Pennsylvania car crash experts at The Thistle Law Firm today or call them directly at 215-525-6824 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.