A car accident is a traumatizing experience that often leaves victims physically injured for an extended period. That can affect work opportunities, day-to-day responsibilities, and everything else.

 

So, you naturally want to heal as fast as possible to get back to your normal life without those issues.

 

Today, we’re going to go over things to do for faster car accident recovery and reclaim your normal life.

 

Let’s get started!

 

1: Speak with Your Doctor

 

The first thing you should do when you go through a car accident is immediately get checked out by your doctor.

 

Most people consider this for legal reasons. If there are injuries and you need to take legal action, consulting with a doctor will make it far easier to get through the legal system effectively.

However, it’s also important for your health. The sooner you get checked out, the sooner your doctor can diagnose any injuries you suffered, determine how severe they are, and get you into a treatment program.

 

The faster you start treating something, the faster you can heal from it. That goes for major and minor injuries.

 

2: Eat a Healthy Diet

 

What you put into your body has a huge impact on how well your body functions. This includes the various healing responses your body has built in.

 

If you’re eating a diet rich in nutrients and low in all the things that are bad for you, your body has more resources to divert to the healing process.

 

Not only is this healthier for you in general, but that means you’re going to naturally heal faster than you would otherwise.

 

This does not mean that you can simply diet your way to healing. Car accident injuries tend to have long-term negative impacts on your health and overall capabilities, and the body can only do so much on its own.

 

However, eating properly will dramatically help with your situation.

 

3: Sleep Well and Rest Often

 

As you’ll soon see, you can’t rest all the time and expect to heal properly. However, sleep and resting your body are still imperative to the healing process.

 

Get a full night’s sleep every night even if it’s a little more difficult due to pain and not being able to get comfortable, and any time you exercise or follow our other tips, make sure to give your body plenty of time to rest.

 

Your body naturally repairs itself while you rest. Even if you’re doing everything else right, if you’re exhausted, you won’t see the results you’re looking for, and healing will take much longer.

 

4: Stretch

 

It might seem like a bad idea to use any injured body part at all, but it helps if you do it properly. Stretching regularly will help break up tension and relieve inflammation buildup. This will let your body heal more effectively, and you will heal faster.

 

However, we do need to emphasize that stretches should be done properly, and they should not overexert the injured area. While some movement is optimal, pushing it too far can make the injury worse.

 

We have a solution to that problem later on.

 

5: Exercise Supporting Muscles and Joints

 

With most car accident injuries being fairly serious, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to go through your normal workout routine while you heal. However, exercising within your limits is not only a good way to maintain your overall health but can also accelerate your recovery.

 

Incorporating joint manipulation techniques to gently mobilize the affected areas can significantly aid in getting rid of muscle and joint pain. By carefully exercising the muscles and joints that support the injured area, these strengthened supporting structures can alleviate pressure and stress, thereby enhancing healing.

This proactive approach can expedite the return of mobility and shorten the recovery time, allowing you to resume full activity sooner.

 

However, it’s crucial to approach this method correctly, as improper execution or overexertion could worsen the injury. It’s essential not to let the potential risks deter you from beneficial exercise. We’ll outline safe and effective strategies for implementing these techniques later.

 

6: Use Ice, Heat, and Anti-Inflammatories

 

Most of the pain from an injury tends to come from inflammation building up. This is a response your body has to protect from the injury. It starts swelling the affected area with blood to form a shield around the injury while your body takes care of the healing process. Unfortunately, that swelling also puts a lot of pressure on the injury.

 

There are two ways to help relieve this without spending a lot of money or taking any serious medications.

 

First, there are your tried-and-true anti-inflammatory pain relievers. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are both available over the counter, and if use them in cycles, they can manage your inflammation and reduce pain reliably.

 

They won’t do all the work, and they’re not solutions for long-term use, but they can be helpful sparingly while you try to heal.

 

Then, there’s ice and heat. Ice is simple. You can buy cheap ice packs in most stores, freeze them, and use those to apply cold to the injury for 15 minutes. That, or you can make your own with ice from home and a soft rag.

 

For heat, a heating blanket is optimal, but you can also warm a towel and use it for 15 minutes after your ice treatment.

 

Of course, there are OTC options that provide both of those in the same product.

 

7: Hydrate

 

Just like eating healthy will help you heal, so will staying hydrated. Your body needs water for all its functions. That includes healing.

 

8: Avoid Drinking and Smoking

 

If you use alcohol or tobacco products, avoid them throughout the healing process. Not only is this healthier in general, but it also helps greatly reduce inflammation that you otherwise don’t notice.

 

9: Go to Physical Therapy

 

This is the solution we mentioned earlier when we talked about doing things properly. A physical therapist will guide you through safe exercises and stretches, help guide your diet, and help you along the road to recovery. They can even teach you exercises you can do at home to continue treatment on your own.

 

Contact Expert Manual Therapy to Start Healing Now

 

Our tips for faster car accident recovery can significantly aid your healing process, but for a comprehensive recovery, professional assistance is crucial.

 

At our Austin-based manual therapy clinic, we offer expert physical therapy tailored to effectively address and alleviate your injuries.

 

Contact us today to schedule your consultation and start on the path to recovery.