Many people who have been injured in an accident assume that any effects of the trauma will appear within a few days. However, this is far from accurate, and, depending on the severity of the accident and the age and health of the individual, it can take days, weeks, or even months for symptoms to appear. Even if the damage occurred a long time ago, with the proper exercises and attention, you may be able to restore mobility to your tissues.
Particularly when surgery, burns, lacerations, and abrasions are involved, the body can continue to form scar tissue while it heals. Blunt force trauma can also cause scar tissue to develop, as can animal bites, infection, and skin disorders such as acne. If you have limited mobility due to any of these, you may be able to reverse it with the proper care and attention.
If you’ve been involved in an accident of any type, you should seek medical attention without delay. It may also be prudent to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer like the attorneys at Frost Law Firm, PC. Even though the ramifications of the accident may not appear immediately, you need to establish a baseline, and this can only be done by making an in-person appointment with legal and health-care professionals. It might also be prudent to include a session with a therapeutic massage specialist because they can document soft-tissue damage along with recommendations on the severity of the damage and the likelihood of restoring partial or complete functionality.
Some types of scar tissues aren’t always visible externally. This makes it easy for them to continue to develop, become adhesions, and begin to interfere with mobility. Therapeutic massage specialists are trained to detect and repair anomalies and abnormalities in the soft tissues.
What Is Long-Term Mobility?
A long-term mobility issue refers to physical impairments that limit the individual’s ability to move within their environment, maintain body posture, climb stairs, walk, and so forth. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they’d be unable to pass a fireman’s physical, for instance, unless their occupation was being a fireman, but that their ability to perform their normal routine has been reduced. Impaired physical mobility can be a temporary or a permanent condition and can result from accident, age, disease, or a chronic condition.
Scar tissue can result from any of these conditions and is the result of your body’s efforts to heal. Interior adhesions can be surgically removed through adhesiolysis, but the patient may develop additional adhesions from the procedure. Therefore, this procedure is typically used for serious cases only. Scar tissue forms as disorganized bundles of collagen that aren’t elastic and have a stiffer, denser texture than normal tissue. Over time, the tissue becomes less and less elastic and can eventually cause mobility issues.
Although scar tissue is denser than regular tissue, it’s also less flexible, making it more prone to injury. Since it lacks the sensory perception of normal tissue, injury may result due to lack of sensation.
Negative Effects On Mobility
- Adhesions:
The layer of connective tissue directly under the skin is called the fascia. It covers the entire musculature – the bones, nerves, organs, and muscles – and enables the body to move smoothly, while keeping these items separate. When the fascia stiffens, mobility is reduced and will continue to do so until the tissues become pliable once more. - Compensatory patterns:
The body will alter normal movement patterns to reduce pain. This can adversely affect movement, balance, and joints even as it reduces the level of pain caused by the presence of scar tissue. - Nerve isolation:
Scar tissue can trap small nerve endings, discouraging movement and encouraging stiffness. - Reduced elasticity:
Since scar tissue is stiffer than normal tissue, its presence leads to stiffness and inflexibility, particularly if the scar tissue traverses a joint, such as the elbow, knee, or shoulder.
Some exercises and techniques can facilitate movement and provide comfort for stiff muscles and joints. However, they should be done under the guidance of a medical professional so that you don’t further damage your body.
Physical therapy and appropriate manual manipulation of the tissues can guard against the long-term mobility issues that result from trauma. Common techniques include myofascial release, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, and targeted stretching, which can help restore range of motion, tissue glide, and the flexibility of collagen fibers. Even old scar tissue can improve with these types of consistent attention, so if you have any of these issues, ask your medical professional for their guidance.
Medical professionals include, of course, your doctor, a physical therapist, or a therapeutic massage professional. Make sure that all your activities are well documented so that your personal injury attorney can build a well-documented case. Your medical professional may recommend manual scar mobilization massage to facilitate healing of your injury. This includes cross-friction massage, multi-directional movement, and skin rolling.
Get Professional Advice
If limited mobility is reducing your quality of life and keeps you from performing routine tasks, you have alternatives. The first step is a realistic evaluation of your situation. It’s important to remember that a 20-year-old body will function substantially differently than one that’s 40 years old. If your mobility issues are age-appropriate, then legal advice may not be helpful.
However, if your mobility issues stem from trauma, disease, or another controllable issue, then a consultation with a personal injury lawyer may help you get the compensation you need to restore your mobility and your quality of life.
