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5 Tips for Overcoming Fear of Driving After an Accident

It is not uncommon for those who have been involved in a car accident to develop a fear of driving afterward. The experience can be traumatizing, and it can be difficult for these individuals to feel safe on the road again.

Fortunately, some steps can be taken to help overcome this fear of driving after an accident. In this guide, our team at Impact Medical Sun City Center provides five tips to help those who have experienced a car accident regain their confidence behind the wheel. Let’s dive in.

Overcome Fear of the Wheel: Strategies to Regain Confidence

Car accidents can be traumatic experiences that can leave drivers feeling anxious and apprehensive about getting back on the road. The fear of driving after an accident is a common response, but it’s important to tackle this fear head-on to regain confidence behind the wheel.

Here are five tips for overcoming your fear of driving after an accident.

#1. Take it One Step at a Time

Acknowledge your feelings and take things at your own pace. It’s normal to feel scared or nervous after a car accident, so don’t rush yourself into getting back on the road too quickly. Take small steps towards driving again by practicing in less stressful situations like quiet roads or empty parking lots.

Having someone you trust by your side as you hit the road for the first time after an accident can provide emotional support and reassurance. They can offer guidance on navigating traffic and help you handle tricky situations.

It’s important to remember that everyone’s recovery process from accidents is different. For some people, getting back behind the wheel may take longer than others; it’s okay to take things at your own pace.

#2. Try Meditation

The best way to overcome your fear of driving is to face it head-on. While we aren’t saying to just jump behind the wheel and get over it, we are saying that you need to recognize what is triggering your anxiety and don’t try to fight it.

Meditation is one of the most effective ways to compartmentalize outside fears, anxieties, and worries. By focusing on the present moment, you can train your mind to remove any distractions and stay centered on the task at hand—getting back behind the wheel.

#3. Consider Manual Therapy

The mind and body are interconnected in ways that go beyond what we may initially think. Our thoughts, emotions, and physical reactions are all tied together in a complex web of interactions. When we experience stress or anxiety from a car accident, for instance, our bodies can bear the brunt of those feelings through a range of physical symptoms.

Manual therapy works by calming the nervous system, which helps reduce feelings of anxiety and stress that often arise when someone experiences trauma.

• Manual can help improve circulation and promote relaxation throughout the body, which allows individuals to feel more at ease while driving.
• This type of therapy is also beneficial because it encourages deep breathing, which can decrease tension and promote relaxation.

Overall, manual therapy is a powerful tool in helping individuals overcome their fear of driving after an accident. It provides physical relief from tension and pain while also offering emotional support through its calming effects on the mind and body.

#4. Talk it Out

If you’ve been in a car accident, it’s important to talk to someone about your experience. Whether it’s a friend, family member, or therapist, sharing your thoughts and emotions can help you process what happened and move forward. Sometimes just talking about the accident can make you feel better because it allows you to release pent-up emotions.

Another way to help relieve stress after a car accident is to write down your experience. Putting your thoughts on paper can be therapeutic because it allows you to process your emotions in a different way than just verbalizing them.

#5. Take Deep Breaths

One way to help calm yourself down in these situations is to practice deep breathing techniques. Not only does deep breathing send more oxygen to your brain, but it also helps keep your mind clear and focused.

Move Forward After a Car Accident

The fear of driving after an accident is a very real thing, but it doesn’t have to be debilitating. Impact Medical Sun City Center provides manual therapy and other treatments to assist in managing this fear and helping you overcome it.

Don’t suffer alone. Contact our compassionate after-accident care team at Impact Medical Sun City Center at (813) 938-5195 today.

Most Common Red Flags for Head Injuries

Head injuries sustained after car accidents are a serious matter and should be treated with care and attention. It is important to recognize the most common red flags for head injuries so that you can take immediate action if necessary.

Our team at Impact Medical Zephyrhills discusses the most common warning signs of a potential head injury sustained in a car accident, including physical symptoms and cognitive effects. Understanding these red flags can help you make critical decisions regarding your health and safety.

