5 Tips to Help With Recovery After a Car or Work Accident

When you suffer an injury in an auto accident or an accident at work, the experience can significantly impact your routine. You may experience changes to your range of motion, ability to walk or exercise, difficulty sleeping, and a long road to recovery. These can be challenging and frustrating after everything you have experienced. These five suggestions can help your recovery after a car or work accident.

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See a Doctor Soon After the Accident

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Even if the accident or injury seems minor, see your doctor and a pain management specialist soon after the incident. Severe symptoms may not appear until later, but a pain doctor can help discover those early in the process and provide you with tools to recover. A quality pain management specialist will have specialized training in injury care to help you heal.

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Eat the Right Foods During Recovery

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As you recover from an injury, it’s important to feed your body nutrients that will help it to heal. An accident — even a minor one — can cause inflammation and swelling in your body, and your nerves can feel raw and irritated. Severe aches and pains can follow. Fractures and more serious injuries also can bring lots of pain. Eat foods that reduce inflammation, and drink lots of fluids — at least 64 ounces a day.

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Here are some examples of anti-inflammatory foods (talk to your doctor before factoring these into your diet):

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• Vegetables like spinach and kale.
• Tomatoes and natural tomato products.
• Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, or sardines
• Certain fruits, such as blueberries or oranges, or strawberries.
• Nuts that are high in protein, like almonds or walnuts

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While recovering, it’s usually best to avoid foods that cause inflammation, such as fried foods, processed meats, and sugary drinks.

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Take Time to Relax

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Many people try to jump right back into their regular daily routine immediately after an accident. If possible, it’s best to let your body have a break — take at least a day or two off work — and talk to your doctor about whether you should be working your normal schedule as you recover. Likewise, your pain doctor can discuss other changes to your routine to help you heal, along with therapy and exercises that may help.

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Get Moving Little By Little

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Ask your pain doctor about how much you should move after the accident. Keeping your body moving is usually a good thing, but some injuries won’t permit the range of motion you’re used to. Ask your doctor about all of this, as certain injuries may not respond well to movement soon after an injury, such as certain sprains.

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Don’t Rush It

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It is human nature to want to “get back to normal” as quickly as possible after an accident, but sometimes it’s best to be patient and accept that your body needs time to heal. An accident injury can be a traumatic event, so be OK with giving yourself some extra time to get better.

Pain management physicians are specialists in treating injuries from car and work accidents. At Excelsia Injury Care, we treat a wide range of painful injuries and conditions, including severe head injuries and concussions — with care and expertise.

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