A car accident can take a toll on your physical health as well as your mental health. When recovering from a car accident, you want to make sure you take plenty of time to focus on your health and well-being. Whether you suffered a minor or major car accident injury, you are likely dealing with time away from work, school, or other activities you typically enjoy. While there isn’t a magic cure for a car accident injury, there are certain things you can do to help take care of yourself while you heal and recover. Self-care is a great way to focus on what your mind and body need as you recover from a car accident injury. Check out this helpful self-care guide to fully recovering from a car accident.
How a Car Accident Can Impact You
You may not realize just how much of an impact a car accident can have on you until you’ve experienced it. Immediately after the collision, you may find yourself in a bit of shock and wondering what to do next. Checking yourself for injuries and your car for damages is just the beginning of what happens after a wreck. Here’s how a car accident can impact you:
Physical Injuries
Unfortunately, a car accident can lead to physical injuries. The most common car accident injury is whiplash, which occurs when the force of impact causes your head and neck to snap forward and backward violently. This can cause the muscles and tissues in your neck to stretch out of their normal range of motion and become strained or even torn. Other common physical injuries from a car accident include scrapes, bruises, back pain, joint pain, and broken bones.
Mental Injuries
A car accident can also take a toll on your mental health. If you were in a serious car accident, you could develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, more commonly referred to as PTSD. Witnessing a severe car accident where folks suffered life-threatening injuries can lead to you developing anxiety and fears about getting back in a car or behind the wheel. You may find yourself replaying the moment in your mind and experiencing symptoms of depression or other impacts on your mental health.
Financial Strain
A car accident can also lead to financial strain in your life as you deal with how to pay for repairs to your car and medical care expenses. Work with your insurance company to see how you can get these types of expenses covered and avoid too much financial strain that can also impact your mental health. When you are stressed about something like finances, it can impact your ability to heal and focus on your recovery.
How to Recover from a Car Accident
There are so many steps you can take to get yourself on the road to recovery after a car accident. Check out these ways to focus your time and energy so you can make a full recovery.
Get Checked Out by a Doctor Right Away
The best thing you can do for your physical and mental health is to get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible after the car accident. The sooner you have a diagnosis of a car accident injury, the sooner you can get started on the appropriate treatment. If you avoid going to the doctor, you run the risk of dealing with complications later on that can extend your recovery time. Put yourself and your health first by getting checked out by a doctor right away, even if you don’t notice any signs or symptoms of an injury. The shock and adrenaline you experience after an accident can mask pain and other symptoms, so you might not feel injured, but a thorough exam may highlight issues you are not yet aware of that require treatment.
Follow Through on Injury Treatment
Your car accident doctor will develop a personalized treatment plan that will address your specific symptoms and the type of injury you have. You want to commit to following through on the treatment for your injuries so you can fully heal and recover. Your car accident doctors will work with you to make sure the treatment plan involves techniques you are comfortable with and that they do not make your pain and discomfort worse. Talk to your doctor and think of them as a partner along your journey toward healing.
Use the R.I.C.E. Method for Injuries
You can also take steps at home to recover from a car accident injury. A common way to remember how you can manage your injuries at home is called the R.I.C.E. Method.
R stands for rest, which is a key element of your recovery. Immediately after the accident, it is especially important that you not push yourself too hard and instead make time to rest and allow your body to jumpstart the natural healing process.
I stands for ice, which you can apply wrapped in a towel or using an ice pack. Icing an injured area will help reduce inflammation and swelling and provides a temporary numbing sensation.
C stands for compression, and depending on your type of injury, it can help protect your joints and reduce swelling. Wearing a wrap or brace can help stabilize the area and support the healing process.
E stands for elevate, which can also help reduce swelling. If you suffer a knee injury, for example, then propping your leg up can help by naturally slowing blood flow to the area.
Practice At-Home Recovery Techniques
Your physical therapist may recommend certain stretches and techniques that you can do from home to help support your treatment progress. Practice these at-home recovery techniques to improve your strength and mobility while you recover from your car accident injuries.
What Self-Care Looks Like After a Car Accident
Self-care may look different from person to person, but it involves making intentional time to focus on yourself and your well-being. From physical to mental health, when you take time to check in on yourself, it can help center your mind and prepare you for the road to recovery ahead of you. Here are several things you can do to practice self-care after a car accident:
Make Time for Rest
As mentioned before with the R.I.C.E. Method, rest is a key element of the recovery process. We all live busy lives, and it can be difficult to make time to slow down in even the best of times. When you are dealing with a car accident injury, it may force you to slow down and give you an opportunity to be intentional about rest. Resting doesn’t mean you have to stay completely immobilized. Instead, resting can mean slowing down your regular pace and focusing on simple things like taking breaks and getting a good night’s sleep.
Manage Your Pain
Partner with your car accident doctor and learn how to manage your pain as you recover. For example, working with a chiropractor can help provide you with all-natural solutions for pain management so you skip the powerful painkillers and instead focus on your body’s natural healing abilities.
Follow Medical Advice
Check in with your car accident doctors while recovering from a car accident for treatment as well as encouragement and support. Your car accident doctors want you to heal and recover swiftly and will be right by your side the whole way. Following your treatment plan will also give you goals to work toward and peace of mind that you are in control of your recovery.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Part of self-care can include eating a healthy diet, especially when you are recovering from an accident. Your body needs all those nutrients to help you heal after an accident. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and focus on nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables that help you reach your goals for recovery. Skip sugary foods or snacks high in fat that can actually slow down your recovery process. Instead, focus on getting enough protein to help you regain your strength and mobility after the accident.
Exercise
Exercising is a great way to keep your body moving and support your recovery process. Too much time sitting or lying around can actually be hard on your muscles and joints. Instead, make time to focus on your strength, flexibility, and mobility while you recover from your injuries. Your physical therapist can walk you through approved exercises that will work in tandem with your recovery and won’t aggravate your existing injuries.
Why Car Accident Doctors Support Self-Care
When recovering from a car accident, it is so important to stay positive and patient throughout the process. Practicing these self-care routines can go a long way to helping you cope with healing from a car accident injury and getting you back to your regular routines and activities. Visit AICA Orthopedics in Conyers and start working with a trusted team of car accident doctors near you so you can fully recover and rehabilitate from a car accident injury as soon as possible.