Spot the Warning Signs: Car Accident Head Injuries

Car accidents can cause serious head injuries that may go unnoticed if you don’t know what to look for.

Let’s look at some head injuries and their symptoms:

Traumatic Brain Injuries or TBI

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a common type of head injury that can be caused by a sudden jolt or blow to the head. It can lead to long-term cognitive and physical problems, so it’s important to recognize the symptoms early on.

One of the most common symptoms of TBI is a headache that doesn’t go away or gets worse over time.

Other warning signs include:

• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating

If you experience any of these symptoms after being in a car accident, seek medical attention immediately.

Note: some symptoms may not appear until days or even weeks after the accident. This is why it’s crucial to keep an eye out for any changes in behavior or physical abilities during this time period.

Concussion

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that occurs when the head or body experiences a violent jolt, bump, or blow. Car accidents are one of the most common causes of concussions, and it’s important to recognize the symptoms so you can seek medical attention as soon as possible.

One red flag for a concussion after an accident is loss of consciousness. If you or someone else loses consciousness even briefly after an accident, it’s likely that they have suffered a concussion.

Other symptoms to look out for include:

• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Another red flag for a concussion is memory problems. If you notice that you can’t remember details surrounding the accident or other events leading up to it, this could be indicative of a concussion.

Further, it’s crucial to pay attention to any changes in behavior such as irritability or mood swings after a crash.

Remember, even if you don’t feel any immediate symptoms after an accident, it’s always recommended that you see a doctor for an evaluation as soon as possible.

Other Head Injuries to Look Out For

While most people immediately think of concussions and traumatic brain injuries when considering head injuries during a car accident, there are other types of head injuries that you should also be aware of. Two common types of these are contusions and fractures.

A contusion is a bruise on the brain caused by an impact to the head. It occurs when blood vessels in the brain rupture and bleed into the surrounding tissue. Symptoms may include:

• Headache
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Loss of consciousness

A fracture is another type of head injury that can occur from blunt force trauma to the skull. Signs that someone has sustained a skull fracture include:

• Bleeding from ears or nose
• Severe headaches
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty speaking

Bottom Line: Don’t Wait to Seek Medical Treatment

A car accident can happen to anyone, anytime. While some accidents may not cause significant harm, others can result in severe injuries, particularly head injuries. If you experience a head injury during a car accident, it is crucial to seek immediate medical attention. Even if you feel fine initially, there could be underlying damage that needs prompt treatment.

Delaying medical attention for a head injury could lead to serious consequences such as permanent brain damage or even death.

Revolutionary After Accident Care

Prompt medical attention after a head injury is paramount to your recovery. From routine medical care visits to long-term rehabilitation, Impact Medical Zephyrhills provides medical care that is tailored to the needs of each individual patient after a car accident injury. 

We’re here to help you recover. Contact our team of medical professionals to schedule an appointment in Zephyrhills today at (813) 706-5156.

Why Am I Having Neck Pain From Breathing?

Experiencing neck pain when you breathe? While some aches and pains go away on their own, chronic neck pain while breathing could be a sign of something more serious. Here are some of the common causes of neck pain from breathing, and how physical therapy can help.

Common Causes of Neck Pain While Breathing

The nerves, muscles, and vertebrae in the neck are a complex system, which means there are several possible causes behind neck pain when you breathe. Some of the most common include:

• Pinched Nerves: The head and neck area contains many nerve endings that can easily become compressed or pinched from poor posture, repetitive movements, or an impact injury. As you breathe, your muscles could press against a pinched nerve, causing minor to severe pain.

• Soft Tissue Strain: Soft tissues including muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck can become strained from repetitive movements—like looking at a computer screen—sleeping on your neck improperly or turning your head too forcefully. Whiplash is often associated with painful breathing after a soft tissue strain. 

• Impact Injury: A car accident, sports injury, or another traumatic injury can cause neck pain while breathing. Even if you’ve received medical attention for your injury, symptoms of pain and discomfort can linger long after the injury occurred. As the body naturally develops scar tissue to heal from the injury, it can build up in your neck muscles, causing stiffness and pain.

