October is National Physical Therapy Month. This is a time where we celebrate the physical therapy profession, highlight the many benefits of physical therapy, and show gratitude to physical therapists and their assistants as they provide patient-centered care. As a personal injury firm, it is a time for us to also highlight how physical therapy aids injury recovery and helps strengthen your personal injury claim.
Types of Physical Therapy
Orthopedic Physical Therapy
- Focuses on musculoskeletal injuries affecting bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. It is the most common type used after accidents to treat conditions like whiplash, rotator cuff tears, and fractures.
Neurological Physical Therapy
- Focuses on patients who suffered brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, or nerve damage during an accident. It helps rebuild coordination, balance, and motor control.
Vestibular Rehabilitation
- Treats dizziness, vertigo, and spatial disorientation that frequently result from concussions or head trauma.
Occupational Therapy
- Often paired with physical therapy, occupational therapy helps injured individuals relearn everyday practical skills, fine motor tasks, and work routines.
Read more about how physical therapy can help after a car accident.
Common Treatment Techniques
- Therapeutic Exercise: Active or passive movements to rebuild strength, flexibility, and range of motion.
- Manual Therapy: Hands-on joint mobilizations, soft-tissue massage, or dry needling.
- Electrotherapy: Electrical currents used to block pain signals or stimulate muscle contraction.
- Hot and Cold Therapy: Application of heat packs or cold packs to manage inflammation and relax tissues.
- Balance and Gait Training: Exercises designed to improve stability, walking patterns, and coordination.
Why Physical Therapy Matters for Personal Injury Claims
Understanding the Full Extent of Your Injuries
- Physical therapy often reveals the full scope of your injuries. Progress notes track measurable improvements in your strength, flexibility, and range of motion over time.
- Regular records also show how your injury impacts daily tasks, like walking, lifting, or working.
- Consistent attendance right after the accident also helps prove your injuries directly resulted from the accident.
Increasing Economic and Non-Economic Damages
- Bills, evaluations, and home exercise plans from physical therapy ass directly to your economic damages.
- Committing to a strict, often time-consuming rehabilitation schedule demonstrates ow your pain has caused a disruption in your life.
- If your physical therapist notes that your recovery has plateaued or that you will need long-term maintenance, those notes help calculate cost of future medical care.
Mitigating Damages
Under personal injury law, you have a duty to “mitigate damages” – meaning you must take reasonable steps to prevent your injury from getting worse.
- If a doctor prescribes physical therapy and you skip sessions or quit early, an argument can be made that you made your own recovery worse.
- Sticking to your physical therapy plan proves you are acting reasonably and responsibly to aid in your recovery as fast as possible.
At Slaughter & Lupton Law we know that recovering from an injury often requires weeks or even months of physical therapy. This form of treatment may, however, play a crucial role in the outcome of your case. Let our compassionate and knowledgeable staff help you assess your claim and get you the compensation that you deserve.