Managing Pain And Discomfort After A Car Accident
Being injured in any kind of accident can be frightening and stressful, not to mention possibly painful. While some walk away from car accidents without a scratch, others can sustain life-altering injuries. In fact, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in 2020, there were 341,399 total crashes in Florida, resulting in 212,432 injuries. 12,462 of which were classified as incapacitating, which means that those injured were prevented from day-to-day activities like walking, driving, going to work, and more. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, managing your pain and discomfort will be and should be your top priority. The repercussions can be emotional and financial, but especially physical. Managing your pain is an important step in recovery and healing. While you focus on that, The Florida Law Group can help you seek compensation for your injuries. Call today for a free consultation.
Below are several strategies for managing pain and discomfort after you’ve been injured in a car accident so that you can return to your normal routines as quickly as possible.
Seek Medical Attention
Seeking medical attention is critical after a car accident injury as all injuries are not immediately apparent, and it can often take hours, or even days before you discover pain or injury in your body from the accident. Internal bleeding or a concussion are two prime examples of non-visible injuries, though they’re extremely serious ones nonetheless. Having an examination by a medical professional can give you peace of mind by guaranteeing you don’t have any non-visible injuries.
When you’ve been injured in a car accident, you should immediately contact 911 and wait for emergency personnel to arrive. A medical professional can assess your injuries and decipher what kind of medical care will be necessary.
A medical professional might recommend several things to evaluate your injuries and promote recovery, like surgery, CT scans, MRIs, X-rays, physical therapy, medication, etc. It is always important to heed their directions so you can do what you can to heal quickly and properly. In some cases, you may also need to seek help from a mental health therapist so you can learn to cope with the emotional trauma related to the accident.
Rest
Getting the proper amount of rest is essential for a successful recovery, and it’s free. Just like you need rest to get over a cold, you need rest for your body to recuperate from the impacts of the accident. Failing to take time off and let your body rest after a car accident can prolong your recovery and worsen your injuries.
A sleep medicine study found that sleep is a necessary part of tissue repair following an injury and that any sleep deprivation could keep you from healing and prolong your recovery time. If you want to get better, allotting your body the necessary recovery time is crucial.
Resting also means more than just sleeping, but taking time off most, if not all, physical activity after an accident. Your doctor will likely tell you to refrain from workouts, walking, possibly driving, and more. You may even need to take time off work to avoid any additional stress on your body.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is meant to help you ease pain and move and function better. When you work with a physical therapist, they can recommend different techniques like massaging or various stretches to help provide comfort and promote healing and mobility. A car accident can be debilitating and have extreme effects on how you move. Physical therapy can help you find ways to overcome limitations in your movements. A study published by the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that physical therapy was effective in treating shoulder impingement syndrome in 90% of patients. Whiplash, head, and spinal cord injuries are some other common car accident injuries that physical therapy can help heal.
Manage Stress Levels
Stress can be a state of worry or mental tension caused by a problematic situation. It is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats that everyone experiences at some point in time. While it can occur for many different reasons, it can affect more than just your well-being; it can also affect your physical body. Not only can it increase your blood pressure, but it can also cause muscle pain, sleep deprivation, and weaken your immune system. All things that can easily hinder your recovery process.
Managing stress can look a number of different ways, including but not limited to:
- Implementing a better sleep/rest schedule
- Exercise, IF, and WHEN a medical professional approves it, as exercise has been tied to a better mood and mental state.
- Engage in relaxing and non-strenuous activity.
- And more.
If you need additional strategies for stress management, a doctor or mental health specialist can give you additional options.
What The Florida Law Group Can Do For You
Being injured in any kind of accident can be expensive, and so can recovering from one. It isn’t fair for you to bear the burden of physical, emotional, and financial costs that an accident you didn’t cause can bring. At The Florida Law Group, we can help you secure the compensation you deserve for your accident and injuries, so you can focus on a swift recovery. We know how overwhelming being involved in an accident can be, so we do what we can to make the legal process as stress-free as possible. Our accident injury attorneys care about what happens to you! Call today for a free consultation and learn more about what we can do for you.
About Our Firm
The Florida Law Group is one of the state’s oldest and most reputable law firms. Our legal team has over 100+ years of combined experience helping accident victims recover damages. We have also been recognized by some of the nation’s most prestigious legal organizations, including but not limited to the following:
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
- Best Lawyers In America
- Florida Super Lawyers
- And more!
