Have an injury from a motorcycle accident? Motor vehicle injuries can be serious. After being in a motor vehicle accident, people often require extensive rehabilitative care. Understanding your treatment options can help empower you to take advantage of the best treatments available. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may receive immediate medical treatment. While this kind of treatment can have a major impact and may even be lifesaving, it is not always sufficient for a full recovery. To ensure that you recover fully from your injury, it can help to seek additional rehabilitative treatment. Physical therapy can be a great source for rehab.
As a motorcycle rider, you may be at a heightened risk for injury. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists are around 4 times more likely to be injured in a crash than passenger vehicle occupants. If you have sustained an injury while riding a motorcycle, you are not alone. Fortunately, you can work to make a full recovery with help from a licensed physical therapist. Physical therapists offer a range of treatments that can help you heal and manage your symptoms. By learning more about what PT offers, you can make more informed decisions regarding your treatment.
Top PT treatments for motorcycle injuries
- Manual therapy — When it comes to pain relief, many treatments focus on short-term results. Treatment options like medication may help reduce your symptoms, but they do not typically result in lasting improvement. This is where manual therapy comes in. Manual therapy refers to hands-on techniques applied by physical therapists. Most techniques involve controlled motions and the application of gentle pressure. Though manual therapy techniques often work to alleviate pain, they can also help promote healing. Manual therapy techniques such as soft tissue mobilization can stimulate blood flow. By increasing your blood flow, your physical therapist can help injured areas of your body get the nutrients they need to heal. Rapid pain relief coupled with long-term benefits can make manual therapy a great treatment for your motorcycle injury.
- Targeted exercises — Exercise can be crucial to successful rehabilitation. When exercising after a motorcycle injury, moderation is key. Overworking injured bones and soft tissue can actually make your condition worse. Putting too much stress on injured areas may lead to further injury, prolonging your recovery process. With guidance from a physical therapist, you can engage in focused exercises designed to improve your condition. PT exercises typically aim to improve strength and flexibility. By building strength, you can stabilize injured muscles. Improving your range of motion can help ease tension and reduce stiffness caused by your injury. Exercise also tends to improve circulation, which can accelerate your healing. The particular exercises that will work best for you will depend on your capacity and the nature of your injury. Working with your physical therapist, you can develop an exercise regimen tailored to your needs.
- Postural training — A motorcycle injury can have a major impact on the way your body moves. A leg injury, for example, may lead to limping and other changes in gait. Even a relatively minor injury can lead to significant changes in your body mechanics and posture. For some people, these changes can cause discomfort and hinder the healing process. If you have a shoulder injury, it is important to maintain postures that do not put too much stress on your shoulder. The same is true for other kinds of injuries. With physical therapy, you can work to practice proper posture and gait. Your physical therapist can help you improve your balance and coordination, which may lead to improvements in your body mechanics. Postural training can be essential to restoring functionality in your everyday activities and reducing the risk of future injuries.
- Astym® therapy — Astym therapy is a PT treatment designed to address soft tissue damage. The soft tissue in your body includes muscles, ligaments and tendons. In the event of a motorcycle injury, soft tissue damage is common. Whether you have a sprained ligament or a torn muscle, Astym therapy can help. This treatment utilizes specialized tools to break up scar tissue and facilitate healing. After your physical therapist has performed the treatment, the next step is doing a prescribed set of stretches. Following up the soft tissue mobilization with PT stretches can help further loosen tight tissue. There are many potential benefits of Astym therapy. Treatment can result in reduced stiffness, pain relief, increased flexibility and improved healing.
Get help recovering from your motorcycle injury at Excel PT
Ready to start your recovery journey? You can get expert treatment and support each step of the way with Excel Sports & Physical Therapy. We are committed to optimizing your rehabilitation and empowering you to make a complete recovery.
Call us or request an appointment today for top-notch injury management.
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