• Herniated Disc: If you’re experiencing symptoms of numbness or tingling along with neck pain when you breathe, you may have a herniated disc. Herniated discs occur when the cushioning discs between the vertebrae in the back and neck rupture. Pain, weakness, and numbness in the neck—as well as the shoulder and arm—often accompany a herniated disc.

In other cases, poor breathing habits or poor posture may be the cause of neck pain from breathing. Shallow breathing tends to cause your torso to tense, which naturally pulls the neck muscles toward them, causing strain over time. Poor posture can also cause many of the conditions above, including pinched nerves, soft tissue injuries, and more. 

Physical Therapy Can Treat Pain in Your Neck While Breathing

If you’re experiencing pain in the neck when you breathe, you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible. In many cases, a physical therapy regimen can help treat pain in the neck, head, and back caused by impact injuries; joint and muscle conditions; and other medical issues. 

Your licensed physical therapist can diagnose the root cause of your neck pain and determine the best possible method of treating it. Using a number of proven physical therapy methods, the medical team at Impact Medical Group of Clearwater can treat your neck pain, including:

• Facilitated stretches
• Manual soft tissue therapy
• Spinal manipulation and traction
• Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

Start Your Journey to Recovery With the Help of Impact Medical Group of Lutz

The skilled, caring medical team at Impact Medical Group of Clearwater has years of experience helping people with neck pain just like yours. Start your journey to recovery today by calling us at (727) 292-0200 to schedule your free consultation!

Foot Injuries Commonly Caused in Motorcycle Accidents

Any motorcycle injury can be painful, debilitating, and even life-threatening. While most people associate head, upper body, and leg injuries with motorcycle accidents, injuries to the foot are quite common. Depending on the specific circumstances of the situation and how the foot is impacted, motorcyclists can suffer from a variety of foot injuries. Read on to learn all about some of the most common lower extremity injuries, and how you can recover from them.

Soft Tissue Damage

If you’ve been in a motorcycle and have a foot injury, soft tissue damage is very common. Soft tissues in the foot include muscles, ligaments, and tendons. If your foot gets caught between the road and your bike or the road and another vehicle—or if your foot hits the road at an unnatural angle—you could experience soft tissue injuries like a sprain or strain. This is the “best-case scenario.”

In severe accidents—especially ones involving high speeds—soft tissue damage can be much more severe. Some riders experience torn ligaments or tendons that connect the foot to the ankle and leg, and the damage can impact the entire leg and, in turn, your mobility.

Fractured Bones

Broken bones are almost a guarantee when someone’s involved in a motorcycle accident, and the bones of the foot are particularly vulnerable. In fact, the most common foot injury following these collisions is a metatarsal fracture—a break in one of the main bones that connect to your toes. Multiple metatarsal fractures often require surgery, and even minor breaks require a cast and weeks of healing. 

Lacerations

Motorcyclists involved in accidents often sustain road rash, a friction burn that happens when your skin scrapes against something rough. Deeper wounds like lacerations, or cuts, are also common. Severe cuts can leave permanent scars and make you vulnerable to infection. If you experience lacerations in a motorcycle accident, you need to seek immediate medical treatment to clean the wound and get it stitched, if necessary.

Amputation

In severe cases, injuries to the foot in a motorcycle accident can lead to amputation. Crush injuries that occur when the foot is crushed by the bike, or another vehicle often stop blood flow to the foot. If blood flow can’t be restored to the foot, amputation is often necessary to prevent infection.

Injured in a Motorcycle Accident? The Team at Impact Medical Group of Lutz Can Help

If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, seek medical treatment as soon as possible. While injuries of the foot are rarely fatal, they have a significant impact on your mobility and your overall quality of life.

Don’t wait to contact the caring medical team at Impact Medical Group of Lutz. After a free initial consultation, we’ll develop a customized treatment plan that helps you heal from a motorcycle accident, so you can get back to your normal life. Call us today at (813) 536-0373 to schedule your free evaluation.