Going through a car accident and dealing with its aftermath can be very overwhelming. The emotional and physical trauma one goes through after a car wreck can not only cause ongoing plan but it also creates problems in living your normal life. Even performing the basic everyday tasks can become a challenge if you don't give your body the time it needs to heal. If you try to make a quick jump into your routine, it can limit your progress and make your car wreck injuries even worse.
Hence, it is very important that you listen to your body, understand its needs, and give yourself the time to heal. Generally, it can take weeks or even months to fully recover from a car wreck depending on the severity of the injuries. Besides, how long it takes for one to recover depend on a number of factors, such as:
- The injuries you sustained in the car collision]
- Your health and lifestyle before the accident
- How soon you seek treatment after the accident
- The quality of health care you can access
- Your age and resources
- Your diet and routine
- How much rest you are getting
- The quality of your support system
Even though completely recovering from car accident injuries require a lot of patience, some medical attention, and emotional support, there are ways to fasten the healing process. With some lifestyle changes and precautions, you can get back to your normal life sooner.
Follow your doctor's recommendations
It is very important to consult a doctor at the earliest. Your doctor can not only suggest the best possible treatment for your injuries but they can also help you understand your condition and how you can take the best care of yourself post the treatment.
The nervous system can sustain serious injuries after a car accident. For this reason, obtaining a diagnosis that locates the problem is important in knowing the best intervention for your injury. A car accident doctor or neurologist can determine if there’s damage to the nerve connections or the brain. Moreover, they have the clinical eye and knowledge to identify the source of pain and injury via thorough physical examination and comprehensive diagnostic testing using advanced technology.
Besides, it is also very important to follow the doctor's instructions as it can help your case if you claim for insurance or decide to file a lawsuit. Your doctor will have the medical records and documentation that is going to be very helpful for your lawyer and the court to take the proper course of action required.
That said, at times people who have been in a car collision only experience pain or swelling after a couple of days or even weeks of the accident. Hence, it is very important to seek medical treatment as early as possible to ensure you are taking the best care of yourself.
Apply ice or heat for some relief
It is common to feel soreness in your back and muscles after a car accident and in certain situations, this can become severe and cause a lot of discomforts. Icing and applying some heat on sore or injured body parts can be good for controlling pain as well as reducing inflammation. You can simply place ice or heat pads for 10 to 15 minutes on the body part and repeat the process as needed.
However, the more you are able to limit the amount of swelling and inflammation in the body, the faster you can recover from your car wreck injuries.
Give your body some rest
Depending on your injuries and what your doctor suggests, moving around a little might help with muscle and joint flexibility. However, overdoing it may actually drag your recovery from the car accident. To ensure your body properly heals as fast as possible, make sure you take it easy. Take some time off from work, limit your physical activity, and give your body the time and fuel it needs to fully recover and repair itself.
Consider physical therapy
In a lot of cases, doctors recommend that you do physical therapy or consult for chiropractic treatment throughout your recovery and even after. Physical therapists and chiropractors are known to help patients recover from accident injuries by showing you the safest approach to getting some form of exercise after the accident.
These car accident expert medical professionals often have special equipment that's specialized to help you depending on the severity of your injuries.
Doing exercise under the supervision of your physical therapist will also help prevent additional injuries.
Slowly start an exercise and stretching routine
even if you haven't suffered from severe injuries, jumping back into your normal exercise routine quickly after the accident can worsen your condition and increase your recovery time. Hence, it is important to slowly moving your body and understand how much you can push yourself without making more damage.
Besides, it’s always good to consult your doctor before starting an exercise routine. They will able to tell how much your body can take and what exercise can promote quick healing.
Eat recovery foods
When you go through a car accident and your body is trying to recover from this trauma it needs fuel to do so. Eating specific foods can not only enable your body to heal but can also shorten your recovery time. The extra nutrition allows the body to better repair itself.
There are different types of food and supplements that you can take to promote fast healing, depending on your injuries. For example, a good intake of vegetables and fruits can help with reducing inflammation, and high in protein food options like chicken and fish help rebuild muscle mass. Besides, your doctor can also guide you with your nutrient requirement in a day.
Drink enough water to promote healing
When you go through a traumatic injury, like in a car accident, your body can dehydrate faster than usual. This happens because your body is using additional water to assist the body with the healing process of each part, like reducing the inflammation and replacing the damaged cells with new, healthy ones.
Hence, make sure to drink plenty of water, at least 6 cups a day, this will ensure that your body has all resources it requires for a quick recovery.
Try massage therapy
Massage therapy is one of the great treatment options for people with car accident injuries. It can offer several health benefits, such as reducing muscle spasms, improving range of motion, and promoting blood circulation to injured areas. Besides, massage therapy and chiropractic adjustments can also help patients experiencing chronic pain.
Chiropractic treatment is a holistic therapy that involves the manipulation of the musculoskeletal system. This helps restore proper muscle function by stretching or applying pressure to the muscles with excessive tension. Furthermore, chiropractic treatment is also thought to help align the spine after whiplash (neck injury due to sudden movement) or other accident-related injuries. However, ensure you’re dealing with a highly trained and experienced chiropractor for the best results.
In addition, your neurologist can provide expert advice about recommended therapies following a car accident and refer you to a physical therapist. Physical therapy can help you recover from severe injuries, especially if you have fractures. The rehabilitation period is usually six weeks to six months or more, depending on the extent and location of the injury.
That said, the right approach and massage therapy to better recover from the auto accident injuries will depend on you and your particular case.
For fast and complete recovery
When you or your friend or a family member has been in an accident, you should consider those physical injuries are not all you need to be concerned about. Going through a car accident and then recovering from its aftermath can be very traumatic emotionally as well. It can become the cause of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or make one develop a fear of driving. Hence, overcoming the psychological trauma is just as important as promoting your body to heal. Addressing how the accident has affected you emotionally and promoting recovery of your mental health can actually positively support the physical healing process as well.
There are many ways you can ensure a complete emotional recovery, varying from person to person. This may include talking to your friends or family, consulting a professional counselor, maintain a healthy diet and fitness routine, stay active, get back to your regular activities from before the accident, and above all be patient with yourself.