- Car Accidents, Injury Treatment, Physiotherapy
If you’ve ever been to an Atlanta physical therapist, you may already be familiar with electrical stimulation. However, most people who suffer car accident injuries have no idea what kind of treatment they need.
Here, we’ll explain how electrical muscle and nerve stimulation works. We’ll also discuss whether this can help you recover from your car accident injuries.
Atlanta Physical Therapists Offer a Variety of Treatments
When you first visit your Atlanta physical therapist, they’ll want to do a thorough assessment. This gives them a chance to see exactly what types of car accident injuries you’ve experienced.
The best way to do this is to run a host of diagnostic tests. These tests will help determine which therapies you will benefit from.
The last thing you want to do is assume that you have nerve or muscle damage only to find out it’s something completely different.
Some of these diagnostic tests include the following:
- X-ray
- MRI
- CT Scan
- Neurological examination
- Physical examination
- Ultrasound
The tests you’ll need to undergo will depend on your symptoms. Your Atlanta physical therapist will also consult your medical records from the hospital. This will help them get an idea of what car accident injuries you’ve already been diagnosed with.
One Therapy That Has Proven Beneficial Is Electrical Muscle Stimulation
One therapy that our Atlanta physical therapists use is called electrical muscle stimulation. This is commonly referred to as E-Stim.
E-Stim can target either your nerves or your muscles. It all depends on the type of car accident injuries you’ve suffered.
When it comes to muscle damage, your Atlanta physical therapist will consider using E-stim to reduce pain and minimize spasms. Electrodes will be placed near the injured muscles. These electrodes will then send a signal to the troubled area.
Your muscles will contract when they receive these signals. Then, once the signal is gone, they will relax again. This process repeats for up to fifteen minutes. Over time, the intensity of the stimulation will increase.
The goal is to help your muscles recover and reduce your pain at the same time.
What Is the Basic Idea Behind Electrical Stimulation?
The basic premise of E-Stim is to trick your body into thinking it’s okay. Normally, when you’re in pain or have suffered certain types of car accident injuries, your brain will let you know.
By directly stimulating your muscles (and nerves), E-Stim manages to bypass or block the messages coming from your brain. This gives your injuries time to heal and, in the process, tricks your mind into thinking that their pain is gone.
There Are Two Main Kinds of E-Stimulation for Your Car Accident Injuries
When you first meet with your Atlanta physical therapist, they’ll need to determine the nature and extent of your car accident injuries. Some people suffer muscle damage while others are dealing more with nerve pain.
There are two main types of E-Stimulation. One is designed to help people with muscle pain. The other is geared more toward people in chronic or acute pain. Depending on which of your car accident injuries are more pressing, that is how your Atlanta physical therapist will determine which treatment is best for you.
TENS Is a Popular Treatment Our Atlanta Physical Therapists Use for Nerve Pain
When you’re suffering from nerve pain, your Atlanta physical therapist may choose to set you up with a TENS unit. This is a procedure that can be done in the office or at home.
While in the office, your physical therapist will attach electrodes to your back. They will then send electrical signals to the afflicted area. Gradually, they’ll increase the intensity of the signals.
The goal is to reduce your pain and, over time, eliminate it if at all possible.
Your Atlanta Physical Therapist May Opt for EMS Instead
If you’re suffering from muscular pain instead, your Atlanta physical therapist may apply EMS. This treatment for your car accident injuries is similar to a TENS unit. However, the impulses are a lot stronger.
The way this works is it causes your muscles to contract and relax repeatedly. This allows them to heal. It also slows down muscle spasms.
What Kind of Car Accident Injuries Can E-Stim Treat?
You may be wondering what kind of car accident injuries respond to electrical stimulation. Our Atlanta physical therapists use E-Stim to treat a host of injuries, including but not limited to the following:
- Neck and back pain
- Spinal cord injuries
- Joint pain
- Recovering from a recent surgery
- Muscle injuries
- Nerve damage
- Pain
If you were involved in a car accident, there’s a good chance you experienced one or more of these injuries. You should contact an experienced Atlanta physical therapist and see if electrical stimulation is something you would benefit from.
How Does the Procedure Work?
When you settle in for your first electrical stimulation procedure, you may be scared or nervous. The process is nearly painless.
First, your Atlanta physical therapist will apply electrodes to the areas where you have injuries. These electrodes will send impulses or signals to your body. While this is happening, you may feel a little bit of tingling.
Many of our clients say that this just feels like pins and needles. The process will be repeated several times for anywhere from five to fifteen minutes.
If You’ve Suffered Car Accident Injuries, Our Atlanta Physical Therapists Can Help
Some people assume that, unless your accident is serious, you won’t need medical treatment. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our Atlanta physical therapists understand that all car accident injuries can be painful and life-changing.
Our goal is to help our clients make a gradual and safe recovery. Electrical muscle and nerve stimulation allow us to do this. We recommend that you contact our office so you can make an appointment with an Atlanta physical therapist.
The nice thing about being treated at our Atlanta injury center is that you don’t have to pay anything upfront. You need to focus on getting better and our physical therapists can help you do that.
