ICBC Active Rehab With Your Kinesiologist After A Car Accident
Kinesiology in Burnaby
Active rehabilitation is a treatment that focuses on restoring function through exercises that strengthen, stabilize, and mobilize your joints. It speeds up your recovery process while decreasing your risk of further injuries and improving your overall health
What Are Some Common Injuries From A Car Crash?
Car collisions can subject your body to significant physical stress. While each accident is unique, there are a few common physical symptoms and injuries that are frequently encountered.
Sore muscles
Muscle soreness is often a typical outcome after an accident. When you brace yourself for impact, you inadvertently exert excessive forces on your muscles. This can lead to swelling or inflammation which can contribute to post-accident pain and restricted movement.
Even in a rear-end collision where you are unprepared for the impact, the opposing force of the collision can sprain your ligaments and soft tissues in your neck and back muscles. Your body has limitations in terms of withstanding force, so experiencing various symptoms is common.
Symptoms
You may experience a range of symptoms, both physical and psychological. Some of these symptoms may start immediately after your motor vehicle accident while others may appear a few days later.
- Bruises, cuts, and abrasions: Superficial injuries like bruises, cuts, and abrasions can result from contact with your vehicle’s interior, seatbelts, or other objects during the crash
- Concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI): If your head strikes an object or experiences rapid acceleration or deceleration, it can result in a concussion or TBI. Symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, confusion, memory problems, sensitivity to light or noise, mood changes, and difficulty concentrating
- Emotional distress: Car crashes can be traumatic events, leading to emotional distress such as anxiety, depression, irritability, fear, sleep disturbances, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Fractures and broken bones: More severe crashes can lead to fractures or broken bones. These injuries require immediate medical attention and can cause significant pain, swelling, and restricted movement
- Headaches, migraines, and concussion-like symptoms: Headaches, including migraines, can occur after a car crash. They may be caused by the impact, stress, muscle tension, or other factors related to the accident
- Muscle stiffness and spasms: The impact of a crash can cause muscle stiffness, spasms, and difficulty with mobility or range of motion
- Numbness or tingling: Injuries to your spine or nerves can cause sensations of numbness, tingling, or weakness in various parts of your body
- Physical pain: Pain is a common symptom after a car crash. It can manifest in various areas of your body, such as your neck, back, shoulders, chest, and limbs. The pain may range from mild to severe
- Whiplash: Whiplash is a common injury that occurs when your head is suddenly jerked backwards and then forwards during an impact. Symptoms may include neck pain, stiffness, headaches, dizziness, and limited range of motion in your neck
It is very important to be proactive with seeking care and treatment after your car crash. Even if your symptoms initially seem minor, some injuries may not be immediately apparent.
Seeking early intervention and treatment can help prevent further complications and promote a faster recovery. Some injuries when identified early on can be addressed and effectively managed to minimize the risk of long-term consequences
What Is The Purpose Of Active Rehabilitation?
- Restore body function: Active rehabilitation focuses on exercises to restore mobility and functionality, helping you regain your ability to perform daily activities
- Strengthen muscles and increases flexibility: Active rehabilitation includes exercises that strengthen muscles and improve flexibility, enhancing your overall physical strength and range of motion
- Improve blood flow: Exercise promotes better blood circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your injured tissues and supporting your healing process
- Swift recovery: Active rehabilitation can aid in a faster recovery allowing you to reduce pain and regain function naturally
- Increase fitness level: Engaging in active rehabilitation can improve your fitness level, boosting cardiovascular endurance, strength, and overall physical fitness
- Enhance the healing process: Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, natural pain-relieving and mood-boosting chemicals, which can aid in the healing process and provide a sense of well-being
- Balance your body: Active rehabilitation helps address muscle imbalances, corrects movement patterns, and improves posture, promoting better overall body balance and reducing the risk of future injuries
- Return to activities sooner: With a custom-designed program, active rehabilitation helps you return to work and activities you enjoy faster. Practicing exercises at home can accelerate your recovery process and prevent relapses or setbacks
- Improve outcomes: Active rehabilitation can improve your condition and reduce the need for more invasive treatments. If surgery is required, active rehab prepares your body before your surgery. This can enhance your recovery process and functional capacity after your operation
How Do You Treat A Trauma Car Accident – Restoring Movement With Kinesiology
Receiving passive treatment with your physiotherapist and chiropractor in Burnaby can help resolve most soft tissue injuries.
