After a Car Accident: How to Recover from a Back Injury

Slam! The other car came out of nowhere. Your head is replaying what just happened, and you’re a little dazed. As the fog clears, you don’t think anything is broken, but you realize your back hurts after the car accident. What should you do about it? What are the best ways to heal from this injury? Keep reading to learn how to deal with this situation in the aftermath and get back to full health.

Ice and Heat Therapy

Right after you experience a back injury from a car accident, you need to reduce potential swelling and bruising. As a result, you’ll want to avoid using heat at first and put a cold pack on your back. Eventually, to loosen the tight muscles and release tension, heat therapy can be implemented into the routine, helping your body heal in a healthier way.

Massage

When you’ve injured your back, getting a massage can feel like a miracle. Not only is the massage process soothing mentally and emotionally, but it also can help your soft tissues (i.e., your muscles) physically relax, allowing them to resume normal function and heal properly.

Rest and Gentle Exercise

Rest and exercise seem like opposites, but in this case, you need both to overcome a back injury. At first, resting can prevent further damage from being done to your back. After a day or two, however, it’s important to get moving at least a little bit to get your blood pumping and prevent stiffness. Doing some mild exercise, such as taking a short walk or swimming, can also strengthen your muscles and allow you to return to normal activities sooner.

Medication

Although you shouldn’t rely only on medication, painkillers can be helpful in the healing process. Especially while the injury is fresh, you could be experiencing a lot of discomfort, and modern medicine can help you get through without having to suffer. If possible, use over-the-counter pain options, but if necessary, you can ask your doctor for more powerful prescriptions.

Chiropractic Care

One thing many people don’t think to do until much later is visit the chiropractor. However, starting treatment soon after the accident can give you a head start and could shorten the time it takes to recover from your injury. Through realignment, your chiropractor can take pressure off compressed nerves along your spine and other joints.

Bouncing back from a car accident takes some time and patience. You may have to go slow for a bit, but staying loose with ice and heat therapy, getting massages, staying active, taking medication when necessary, and visiting a chiropractor can go a long way to help in your recovery. By using these methods of treatment, you can help your body ease back into everyday functions and feel better.

About the Author

Known as Dr. Z, Dr. Zinovy Chukhman is certified by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and continues to expand his skills in the field through continuing education. In fact, he is proficient in many techniques, including flexion-distraction, Gonstead Concept, and Graston Technique. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Z, you can contact him at his practice, AlignRight Injury & Rehab, located near Dallas.