Physiotherapy After A Car Accident

Whiplash management

Physiotherapists can assist with whiplash management after a car crash. Whiplash is named after the cracking of a whip, and it occurs after the neck suddenly moves backwards and forwards, which is typical after rear-end collisions. This rapid movement can cause soft tissue damage to the tendons, muscles and other structures of the neck. They can become overstretched or strained, leading to neck pain, and often referred pain in the form of headaches. Other symptoms of whiplash include stiffness, swelling, tenderness and reduced mobility. Some whiplash symptoms resolve after a few days, but in other cases, the pain may last for weeks or months following the initial injury. 

A physiotherapist can provide assessment after a whiplash injury and advise on a recovery plan, as well as provide assistance with symptom management. They can perform massages to reduce tension in soft tissues, and apply heat and cold to aid in the management of pain and inflammation. They can also provide advice about the correct posture and positioning of your neck for recovery to prevent further damage and ease any pain that may be caused by muscle strain.

Back pain

A car crash can cause a variety of potential issues with your back, such as a disc bulge or lumbar sprain. Overstretching or tearing of muscles in the back can often occur, as well as tightness and muscle spasms that can make for a painful back. Physiotherapists can assist you with the management of this back pain, identifying the location and likely cause of the problem, and helping you to avoid any harmful movements and promote healing wherever possible.

Bruised ribs

Bruised ribs are caused by a direct blow to the chest. They can cause chest pain that varies in quality and severity, from mild to severe. It can impact on activities such as sleeping, lying down, running, coughing and even breathing. Movement may be restricted as bending or twisting the torso can lead to pain. Physiotherapists can advise on a safe plan to return to activity and provide treatments such as dry needling, protective gear, taping, gentle stretches, and advice on lifestyle and activity modifications to minimise pain and discomfort.

We often find pain, after traumatic events like a car crash, can persist well beyond the timeframe for tissue healing. On the surface this seems quite strange! Why would you have lingering symptoms if the underlying tissue has fully healed? Well, we are now starting to uncover some of the answer. 

In some respects, humans are like cars and in other respects we are quite different. We are similar in that we both have mechanical and structural components that require fixing. However, unlike a car a human has a complex nervous system integrated throughout the body. So while our tissues heal and ‘forget’ the accident, the nervous system ‘remembers’ and persists in a state of hypersensitivity. Another way to think about this is by way of analogy. If we perform bicep curls for a long period of time, our muscles adapt and we get better at bicep curls. If we experience pain for a long period of time, our nervous system similarly adapts and gets ‘better at producing pain’. (This is overly simplified and not strictly correct, but it is, I think, near-enough to be helpful). 

Physiotherapists are experts, not just in injury management, but also in pain management. We can guide you through the process from start to finish with the knowledge and experience to get you back to your physical best!