Continuing with active rehabilitation with your kinesiologist can help to bridge the gap between getting you off of the treatment table to getting you back home doing the activities you love.
Your assessment
Kinesiologists focus on the practical application of movement principles and biomechanics. They are trained to assess and analyze your movement patterns and functional abilities. This helps them develop customized exercise programs to address your specific needs and goals.
They incorporate functional movements and activities that mimic your daily tasks. This helps you transfer the skills and improvements gained in your therapy sessions to real-life situations.
Return to normal
This approach promotes a seamless transition from rehabilitation to daily activities. The results are improved functional independence and long-term success in performing your everyday tasks with improved efficiency and reduced risk of injury.
Your kinesiologist in Burnaby will look to address the underlying root cause of your injury. They can help you strengthen your body to reduce your vulnerability to future injuries. As a result, you can enhance your resilience to reduce the likelihood of recurring or new injuries.
What To Expect From Your Kinesiology Session
Your initial kinesiology session is up to 60 minutes. Subsequent sessions are up to 45 minutes. The recommended frequency can range from 1-3 sessions per week. Many patients continue their sessions well after their recovery is complete to both maintain their improvements as well as continue their progress.
Following your car accident, your kinesiologist can help by:
- Addressing the root cause of your pain
- Detecting and correcting muscle imbalances within your body
- Improving your muscle strength, mobility and stability
- Managing your pain and symptoms during rest and movement
How can active rehabilitation help me?
With active rehabilitation, your active participation is required. The focus is on engaging in purposeful exercises and interventions. These are customized to your goals and abilities to promote healing, prevent complication and enhance your overall well-being. This allows you to return to your daily activities with improved function and reduced pain.
How Long Does It Take To Recover?
Recovery time can vary depending on your health and several other factors:
Severity of your injuries
The severity of your injury plays a significant role in determining your recovery time. Minor injuries, such as bruises or mild sprains may heal relatively quickly, often within a few days to a few weeks. Moderate to severe injuries, such as fractures, ligament tears, or head injuries may require a longer recovery period, ranging from weeks to months or even longer
Location of your injuries
The location of your injury can also impact your recovery time. Injuries to certain areas of your body, such as your neck, spine, or joints, may require more time to heal compared to injuries in other areas. Additionally, injuries that affect critical structures or organs may necessitate specialized care and a longer recovery period
Your current health
Your overall health and pre-existing conditions can influence your recovery time. Individuals with pre-existing health issues, such as diabetes or osteoporosis, may experience a slower healing process. Additionally, factors like age, immune function, and general fitness level can impact the rate of your recovery
Your treatment goal
The specific treatment goals set by you and your healthcare provider can also influence your recovery time. For example, if your goal is to regain full functionality and return to high-level activities, your recovery period may be longer and require more intensive rehabilitation. On the other hand, if your goal is to manage pain and restore basic functionality, your recovery time may be relatively shorter
It is important to note that these factors are general considerations, and individual circumstances may vary. Each person’s recovery journey is unique, and your healthcare provider will assess your specific situation and provide a more accurate estimate of your expected recovery time.
When Should I Get Treated After A Car Accident?
No one wants to live in pain. However, we only start to appreciate our body’s mechanics once it has been compromised. The longer an injury is left unattended, the worse the injury can become.
Attending active rehabilitation can help you to address and manage your pain by addressing muscle weakness and imbalances to help you recover your functionality and get back on track to doing the activities you love
What Can I Do To Help Speed Up my Recovery?
