Why You Should Get a Physio Assessment Immediately After a Car Accident
In 2021, there were more than 100,000 diagnosed injuries caused by car accidents. While we all do our best to stay safe on the road, accidents still happen. In some cases, the injuries from these crashes can be life-altering, whether for short or long-term.
Left untreated, the injuries from car accidents can hold you back from living life to the fullest and enjoying your usual activities. However, with the right care provided at the right time, you have the opportunity to address these issues before they become more severe.
One of the most common treatments for car crash injuries is physiotherapy. Because physio is accessible, non-invasive, and flexible in its approach, it can be used to treat a huge range of common injuries caused by car accidents. In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the benefits of getting a physio assessment immediately after a car accident.
Which Car Accident Injuries Can Physio Help With?
Because of the violent nature of many crashes, even patients with severe injuries can benefit from physiotherapy to reduce scar tissue buildup, restore flexibility, and lessen pain in the soft tissues. Perhaps the most common injury caused by car accidents is whiplash, which occurs when your neck is forced to extend past its usual limits.
This can cause:
Pain and tension in the head, neck, and shoulders
Stiffness in the neck
Chronic headaches
Dizziness
Blurred vision
Fatigue
Numbness in other parts of the body
Physio is well-suited to treat whiplash. Through a range of exercises and stretches customized to your specific needs, your physiotherapist will be able to gently rehabilitate the injured soft tissues in the neck over the course of your sessions, giving you the relief you need.
Besides whiplash, physio is also often used to treat soft tissue injuries in other parts of the body, such as the knees, shoulders, or wrists. It may be recommended to use physiotherapy in tandem with other services like massage or acupuncture to better support your healing process.
With all that said, physiotherapy’s effectiveness can depend on timing, especially after a severe incident like a car crash. This treatment has the power to help you heal from your injuries much more quickly, but the effects can be less pronounced if you wait to begin treatment after your accident. Here are the top reasons to see a physiotherapist as soon as possible after a car accident:
1. Get a Diagnosis and the Support You Need
Physiotherapists are often able to provide patients with a diagnosis within the first session. This offers invaluable insight to you on your options for treatment. From here, the physiotherapist can also offer the support you need to begin your recovery. This could include a brace for an injured knee, or they can help identify if diagnostic imaging is needed.
2. Reduce Your Recovery Timeline
Starting physio right away can dramatically reduce the time it will take you to recover. When you work with a physiotherapist, you’ll have a detailed treatment plan that continually pushes you towards recovery, all while still ensuring you have time to rest and recover between sessions.
3. Get Relief From Pain
Physiotherapy has huge long-term benefits for those who have been injured in a crash, but it can provide quick relief as well. If you’re dealing with pain in your neck, back, head, or elsewhere, the stretches you learn in physio can provide some much-needed relief from constant pain. Don’t endure days, weeks, or months of pain after your accident—get the help you need right away.
4. Avoid the Need for More Serious Treatment
When started early, physiotherapy can sometimes help you avoid more serious treatments, such as surgery, later on. By working on rehabilitation quickly after sustaining an injury, you’ll have less scar tissue buildup and a better chance of a full recovery. Prompt physio treatment can also negate the need for strong prescriptions to deal with the pain.
5. Avoid Long-Term Damage
The last (and arguably most important) benefit of physiotherapy is its ability to prevent long-term damage overall. As we mentioned before, many of these injuries simply aren’t able to heal completely on their own. And in some cases, it can lead to more and more issues as your body tries to compensate. Physio breaks this cycle early and helps you get back to feeling your best again.
Working With Triumph Physio After a Car Accident – FAQs
Still curious about the process of getting physio treatment for an injury caused by a car accident? Here are the answers to some of our most commonly asked questions:
Q: Do you charge user fees?
A: Not for physio or acupuncture, no! Provided you’re approved to get physiotherapy or acupuncture from ICBC, these services are provided at no user fee or out-of-pocket cost to you.
Q: Do I need a claim number from ICBC to get physio?
A: A claim number is required to get your physiotherapy treatment covered by ICBC.
Q: Do I need a doctor’s note to get physio after a car accident?
A: It’s not necessary to be referred or recommended physiotherapy by a doctor after your accident. However, your physiotherapist is able to recommend you seeing a doctor to discuss medication.
Q: How does ICBC coverage for physio work?
A: Once you have your ICBC claim number, you’re automatically covered for 25 sessions of physiotherapy in the first 90 days. This includes the initial assessment, where your physiotherapist will assess you and determine whether or not you need physiotherapy. If it’s needed, you simply do sessions as normal and let us handle the billing with ICBC.
Q: How do I get started with physio after a car accident?
A: If you’ve received your ICBC claim, it’s recommended to sit down for a physiotherapy consultation as soon as possible.
Contact us today if you need to discuss your options for recovery now! You can also book your initial consultation online.
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