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How To Effectively Manage Pain After a Car Accident

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With so many cars on the road, car accidents are unfortunately increasingly common. In 2019 alone, there were over 36,000 deaths from car accidents just in the United States. Alongside the fatalities were vastly more injuries, of widely varying severity — meaning that effectively seeking out pain management treatment, and adopting useful pain management techniques, will become an urgent dimension of their lives after an auto accident injury.

Types of Car Accident Injuries in New York City

Car Accident Doctor in New York

Many types of car accident injuries can result from a car accident, ranging from relatively minor to severe. Common types of injuries include the following.

Whiplash

Whiplash occurs when an individual’s neck twists and hyperextends, usually due to a sudden impact. It can typically lead to head, neck, and shoulder pain.

Herniated disc

A herniated disc in the spine results when a spinal vertebra slips out of place due to an impact to the back during an accident. This can produce severe neck and back pain and seriously inhibit mobility.

Burns

Burns can result if a vehicle catches fire after an accident, or if hot engine liquids (or metal) are released and touch a person’s skin after an accident.

Fractures of the arms, legs, pelvis and other body parts may result from the impact of an accident. Traumatic brain injuries may result from impacts to the skull during an accident. These can lead to a wide array of long-term neurological effects.

This list is non-comprehensive; many other types of injuries may result, depending on the details and seriousness of a given vehicle accident.

Managing Pain After Car Accident Injuries

Car Accident Doctor New York

Effectively diagnosing and managing pain after a car accident in New York will differ depending on the type of injury and its severity. It may involve both immediate and long-term management of a given injury and can ultimately make the difference in producing an effective recovery.

Urgent Care After a Car Accident in New York City

Immediate treatment after a car crash will involve addressing any trauma that has resulted from the emergency. This will mean setting any broken bones, addressing severe burns in an in-patient center with skin grafts if needed, stitching severe cuts and wounds, and related immediate interventions. It may necessitate the use of significant pharmaceutical pain management medications, including opioids.

Long-Term Pain Management Techniques

Unfortunately, many individuals in car accidents suffer long-term symptoms that persist after the immediate recovery process is complete. This can last indefinitely for some individuals and may be best addressed with a shifting range of medical interventions. Pain management treatment may include the following:

Over-the-counter medications can often be quite effective for pain management. Medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, and others can help deal with relatively minor and recurring pain that persists after an accident.

For more severe misalignment, a neck or back brace can be essential in improving alignment, regaining better mobility, and effectively dealing with pain in the neck, back, and head.

Physical Therapy in New York City

Car Accident Physical Therapy in New York

Physical therapy is one of the most effective tactics for long-term pain management after a car accident. A qualified physical therapist can work with a patient on various body parts to improve strength and flexibility and help an accident victim again achieve a wider range of movement.

Relatedly, muscle therapy can effectively relieve pain, assist with circulation, and ultimately help to rebuild strength and mobility.

Regular exercise and related lifestyle shifts can also be effective in coping with and improving long-term pain after a car accident. Increased walking, stretching, and other forms of exercise like yoga may help to reduce pain, improve flexibility, and strengthen muscles.

In some cases, regular epidural steroid injections may be prescribed as a way to effectively mitigate and treat severe pain after an accident. This can help reduce inflammation, improve mobility, and broadly help a patient improve in his or her recovery efforts.

Working With a Pain Management Doctor in New York City

Pain Management Doctor in New York City

A pain management doctor or another specialist can be your most effective ally in working to manage and ultimately overcome long-term pain resulting from a vehicle accident. Working with the best pain management doctors in New York and New Jersey, you can work to develop an individualized treatment plan that is appropriate to your condition and may include a combination of all of the interventions listed above.

Contact Injury Doctor in New York City

Accident Help Zone is your ally in offering a wide array of resources to help you manage the aftermath of an accident. Contact Accident Help Zone for assistance, to schedule an appointment or any questions you may have in effectively dealing with vehicle accident injuries. With practice locations conveniently located in New Jersey, NYC (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island) and surrounding areas (Long Island, Westchester County, Rockland County, etc.), and more sites. Patients can be seen the same or the next day in most cases. Experienced medical care professionals in our directory accept most insurance plans, including no-fault and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. Specialists range from primary care providers to orthopedists, spine surgeons, neurologists, chiropractors, interventional pain specialists, and more. Call (888) 412-8488 to schedule your appointment with an experienced physician near you and get on your way to recovery!