Trauma from car accidents can result in a wide range of injuries from mild to severe and can affect multiple areas of the body. Physical injuries are often exacerbated by the mental and emotional stress following severe car accidents. Treating the entire person is important for accelerating the healing process. SPINE PT understands that many factors influence healing and will help you to heal in the fastest way possible.

Early Intervention Can Help You Heal Faster and Keep The
Injuries From Causing Problems In Other Parts of Your Body.

The sooner you begin physical therapy after an accident, the sooner your body will be getting needed treatments that encourage and promote tissue healing. Studies show that early physical therapy interventions after any injury can reduce the time to heal. There is a reason professional sports teams hire physical therapists and athletic trainers to be present at games and practices to begin treatment immediately after injuries. They are anxious to get their players back to full health so the team can win games. The longer treatment is delayed, the longer it can take to heal. As the saying goes, “A stitch in time, saves 9.” In other words, if you repair a tear in fabric early, you can most likely mend it with only one stitch instead of 9. Treating injuries is much the same.

Several years ago, a patient was treated after a total knee replacement. His knee was having a hard time extending fully. He was anxious to return to work so he didn’t finish his physical therapy treatments that would have helped him to get his knee straight. Within 6 months the patient came to SPINE PT for  treatment of severe back and leg pain. Because the patient’s knee never fully straightened, it was as if that leg was shorter than the other leg, and it caused him to limp. The increased stress on his back pinched his L4/5 nerve root, which caused his back and leg pain.

Problems that are not resolved in one part of the body can cause problems in other parts of the body. Therapists at SPINE PT not only strive to bring you pain relief now so you can return to work, sports, and caring for your family, but also address issues that could cause future problems.

Referral from a Medical Doctor

While physical therapists don’t need a referral from a medical doctor to treat you after a car accident, we recommend you have your family physician evaluate you first for a couple of reasons.

1. Your doctor will be able to take x-rays to rule out potential compression fractures, broken bones or other internal injuries that are important to catch as soon as possible and will affect the types of treatments you receive in physical therapy.

2. When paying out claims, some car insurance companies like to see that a medical doctor referred you to physical therapy for treatment. For these reasons, SPINE PT recommends you obtain a referral from your family physician before beginning physical therapy. If you don’t have a family physician, SPINE PT works with many compassionate and skilled family care physicians and would be happy to give you some recommendations.