Recovering from a pelvic fracture caused by a car accident involves a complex and often painful rehabilitation process. Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in this recovery, particularly through motor vehicle accident physiotherapy in Edmonton. These are designed to address the challenges that arise from traumatic injuries such as pelvic fractures, which are common in severe motor vehicle accidents (MVAs).
MVA physiotherapy focuses on restoring function, reducing pain, and speeding up the healing process through tailored therapeutic exercises and manual therapy techniques. This targeted approach not only helps patients regain mobility and strength but also supports them in navigating the psychological impact of recovering from a serious accident.
Pain Management
The early stages of recovery in fracture rehabilitation from a pelvic fracture focus on managing pain and enhancing mobility without exacerbating the injury.
Manual Therapy
- Technique: Manual therapy for pelvic fractures involves gentle hands-on techniques performed by skilled physiotherapists. This includes soft tissue mobilization to manipulate the muscle group and connective tissues around the pelvic area.
- Manual therapy alleviates pain and reduces inflammation. It achieves this by improving blood circulation to the affected area, which induces healing and reduces swelling.
Cold Therapy
- Application: Cold therapy involves applying cold packs or ice wraps directly to the pelvic area. The cold aids in narrowing the blood vessels, and thereby reducing blood flow to the area and decreasing swelling and inflammation.
- Typically, cold packs are applied for 15-20 minutes every hour for the first few days after the injury. The frequency can be reduced as swelling and pain decrease.
Shockwave Therapy
- Technique: Shockwave therapy employs high-energy acoustic waves directed at areas of pain and musculoskeletal tissues affected by subacute, subchronic, and chronic conditions. This energy facilitates the regeneration and repair of bones, tendons, and other soft tissues.
- It is especially useful in speeding up recovery, improving mobility, and relieving pain without the need for painkillers.
Dry Needling
- Technique: Dry needling entails the placement of fine needles into designated muscle areas referred to as trigger points. This technique is aimed at releasing muscle tension and improving blood flow.
- Dry needling can significantly alleviate pain by relaxing tight muscle fibres, reducing muscular tightness, and enhancing mobility.
Strength and Stability Training
Once the patient’s condition begins to stabilize and acute pain is managed, physiotherapists introduce specific exercises aimed at strengthening the pelvic region and improving overall stability.
Isometric Exercises
- Technique: Isometric exercises involve contracting the muscles without actually moving the joint. Pelvic fracture recovery might include tightening the gluteal or abdominal muscles.
- These exercises are beneficial because they strengthen the muscles supporting the pelvis without placing undue stress on the healing bones.
Controlled Weight-Bearing Activities
- Progression: As the healing progresses, controlled weight-bearing exercises are gradually introduced. Initially, these might be performed with the aid of physiotherapy equipment such as parallel bars.
- The aim is to slowly reintroduce weight to the injured area, which helps promote bone strength and muscular endurance without compromising the healing process.
Gait Training
Gait training is essential for ensuring that patients can walk safely and efficiently after a pelvic fracture. This training progresses in stages:
Assisted Walking
- Tools: Early in the gait training process, physiotherapists utilize assistive devices like walkers or crutches to aid the patient begin to walk again while minimizing pressure on the healing pelvic bones.
- Method: The patient is taught to use assistive devices to maintain balance and distribute weight evenly, reducing the load on the pelvic area.
Balance Exercises
- Exercises: Balance is a crucial aspect of recovery, involving exercises like standing on one foot or walking heel-to-toe under supervision.
- These exercises improve the patient’s balance and coordination, which are vital for preventing falls and ensuring safe, independent mobility.
Functional Training
Functional training integrates recovery with daily activities, making it easier for patients to return to normal routines.
Activity Modification
- Guidance on Daily Activities: Physiotherapists work closely with patients to modify their daily activities to avoid actions that could stress the healing pelvis. This includes teaching safer techniques for everyday movements such as bending, lifting, and sitting. For example, patients might learn to squat correctly to pick up objects from the floor rather than bending at the waist, which can place undue pressure on the pelvic area.
- Adaptation Strategies: Modifications might also include temporarily using assistive devices, such as grabbers to pick up items from the ground or raised toilet seats to reduce the strain when sitting down and standing up.
Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care
Continued rehabilitation is essential for complete recovery from a pelvic fracture, ensuring long-term functionality and preventing complications.
Routine Development
- Specific exercises are designed to improve the range of movement and decrease stiffness in areas affected by the injury, particularly the pelvic region and lower back. These include gentle stretching exercises that target the hip flexors, lower back muscles, and leg muscles.
Regular Follow-ups
- Ongoing Assessment: Regular check-ups with a physiotherapist are crucial to assess the progress of the recovery. During these sessions, the physiotherapist might perform tests to evaluate the healing of the pelvic bones, the functionality of the pelvic muscles, and the overall mobility of the patient.
- Adjustment of Treatment Plans: Based on the outcomes of these assessments, the treatment plan may be adjusted to include more advanced exercises and additional modalities or, if recovery is progressing well, a reduction in the intensity of therapy.
Regain Strength and Mobility with Physiotherapy
At Vertex Physiotherapy, we offer motor vehicle accident physiotherapy dedicated to aiding recovery for individuals who have suffered pelvic fractures in car accidents. Our specialized car accident physiotherapy programs are designed to address the needs of each patient, helping them to overcome both the physical and emotional challenges of such a significant injury.
If you or someone you know is struggling with the aftermath of a pelvic fracture from a car accident, consider reaching out to Vertex Physiotherapy. Let our team of professionals guide you through our motor vehicle accident physiotherapy in Edmonton and your recovery with the compassion and expertise you deserve.