How Do You Recover From a Bike Accident Injury?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, almost 500,000 people are injured in bicycle accidents each year, and more than 1,000 die. In an accident that involves a bicycle, it is normally the bicyclist who suffers the most severe injuries. Even when a cyclist is wearing protective gear, recovery can be a long, drawn-out process.

After you have been injured in a bicycle accident, there are things you can do to help yourself heal more quickly. The following tips will help you to heal and move forward with your life.

Get Enough Sleep

Keep in mind that your body needs rest in order to heal properly. This may be difficult for you as you may have some road rash after the accident, and this can make sleep very uncomfortable. Broken bones or pulled muscles also make it difficult to get a good night’s rest. One suggestion is to go to bed a little earlier than normal and, if possible, sleep a little later to make up for any tossing and turning due to discomfort.

Get Proper Nutrition

A bicycle accident may mean you have to cut back on workouts. If your injuries are severe, you may not be able to do much of anything. This could make it tempting to cut back on what you eat in order to avoid weight gain while you are recovering. However, your body actually needs to eat more in order to recover. Add additional protein during recovery as it is critical for rebuilding muscles and bones.

Take Advantage of You Time

This is a great time to take care of yourself in every way possible. Get a massage, watch a movie, or read a book. If you were diagnosed with the flu, you would take the time to rest and recover. Keep in mind that your bicycle accident is really no different. Enjoy some couch time, because rest allows your body to focus on healing.

Remember Your Skin

It is not unusual to suffer skin damage after a bicycle accident. If the skin damage covers a large area, your doctor may suggest you keep it moist and covered as much as possible. However, you do need to expose it to air periodically to encourage healing. Just be sure that you uncover the wound when there is no risk for it to get dirty. You also do not want to expose the wound to the sun as it could result in scarring.

Build Your Strength

This is a great time to come back stronger than ever when you get back on your bike. An injury can give you time to review your biking habits and break the bad ones. Depending on your injury, you may be able to increase your core strength to help you avoid injury in the future.

If you are unable to workout at all because your injuries are too severe, this could be a great time to review your workout routine and see where you can make changes. There are many websites available that are a great source of information regarding strength training for cyclists that may help you adjust in some areas.

Try to Keep Moving

Although you do need to get plenty of rest as you recover, you also need to get moving as much as possible. Don’t overdo it but try to get up and walk or move around the house as much as you can to promote healing. If you are an active person, movement can actually make you feel better and could help you heal faster.

Get Compensation

According to personal injury lawyers, AnidjarLevine, drivers have a duty of care to uphold the safety of the cyclists who share the road. In many cases, drivers fail to uphold this duty of care, so cyclists end up getting hurt. If you are injured, you have the right to pursue compensation that can make your recovery smoother by covering your medical bills, making up for any missed salary, and allowing you to focus on healing instead of stressing out about expenses.

One of the biggest mistakes injured cyclists can make is returning to work and your normal activities before the doctor says you are well enough to do so. This can make your recovery take longer than it needs to, and it may even exacerbate your injuries. The most important thing you can do after an injury is to follow your doctor’s orders.