Category: Uncategorized

Can Physical Therapy Help With PTSD After a Car Crash?

A car crash can result in several layers of trauma. Beyond healing the physical trauma and injuries, addressing emotional trauma is critical, too. It’s not uncommon for many car accident survivors to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

Often, the more severe the accident, the more severe the symptoms. While counseling and other forms of emotional therapy can relieve PTSD symptoms, what can physical therapy do? Here’s why many people experience PTSD after a car crash, and how physical therapy can help.

PTSD Is Common After a Car Accident

PTSD occurs when a person experiences a traumatic event, and car crashes certainly qualify. Survivors of accidents can experience a wide range of emotional symptoms. They may revisit the event repeatedly in their mind, causing anxiety. They may feel discomfort or emotional disturbances near a vehicle or the scene of the accident. This debilitating condition can damage relationships with friends and family members, and it can completely alter a person’s way of life.

Car accidents are often highly traumatic for people in the vehicle and those who witness the incident. You may experience extreme pain or fear during an accident, and you may even experience extreme injuries that change your life completely. Even minor injuries, though, can leave a lasting emotional impression on a car accident survivor. Fortunately, physical therapy can aid in recovery.

How Physical Therapy Helps Treat PTSD

Physical therapy is critical when it comes to helping accident victims return to their former lifestyle. By identifying injuries that may not be seen and providing treatments that manage pain and restore strength, physical therapy can improve your mental health. Manual therapy can also reduce discomfort and promote better healing, and physical therapists provide exercises that rehabilitate patients so that they can return to their normal routines and activities. 

Another interesting way physical therapy reduces stress and anxiety is by helping accident survivors avoid a serious concern—surgery. Your physical therapist can provide targeted exercises and routines that help your body pump nutrients and oxygen-rich blood cells toward the injury site. By promoting circulation and movement, physical therapy can often help people avoid surgery and the stress and worries that accompany a serious procedure. 

Recover Physically and Emotionally After a Car Crash

Car crashes are traumatic events. In some cases, entire lives are changed in an instant. Aside from healing physical symptoms like sprains, strains, and broken bones, you need to prioritize your mental health after a collision. If you or a loved one is experiencing negative mental health symptoms after a car accident, including PTSD, don’t wait to seek medical attention. The medical team at Impact Medical Group of Clearwater is standing by to help. We’ll create a customized physical therapy treatment plan that treats your physical symptoms and bolsters your mental health, helping you get back to your normal life. Call us today at (727) 292-0200 to schedule your free consultation.

4 Things to Avoid If You Have a Herniated Disc

It’s no secret that a herniated disc can be painful. From mild aches to shock-line pain that radiates down your leg, recovering from a herniated disc—which often takes a few weeks—can feel like an eternity. If you’re suffering from a herniated disc, you should avoid activities that worsen the pain. Here are some everyday activities you need to avoid during your recovery:

1. Sitting too Much

While you need to rest and recover from a herniated disc, sitting too much can actually put more stress on your spinal discs and elevate your pain. This is especially true if you sit with poor posture and slouch forward in a seat. As you heal from a herniated disc, try to move around and stand up whenever possible. Lying down completely flat can also minimize the pain. 

Since sitting is unavoidable, you can reduce the load placed on your lumbar spine by sitting up as straight as possible. You should also place a rolled-up towel or small pillow right behind your lower back to support it. If you sit at a desk for your job, consider investing in a sit-stand desk, so you can stand and continue to work throughout the day.

2. Doing Laundry

Even simply doing the laundry can aggravate pain from a herniated disc. From bending down to pick up clothes to carrying heavy baskets, many laundry tasks put pressure on your lower back. During your recovery, ask a friend or family member to take care of laundry chores until your back is better.

3. Vacuuming 

You can easily irritate a herniated disc by vacuuming due to the repetitive forward lunging motion. If you must vacuum during your recovery, keep your back straight and walk the vacuum across the floor rather than bending your back and extending your arm. This method lets your legs do the work instead of your arms, so you can keep your back in a comfortable position.

4. Feeding Pets

The simple, everyday task of feeding pets can cause painful flare-ups in back pain due to a herniated disc. Bending down to fill the bowls with food and water can strain the back. If you don’t have someone else who can shoulder this responsibility as you recover, invest in a pet bowl with an extendable tube or a built-in reaching aid. 

Experience True Comfort and Relief From Herniated Disc Pain

Most herniated discs get better on their own over time, and in many cases, nonsurgical treatments can help. If you’re living with a herniated disc and are looking for safe, effective pain relief without resorting to surgery or prescription medications, the medical team at Impact Medical Group of Lutz can help. We provide a variety of injections and therapies like spinal manipulation, flexion-distraction, and other therapeutic exercises that provide true comfort and relief. Call us today at (813) 536-0373 to schedule your free consultation.

How Do I Know If I Have Soft Tissue Damage?

Recovering from an accident or sports injury? Aside from obvious injuries like broken bones, many people suffer from soft tissue injuries when the body’s ligaments, muscles, or tendons experience sudden trauma.

