If you’ve been involved in an accident, physical therapy might be an effective option for treatment. Proper treatment could reduce your pain, improve your recovery time, and allow you to move forward with your life.
In Florida, there were 254,873 injuries caused by car accidents in 2018. Many of those victims will benefit from physical therapy. 1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical resource referral network. We want to connect you with an experienced physical therapist.
What Does Physical Therapy Treat?
For decades, physical therapy has been used to treat various injuries and ailments. Therapy treats those who have a decreased range of motion and pain caused by an injury. In some cases, it limits the need for painkillers and other addictive substances. It could also reduce the need for surgery or other costly treatments.
If you received an injury that required surgery, physical therapy has the potential to be your key to a successful recovery. Your therapist will help you recover a greater range of motion, restoring your movement to pre-surgery and pre-accident mobility.
A therapist will target all of your areas of weakness. For instance, they might target a broken bone, a muscle sprain, or ligament injury. They will customize a treatment plan to meet your needs and your goals.
Common Injuries Requiring Physical Therapy
If you suffer from any of the following injuries, physical therapy could be an effective treatment option:
Traumatic Brain Injury: This type of injury is extremely serious and could affect your balance or gross motor skills. In this scenario, a physical therapist will work with you to regain your motor skills and balance.
Whiplash: While physical therapy only treats some of the symptoms of traumatic brain injury, it can be more effective for whiplash. This is because whiplash affects the muscles and ligaments in the neck. During therapy, you’ll perform stretches to alleviate your pain and decreased mobility.
Herniated Disc: One injury often associated with car accidents is a herniated disc. If you suffer from this type of injury, you may seek physical therapy for treatment. However, you will first need to rest and find ways to control the pain. A doctor is likely to prescribe you pain medication. Once your injury starts to heal, a physical therapist can work on improving your spine’s alignment.
The Value of Physical Therapy
After an accident, you may feel as though your life is in shambles. An injury takes a significant toll on you, changing everything in an instant. In addition to the physical pain, it’s common for accident victims to experience financial difficulties, decreased quality of life, and problems at work.
Although physical therapy doesn’t work overnight, it may be your ticket to repairing your life. By reducing your pain, therapy gives you a clear head. Thanks to reduced pain, you will be able to move forward with your life.
The therapy could also decrease your recovery time. Instead of spending years dealing with chronic pain and limited mobility, therapy allows you to heal quicker.
Finally, physical therapy is often a way to limit your reliance on pain medications. In Florida, there’s a war against prescription medication abuse. Sadly, the problem starts innocently enough. A doctor prescribes a patient with opiate painkillers, but the patient becomes dependent on those painkillers. They become addicted, and the long-term use of opiates comes with a long list of negative side effects. By getting physical therapy after a car accident, you reduce your need for painkillers. The treatment decreases your pain in a natural manner.
Physical Therapy FAQ
Check out this physical therapy FAQ to get all of your questions about treatment answered.
How Can I Get Services?
Before you begin to receive physical therapy, you need a diagnosis. A physical therapist is not a doctor and cannot diagnose you with an injury. Rather, they will take your doctor’s diagnosis into consideration and will evaluate your symptoms.
Your first appointment will be an evaluation. During your evaluation, your physical therapist will consider your range of motion and your current issues. Then, they will create a treatment plan. The goal of treatment is usually to heal your injury and recover your prior mobility.
Is Physical Therapy Painful?
Generally speaking, physical therapy is not intended to be painful. It does, however, involve pushing yourself and moving in ways that could be uncomfortable, so the experience may not be entirely pain-free. You shouldn’t be afraid of painful and difficult treatment. Your therapist will only push you to the limit of what you can handle.
How Much Does Therapy Cost?
If you’re injured in a car accident in Florida, your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) will cover your medical costs up to the limit of the policy, which in most cases is $10,000. That may seem like a good deal of money, but when you consider the true cost of an accident, there may not be much available for multiple physical therapy treatments.
With this in mind, the cost of physical therapy varies greatly. Depending on your insurance coverage and the facility at which you receive treatment, therapy may cost anywhere from $20 to $350 a session. Co-pays tend to be between $20 and $50.
However, physical therapy sessions are often frequent. Even if you are insured, you may need therapy several times each week. The co-pays quickly add up, costing you hundreds of dollars each month. Treatment could be as short as two months, or as long as several years.
It’s also worth noting that certain health insurance companies limit the amount of physical therapy sessions you may receive on a monthly basis. If you need extended treatment, your insurance might stop paying for treatment.
How Can I Afford Treatment?
Physical therapy after an accident has the potential to cost you thousands of dollars. But don’t let the cost prevent you from seeking treatment. Treatment will speed up your recovery and keep you from experiencing long-term complications.
You might not be the one responsible for paying for treatment. If you were in an accident caused by negligence, you can seek compensation for your physical therapy and other medical expenses. And most accidents involve some type of negligence. In 2015, there were 5,522 alcohol-confirmed crashes in Florida. Others were caused by distracted driving, speeding, and road rage.
With the money you receive from your case, you can pay for all of your therapy sessions and other treatments.
What Does 1-800-Injured Do?
For years, 1-800-Injured has connected accident victims with lawyers and medical professionals. If you need physical therapy after an auto accident or another type of accident, call us today. We have a large network of qualified physical therapists located throughout the state of Florida.