What to Do After You are Injured in an Accident

Have you recently been in an accident? It can feel hopeless when you are injured. Luckily, depending on the injury you can find a clear path forward. When you’ve had an incident, you can overcome it if you do the right things. Whether you need physical therapy, to lower swelling, or simply need to wait for a broken bone to heal, accidents are unavoidable. Whatever the incident, below are some things you should do after an accident.

Physical Therapy

One of the most important things you should do after you have been injured in an accident is to go to physical therapy. Whether you’re looking for physical therapy in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Redding, California, or Issaquah, Washington, there are plenty of physical therapists around the country. Luckily, physical therapy is accessible wherever you live. Did you break an arm? Was your ankle sprained? Whatever the injury, physical therapy is necessary after any injury.

Occupational Therapy

Another vital thing to do after you are injured in an accident is occupational therapy (OT). OT is also known as occupational rehab. Occupational therapy is designed to build strength and habits through repetition. An occupational therapist has you do exercises that might hurt at first, but they will begin to grow the strength in your limbs and other parts of your body. Whatever injury that you’ve had after your accident can be greatly facilitated by occupational therapy. Over time, OT will greatly enhance the functioning and ability of the part of your body that has been injured.

Yoga and Stretching

Once you have healed enough to not be in constant pain, you should begin practicing yoga or stretching frequently. Yoga lowers inflammation, tones the body, and builds muscle. It is not just good to build strength in the parts of your body that are injured, yoga is great for your body and mind overall. Yoga teaches patience. It teaches serenity. It teaches progress. Whether you get really into the practice of yoga or simply stretch the site of your injury at your occupational therapists’ suggestion, doing the work on your body will make all the difference. You should practice yoga for your comprehensive health.

Paperwork, Records, and Insurance

If you have been injured in an accident, there are likely some things to do that don’t have to do with recovering. You might have to speak with your insurance company, and you might need photos and other records to prove that the accident wasn’t your fault. Do you need to file paperwork? While you might be injured and resting, don’t overlook the logistical tasks and things you should do to get what you need. You might be entitled to some compensation for your emotional, physical, and financial troubles. While you are resting and don’t have much to do, you should make sure to get the mundane tasks surrounding your accident. If other people were involved in the incident, there will likely be quite a few things you need to do.

RICE

RICE is an acronym for sports injuries, but it applies to any strained injury. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This is a cycle that you should use in your healing process. You should rest the injury for a while, ice it until the ice is no longer cold, wear compression products, and elevate the injury frequently. This cycle will enable you to get better and overcome your injuries with a concerted method. RICE should always be kept in mind when you are injured.

Being injured after an accident is always an inconvenience. It can greatly impact your life. Whether you are badly injured or have a minor fracture, getting the rest, physical and occupational therapy, stretching, and taking care of any logistical work can help you get through it. You shouldn’t put off your recovery.

Instead, you should get started as soon as possible. You should, of course, get the rest that you need, but even though the occupational therapy may hurt, it’s because you are building strength. Whatever your injury, it’s pivotal to take the time and put in the effort to get better every day. Don’t wait to start getting back to your life!