How to Recover from a Car Accident Injury
For a Complete Recovery, Don’t Rush Things
To completely recover from a car accident injury, you need two things: time and money.
Injuries take time to heal, and money gives you the peace of mind to focus on recovery instead of being forced back to work with a body that may still be suffering.
A personal injury lawyer in Hollister can help you receive the compensation you need to satisfy the second half of the equation. But what do you do during the time you spend recovering?
Here are 5 tips on how to recover after a car accident injury.
Follow the Doctor’s Orders
It sounds simple, but you would be surprised how many people don’t follow the doctor’s orders… or try to skip their visits altogether.
When recovering from an injury, the goal is not to come out ahead financially; it’s to not lose money. If victims try to save money by avoiding doctor visits, they may lose their entire settlement.
The medical experts know what you need. So make sure you keep every appointment, do the physical therapy they suggest (both at the office and at home), take the medication prescribed, and even keep a medical journal.
Hydrate and Watch Your Diet
If you were growing a houseplant, and you only watered it when it started to look wilted, how well do you think it would grow? Or if you planned to take a canoeing trip but dropped your boat into a pond that was more mud than liquid, how well would you be able to paddle around?
Some studies show that 75% of people are chronically dehydrated. Without enough water, how well do you think your body will be able to make the necessary repairs?
We should all be drinking more water and eating healthier, but when you’re recovering, it is even more important to keep the fluids coming in and ensure a healthy diet. Better food means a better – and faster – recovery.
Stay Active… But Not Too Active
Rest is what helps us recover, right? So how do we rest but stay active at the same time?
Your recovery will go in stages. In the beginning, you need plenty of sleep so your body can focus energy on repairing the damage. We see this even when we get a cold; more sleep leads to a faster recovery. As your healing continues, your body will need more physical activity to rebuild muscle and help supply blood to areas where it’s needed most. Light exercise, such as daily walks and minor cardio, completes this.
Too much activity, such as running and jogging, lifting heavy objects, or many outdoor sports, might hinder your recovery rather than help it.
Practice Breathing Techniques
If you were wearing your seatbelt during the accident – which you should have been doing since California law requires it – there’s a good chance that your lungs have been a little compressed.
That compression on your chest might not be severe enough to cause damage, but it is noticeable when you go to breathe. It’s not uncommon to struggle to catch your breath after a wreck, so flex those breathing muscles.
Doing so is easier than most people realize. Simply turn on your favorite tunes, and sing as loud as possible. Of course, if you don’t want to get strange looks, another method is to focus on your breathing. Slow it down, push all the air out, and pull in as much as possible.
Repeat this as you try to increase your capacity each time.
Seek Out a Specialist
Often injuries are complicated enough that you can’t just see a doctor and hope for the best. There are some instances where a specialist is needed.
We aren’t talking about heart surgeons and neurosurgeons, though. We’re talking about chiropractors that can help restore movement and massage therapists that can loosen tensed muscles. You can ask for a referral from your primary care physician.
You should also consider your mental health.
Accidents are traumatic. Most people don’t simply shake those things off, and their mental health suffers. Don’t be afraid to consider a therapist or psychiatrist to help you deal with this new influx of feelings and emotions. Your mental health and physical health are highly correlated; when one suffers, the other does as well.
Talk with the Legal Experts at Gonzalez & Jones
Medical care is expensive. If you’re an accident victim, you shouldn’t worry about the bills that could pile up.
That’s why the team at Gonzalez & Jones is here. As car accident lawyers in Hollister, we work with you so that you receive the compensation you deserve. You focus on recovering from the car accident; let us deal with the stressful legal stuff.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, we should talk. Call us at 408-848-2208, or get in touch through our contact page, and we’ll have a free conversation to see how we can help you.