Motor vehicle accidents
Were you involved in a Motor vehicle accident or know someone who was and need help getting back to their previous lifestyle? Acumen Reconditioning can help you.
Motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s) are an unfortunate part of modern life, with many physical, mental, and emotional repercussions. MVA’s cause injuries that manifest themselves in specific or general regions of the body, increase inflammation, or result in pain or discomfort that can change daily and affect one’s life. It is essential to see a musculoskeletal-focused Physical Therapist (PT), Athletic Therapist (AT) or Kinesiologist who asks the appropriate questions and correctly identifies the source and mechanisms of injury, pain and dysfunction. PTs, ATs and Chiropractors at Acumen Clinic can also potentially perform manual therapies, including:
- Active release
- Dry-needling
- Cupping
- Trigger release
- Soft tissue (muscles/tendons) therapy
Which can relieve pain, manage inflammation and bring nutrients to the affected areas when physical activity or activities of daily living seem difficult.
While manual therapies and conservative exercises such as stretching or rolling can improve symptoms, long-term progress often requires focused physical training to strengthen weak muscles, build strength through new ranges of motion gained by manual therapies and re-train movement patterns to alleviate chronic loading. For example, MVA’s often strained the head and neck muscles, commonly known as whiplash, causing them to become overactive and sensitive to everyday tasks such as computer work, carrying groceries, & various daily actions. Manual therapies and static stretching can help to improve the range of motion. However, without strengthening, the head and neck muscles can shorten excessively during, use leading to symptoms such as headaches. However, gradually loading the head and neck muscles while reinforcing proper posture and motor control often leads to a total return of function and reduces side effects of loading such as disturbed sleep.
Once pain is sufficiently managed, strength training is the next step to improve quality of life and accelerate the return to sport if desired. At Acumen, we pride ourselves on testing physical performance to track improvements and quantify asymmetries often manifest through injury. A typical example of the testing performed following motor vehicle accidents would be neck flexion and extension strength using the Vald ForceFrame, as illustrated in Figure 1.
These data can be used to determine imbalances and track progress. Additionally, we visualize the data to inform our practitioners and you on progress! For example, Figure 2 illustrates the between-limb differences in the range of motion, strength, and power measures following a severe knee injury. This figure and underlying data allow us to create a plan and ensure that the program is effective.
Depending on your needs, a plan is created with input from all team members (therapists, kinesiologists, strength coaches etc.) so that the correct exercises and progressions are prescribed. Of course, the plan is updated regularly, often on each day as new information becomes available. This includes how you feel on a particular day or new objective numbers from some of our available technology.
Finally, the rehabilitation plan, regular communication between team members, and standard notes and adjustments allow us to report to insurance companies if required to have your training sessions reimbursed. Acumen’s meticulous notes also make direct billing possible and confidence should an audit be required.