People can even experience soft tissue injuries when they fail to let their muscles fully recover from a grueling workout. The pattern of wearing down the muscles without allowing sufficient rest can cause the muscles to experience strain and trauma. Read on to learn about the common types of soft tissue injuries and how to know if you’re suffering from one.

Common Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries can occur anywhere in the body, but parts like the ankles, knees, and wrists are particularly vulnerable. These body parts have joints that can turn inward, especially when you land sharply or twist during a fall. The sudden impact places tension on nearby ligaments, resulting in sprains, one of the most common types of soft tissue injuries.

Strains, on the other hand, affect muscles and tendons. This common soft tissue injury occurs when fibrous tissue is stretched too far, causing it to tear. Other soft tissue injuries include contusions, tendonitis, and bursitis. There’s one thing they all have in common—they often take an extended time to heal, and improper healing can impact the body’s future performance.

How Soft Tissue Injuries Occur

Soft tissue injuries fall into two categories: acute injuries and overuse injuries. Acute injuries involve sudden trauma like falls or sharp blows to a particular body part. Overuse injuries like tendonitis, bursitis, and some strains occur due to repetitive actions and failure to let muscles and tendons in the body fully recover. 

Signs of Soft Tissue Injury

Unsure whether you’re dealing with a soft tissue injury? If you’ve recently experienced an impact injury, chances are you have some form of soft tissue damage. As your body works hard to repair and recover, the process starts with inflammation. Some of the common symptoms of a soft tissue injury include:

• Mild heat 
• Pain in and around the area
• Redness
• Swelling

Recovering From a Soft Tissue Injury

Minor soft tissue injuries can heal with the right combination of rest, ice, compression, and elevation. You should stay off the joint or muscle as much as possible during recovery.

Often, though, this method is only the start of healing. Many soft tissue injuries require medical treatment—it all depends on your age, overall health, and habits. Here are some of the situations that require medical attention:

• If you experience continued swelling in the affected area
• If you can’t bear weight on the affected area
• If you can’t move a joint without pain or discomfort

Recover From a Soft Tissue Injury the Right Way

In some cases, when soft tissue injuries aren’t treated properly, they can lead to lifelong disability and other severe health outcomes. Understanding how to handle these injuries is critical to proper healing and seeking medical attention can make the difference in getting you back to doing what you love as soon as possible. The medical team at Impact Medical Group of Port Richey is standing by to help you recover from a soft tissue injury. Take the first step toward recovery today by calling us at (727) 848-3377 to schedule your free consultation.

What Is the #1 Cause of Auto Accidents?

It’s no secret that driving on America’s roadways is dangerous. While some car accidents aren’t avoidable, many are, and there are some causes that are more common than others. Read on to learn about the leading cause of car accidents, so you can avoid being in a collision yourself.

Distracted Driving Is the #1 Cause of Auto Accidents

Without a doubt, distracted driving is the top cause of auto accidents. When a driver’s attention strays from the road to distractions like mobile devices, passengers, or even food, even a momentary distraction can become dangerous. When a person’s behind the wheel, their only job is to drive safely to their destination. There’s no reason to multitask—simply pay attention to the road ahead and keep yourself, your passengers, and others on the roadway safe.

Most Common Causes of Distracted Driving Accidents

There are plenty of studies out there that detail the many ways distracted driving can lead to auto accidents—some of which are deadly. Here are some of the common causes of distracted driving auto accidents:

• Mobile Devices. Cellphones and other mobile electronics are one of the primary causes of distracted driving accidents. Using a cellphone while driving creates an enormous risk of injury or death. 

• Inexperienced Drivers. Young drivers are prone to distracted driving, especially when other passengers are in the car. An AAA study found teens who drive with a passenger are twice as likely to be involved in a car accident. That figure increases to five times as likely when driving with two or more passengers.
• It’s not just teens who can be easily distracted—parents can be, too. Parents driving with young children in the car have an 87% chance of being distracted while behind the wheel. Attending to children and keeping them in check can be disastrous. As you can expect, that can quickly lead to an auto accident. 

• Multi-Tasking. Simply reaching for another object, like a cellphone, a drink, a purse, or anything else—increases the chance of an auto accident. Eating, for example, is a leading cause of distracted driving car crashes. 

Other Common Car Accident Causes

Aside from distracted driving, there are several other common causes of auto accidents. Some of the factors detailed below are in your control, while others are not. Be responsible whenever you’re behind the wheel to give you and others on the roadway the best chance of a safe arrival. Some of the other common car accident causes include:

• Speeding
• Drunk driving
• Reckless driving (running red lights, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating)
• Inclement weather
• Vehicle design defects

Seek Medical Attention for Auto Accident Injuries

If you’ve been in a car accident, regardless of the cause, you should seek medical attention immediately. Even if you have no symptoms, the true extent of your injuries can develop over time. Early intervention is critical when it comes to treating car accident injuries, and the medical team at Impact Medical Group of Tampa is ready to help. Call us today at (813) 283-1910 to schedule your comprehensive exam, and we’ll support you on your journey to recovery from start to finish.