Finding the Right Doctor after a Car Accident

17 Jan Finding the Right Doctor after a Car Accident

A common occurrence like traveling by vehicle is always taken for granted. People use cars to travel hundreds of miles every day. Like traveling, car accidents are also a common occurrence and can happen to anyone.

Resulting injuries to the head, soft tissue and bones can cause extreme pain. After an accident managing pain is an essential part of the recovery process.

Consult an expert

Not all doctors are qualified or experienced enough to deal with every kind of emergency or injury. Some physicians deal only with regular patients or common wounds. However, a specialist in vehicle accidents will have better knowledge and experience of dealing with such cases.

Such doctors will have a good understanding of the degree of damage and pain the body suffered and with correct measures can help relieve the pain sooner.

One should immediately visit a doctor after experiencing a car accident. Sometimes the injuries might not be apparent because very often the pain reveals itself days or even weeks after the incident. Whether you feel hurt or not, it is better to consult a doctor and get yourself thoroughly checked.

Pain Management

Injuries in any part of the body can cause discomfort and pain in other areas of the body as well. Based on the area of injury, a doctor specializing in treating auto accident sufferers may recommend any of the following to manage the associated pain:

• Neck Or Back Brace. Temporarily wearing a back or neck brace can help with recovery. These muscles, however, need to move for them to heal properly, so incorporating some kind of movement is important.
• Ice. Icing the injured area can help soothe the wound and reduce the pain or swelling of the muscles
• Medication. Painkillers and muscle relaxants can all help the injured person recover from pain and heal the wounds and swelling. When administering medication the amounts and timings for use should be specified.
• Chiropractic therapy. The neck or back can get misaligned after an accident. A good chiropractic can help and aid in realigning the spine.
• Massage therapy. A car accident can easily damage soft tissues due to the pressure and force experienced by the body. If the muscles heal improperly, they can cause additional pain. Massaging can help in healing, reducing pain and improving the blood circulation around the injured area.
• Physical therapy. Damage in the muscles and nerves can limit motion and cause pain. Physical therapy can help strengthen affected muscles.
• Epidural steroid injections. These injections treat inflammation in the body and help in recovery and reduce pain.
• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA can help patients going through chronic pain. It uses electric currents that are created by radio waves that heat up a small portion of nerve tissue which can lessen the pain in that particular area.

Dangers of overusing medication

The doctor that you consult after a car accident should be qualified, experienced and knowledgeable. An expert in this field will not rely on medication alone but will combine it with other treatment modes.

Medication can help in recovery, however, prescribing the right amount and timings for the medication is necessary. Using them for more than a certain amount of time may cause addiction and dependency which can lead to other health problems.