We know there is no shortcut in the healing process after being injured in a car accident crash. After you’ve suffered an injury in a car crash accident, your full recovery usually takes time and medical care. Some of your injuries may take weeks or even months to heal completely, depending on the severity of the injury, pre-existing health conditions and how follow-up with treatment. Our lawyers specialize in car accident related injuries and claims.
While we can’t give you medical answers, we can give you answers about the law and what definitive steps you need to take that will put you on the right track to recovering maximum financial compensation. After a car accident, we help establish fault and then your financial compensation will depend on the medical care you seek. Here are some common car accident injury recovery tips:
All too often, car accident injuries are not visible immediately after an auto accident. The pain and symptoms from some whiplash, concussions, shoulder injury and spine damage may take hours, days or even weeks to appear. The longer you wait to seek medical care, the higher risk you have in proving your injuries. You may get worse and require a more extensive recovery period if not treated timely. If you don’t treat accident injuries like whiplash and herniated spinal discs, your neglect may lead to chronic pain in the future. Similarly, untreated concussions or internal bleeding can be life-threatening or cause permanent brain damage. Relying on self-care and diagnosis can be dangerous after a car accident.
After a car accident, if aren’t in an pain, you should still see a doctor for a checkup. Your doctor may perform a physical and if necessary order imaging studies to check for internal bleeding, swelling, fractures and soft tissue damage.
Your primary care physician (PCP) is not the best doctor to see after a car accident. PCPs are trained to treat internal injuries — many of them do not have the necessary experience, training and qualifications to identify, diagnose and treat common accident injuries like whiplash, concussions, soft tissue injuries and fractures.
Instead, seek care from a trained specialist who has experience treating the types of injuries you may have sustained. A specialist in providing muscular or orthopedic care and pain management services for a wide range of joint, bone, muscle and spine conditions is the better option. That’s because they are trained to identify, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate musculoskeletal problems and get you back on to living a normal life as soon as possible after an accident.
Your treatment process could be long and slow, but the most effective way for you to ensure a complete recovery, in as shortest time span as possible, is usually to follow the prescribed treatment plan recommended by your doctor. This includes:
Communicate with your doctor If you feel the treatment plan isn’t working, don’t just discontinue following the treatment plan. Your discussions with your doctor can help pick better treatment options that will be more effective for you in the long run.
Sleep and rest are always critical components of the healing process. Sleep helps your body increases blood flow to your muscles, and tissue and muscle repair and growth can be promoted. Additionally, rest can reduce your level of stress, and sleep can also help reduce inflammation. After an accident that causes a serious injury, it’s important that you slow down and rest frequently, so your body has time to properly heal. Good sleep can help boost your energy levels, increase alertness and positively impact your mood during the day. Know your bodies limitations and don’t push yourself too hard or too soon. If you try to plow through serious car accident injuries, you run the risk of causing more injury.
After a car accident, you may be in a lot of pain for several days, weeks or even months. Your pain can lead to feeling angry, hopeless, frustrated and less motivated to attend physical therapy and take other steps to help your healing. You need to find ways to handle your pain to help your recovery progress.
Sometimes pain management may include resting or napping during the day, taking over-the-counter pain medication and using hot or cold compresses. In physical therapy session, massages may help with sore muscles, tendons and ligaments. If you’re feeling relentless excruciating pain that’s affecting your ability to function or pain that disrupts your sleep, then tell your doctor. Your doctor may have other pain treatment options.
After an accident, exercise and stretching is essential to regain full range of motion, flexibility, balance and endurance. Keep moving to help reduce pain, reduce inflammation, and keep muscles and joints from getting stiff and weak from your injuries. Always work with your doctor’s recommendation for the amount and types of exercises to safely work through the healing process. Yoga and tai chi are a great way to stretch and keep moving.
Eat healthy foods to help promote the recovery process. During the healing process, your body benefits from fresh wholesome foods with plenty of vitamins, minerals and protein to help repair damaged tissues. Meal planning even on days when you’re feeling a lot of pain or when you’re frustrated by the recovery process is helpful, especially if you eat regularly. Your body needs clean fuel to function properly, and you’ll feel better, stronger and more energetic when you eat well. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Your body needs fluids to repair muscle and tissue damage inside your body.
Your emotional wellbeing can depend on the friends and family surrounding you after a car accident. A good friendly support group can help healing because they can improve your mood and make sure you’re motivated to follow your medical treatment plan. Sometime your injuries disable you from driving, so friends and family members can also assist you in daily activities and transport you to and from medical appointments.
You may also need the help of a professional counselor for emotional support. In some people a traumatic incident like a car crash accident may cause anxiety, depression or PTSD after a car accident. Getting help if you have mental or emotional issues from your accident is important to your recovery. If you don’t know what to do, your doctor can help refer you to mental health professionals.
After a car accident, being patient is most important. Your recovery and treatment process may take time, occur slowly and even become frustrating. You may suffer some setbacks or feel like you’re not making any progress, but keep trying to follow your doctor’s prescribed treatment plan. Everybody heals differently and on a different timetable. Give your body a chance to heal and follow your treatment regimen.
After a car accident, you should stop smoking. Smoking is known to hinder the overall recovery process. Your doctor may have some options to help you stop smoking.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident and need legal help for your claim, contact the conveniently located Joseph Dedvukaj Firm team of car accident specialists. Our compassionate lawyers have decades of experience working on behalf of auto accident crash injury victims suffering from whiplash, concussions, soft tissue damage and spine damage. Call us today at 248-352-2110 or toll free at 866-HIRE-JOE to schedule an appointment with a car accident lawyer or fill out our online contact form for a free no obligation consultation.
