About 400,000 road accidents cause sequelae each year in Brazil. However, physical therapy can help
Events involving motorcycles account for 54 percent of all road accidents in Brazil, according to the Associação Brasileira de Medicina do Tráfego. In addition to the high risk of death, this type of accident causes many injuries which can leave permanent disabling sequelae. By the way, the estimate of the National Road Safety Observatory is that 400,000 accidents with some sort of sequel are left in Brazil every year. In this context, physiotherapy is essential for recovery.
Physiotherapist Rafael Cavalli, of Hospital Universitário Cajuru, explains that injuries tend to range from a broken leg or arm to more complex cases, such as injuries to the brain and spinal cord. “To restore functionality to the patient, strengthening, stretching, balance and strength training exercises are essential so that they can resume their routine activities and lead a normal social life,” he points out.
Public health problem
Traffic accidents incapacitate one person every minute and claim the life of another person every twelve minutes. Excessive speed, alcohol intake and cell phone use, for example, are some of the main factors that cause a collision on the highway or in the city.
In Paraná alone, the severity of these incidents resulted in the expenditure of BRL 18 million in hospital admissions throughout 2022. This is according to the records of the SUS Hospital Information System. In this scenario, healthcare professionals in trauma and emergency care hospitals face the challenge of caring for these patients on a daily basis.
With an average of 147,000 visits a year, including hospitalizations, emergencies and emergencies, surgical operations and outpatient visits, during 2022 there were over 4,000 patients admitted to the Emergency Department due to road accidents. Of these totals, more than half were on motorcycles.
The first four months of this year followed the same trend, with a total of 1,400 patients treated due to an event on the street or streets. “The number of victims who arrive here with a very complex clinical picture is high. Accidents involving motorcycles and pedestrians are usually the most serious injuries. In these situations, maintaining life is the priority of care,” explains the medical coordinator of the Emergency Department of Cajuru University Hospital, José Arthur Brasil.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that Brazil is the third country with the highest number of deaths caused by road accidents in the world. The problem becomes a public health concern, as increased recklessness in traffic overloads the SUS.
Physiotherapy as an ally of recovery
Rafael reiterates that accidents can be considered a major cause of loss of functionality. Whether they are temporary (fractures, amputations, minor head trauma and abdominal trauma) or permanent (which would be severe head trauma and spinal cord trauma).
“Rehabilitation with physiotherapy is one of the main treatments to restore functionality to the patient. It begins in the hospital and continues after discharge to the clinic or at home. Rehabilitation consists of restoring functionality to the patient through strengthening exercises, stretching, balance and strength training. force always with the aim of adapting to carrying out the activities of daily life and the return to social life,” he stresses.
Without proper treatment, the patient may face some physical harms. This is the case, for example, of permanent or difficult to control pain, difficulties in carrying out daily activities and movement restrictions. In addition, the patient may experience a decrease in function, warns the specialist.
Thus, the workforce may also be at stake, making the patient’s entire life difficult. “Partial recovery or inadequate treatment will directly interfere with the patient’s functionality for both activities of daily living and routine work, thereby reducing productivity and often withdrawing completely from work activities, which often represent the only family income,” highlights the physiotherapist .
“For people who suffer permanent or disabling injuries following a road accident, the market offers a wide range of options. It will all depend on the type of injury or trauma of the patient, but we can mention the most used ones, which are prostheses, electric wheelchairs, always with the aim of restoring partial or total functionality to the patient”, he concludes.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