Get treatment as quickly as you can: Seeking prompt medical attention is crucial. After a car accident, it is important to get evaluated by your physiotherapist, chiropractor and kinesiologist as soon as possible, even if your injuries seem minor. Some injuries may have delayed symptoms, and early intervention can prevent complications and promote faster healing.
- Follow your health practitioner’s advice: It is essential to follow your treatment plan and recommendations provided by your healthcare team. This may include attending scheduled appointments and following specific guidelines for rehabilitation exercises or therapies. Compliance with their advice can optimize your recovery progress
- Get enough sleep: Adequate sleep plays a vital role in your healing process. During sleep, your body repairs damaged tissues and replenishes energy stores. Aim for a consistent sleep schedule, create a comfortable sleep environment, and prioritize quality sleep to support your body’s recovery mechanisms
- Eat a healthy diet: Proper nutrition is important for tissue repair and overall well-being. Focus on consuming a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Adequate protein intake is especially crucial for healing, as it provides the necessary building blocks for tissue repair
- Reduce stress: Stress can interfere with your healing process. Find healthy ways to manage and reduce stress levels, such as practicing relaxation techniques (eg. deep breathing, meditation), engaging in hobbies or activities you enjoy, seeking social support, and consider counseling or therapy if needed. Managing stress can positively impact your physical and mental well-being,supporting a faster recovery
Communicate any concerns or changes in symptoms to your chiropractor, physiotherapist and kinesiologist, as they can provide appropriate guidance and adjustments to your treatment plan.
How Do I Get Started
Steps to take after your accident:
Step 1: Report your claim to ICBC
This is a vital step in getting you started! Once you have reported your accident and injuries, ICBC will open a claim and provide you with your claim number. This number is very important as this is what will help you get your treatments. Remember to note this number down
Step 2: Visit your healthcare provider
Start your treatment, ideally within the first 12 weeks of your accident. As long as you have an open ICBC claim, you are usually pre-approved for up to 12 sessions of ICBC active rehab with your kinesiologist, and 25 sessions each of physiotherapy and chiropractic care
Step 3: Recover and return to your normal activities
Let your family doctor know you were injured in a car accident. Ask for a referral note, specifically for “Kinesiology – Active Rehabilitation”. You can then schedule your initial assessment with your Burnaby kinesiologist.
To make the process faster, have your claim number from ICBC, your adjuster’s contact information (name, phone number, email), and the contact information of your occupational therapist if you have one.
Your kinesiologist will request for approval from ICBC for an initial assessment to ensure that you have coverage for your treatments. Submit your claim number to your kinesiologist and they will contact you to schedule your assessment.
Once it has been approved, you will be able to reserve and complete your ICBC active rehab sessions with your kinesiologist in Burnaby.
Get Help For Your Car Accident-Related Injury
If you have been in a car accident, schedule an appointment with your kinesiologist and start your active rehab program.
They will help guide you on the best exercises and movements to restore mobility, rebuild your strength and get you back to doing your normal activities
FAQ
Q: What is the ICBC active rehab program?
A: If you have been in a car accident, ICBC can provide up to 12 active rehab sessions with your kinesiologist if your accident was after April 1, 2019. If you require more sessions, a request can be submitted to ICBC by your kinesiologist
Q: Should I see my physiotherapist or kinesiologist?
A: They actually work together to help you with your recovery. Though on the surface they seem similar, your physiotherapist can help you reduce your pains and restore your mobility. Your kinesiologist will work with you to create an appropriate exercise program to help you rebuild your strength and function
Q: When can I start active rehab after my accident?
A: Generally, you can begin active rehab fairly soon after your accident. Depending on the extent of your injuries, your kinesiologist can tailor your active rehab program to match your abilities. Speak with your physiotherapist or chiropractor on when it is best for you to begin active rehab
