People are well aware of how common car accidents are, and it’s fair to guess that many readers have had a car accident at some point in their life. Recovering from a car accident can be quite a challenge, even if the accident is relatively “mild”. Accidents typically affect the entire body (and mind) in some way, and many people involved claim that they feel the effects for years or even decades later. It’s rarely just the car that gets wrecked in an accident.

What happens if people have been involved in multiple car accidents though? Those aches and pains can pile up (no pun intended this time). It’s hard enough to recover from one accident, but having multiple accidents can lead to some recurring issues that require a significant investment in effort and time to return to normal. There are a lot of things to consider, and for each person, it’s going to vary widely based on where and how severely they were injured. There are some generalities that apply that can help people get started.

Recovering from Multiple Car Accidents:

• Keep moving – Aside from cases of fracture or other severe medical issues that makes it unsafe to exercise, keeping yourself active is vital. The body needs movement to stay healthy, whether it’s your heart, joints, muscles, brain, or other organs/structures. If pain is limiting movement, do what you feel is safe.
• Focus on progress – It’s easy to focus on negative things like pain or what we can’t do, but as the body recovers it’s easy to lose track of the simple but important progress that’s made each day.  Whether it’s being able to turn your head an extra 5 degrees or being able to walk an extra 5 minutes, those improvements add up from day to day and week to week. If you have a specific goal in mind that seems really far away, split that goal up into short and long-term goals.  If your goal is to get back to running for a 10k and you’re struggling to walk for more than 30 minutes, set goals to be able to walk for longer periods of time in the short term while setting a more long term goal to be able to run a mile.
• Get help when you need it – Motor vehicle accidents are tough to recover from, and most of the time it’s hard to figure things out on your own.  Physical therapy is a great choice to help with pain and movement issues, but don’t ignore other treatment options that help you feel better like massage or acupuncture.  Medications are also commonly prescribed, so keep an eye on your response to these and let your doctor know how they’re working.  Keep in mind that these treatments (PT, medication, massage, etc.) are usually covered in full by the car insurance of the at-fault driver so long as there is medical necessity.

What’s important to keep in mind with multiple car accidents is that the issues that come up are usually going to last longer and take a lot more effort to fully resolve.  That means it’s important that you are consistent with your treatments and exercises to build your body back up.  More often than not, it’s going to be difficult to handle the side effects on your own.  If there are problems with pain or movement, physical therapy should be your first choice.

Got questions?  Feel limited in what you’re able to do?  The staff at Limitless Physical Therapy in Eugene, OR can show you how to discover your future without limits.

***The above information, including text, images, and all other materials, is provided for educational purposes only, and not as a replacement or supplement to professional medical advice.  Please contact a certified healthcare professional or your primary physician for any personal concerns.