Most motorcycle accident injuries are serious. Some are even life-threatening. However, there are other injuries, such as road rash, that can be extremely painful. If not treated, road rash can become infected or lead to permanent scars. In this blog, we’ll explain the various treatments.
Our team at Injury Medicine can help you recover after a motorcycle wreck. We are experts in urgent care, pain management, chiropractic, and more. Come to our Spartanburg injury center or one of our other South Carolina locations for quality medical care in one place.
What Is Road Rash?
It’s no surprise that road rash is one of the most common motorcycle accident injuries. If you’re thrown from your bike, your face, arms, and other areas of your body may skid across the ground. The friction can damage skin even if you are wearing protective clothing.
Some of the body parts that are most susceptible include:
- Forearms
- Knees
- Elbows
- Chin
- Chest
- Face
- Legs
It can take a little time for the rash to show up, but you will feel the burning pain immediately. While it may be one of the less serious types of motorcycle accident injuries, road rash can cause permanent scarring in some cases.
Watch Out for Signs of Infection
Breaks in the skin are a gateway for bacteria, and it’s common for dirt, gravel, and debris to get into the wounds from road rash. After treating more serious injuries, healthcare professionals will clean and dress the area to prevent infection.
As you are healing, you should see a doctor if you notice signs of infection like:
- Skin redness and irritation
- Swelling and inflammation
- Pain in the affected area
- Fever
- Heat around the rash
- Discharge of pus or other fluids
- Spreading of the rash
Treatment for Road Rash
The type of treatment you’ll require will depend on the seriousness of your injuries. Mild cases of road rash often heal with first aid and time. Treatment involves cleaning the wound, applying an antibiotic ointment, and bandaging the area. You need to change the bandage at least once per day, and more often if needed.
For more severe cases of road rash, you may need a series of skin grafts. This is the same process used to treat burn injuries. Skin grafting involves the surgeon taking skin from one part of your body and transplanting it to the affected area.
Our urgent care specialists at Injury Medicine can provide immediate treatment for road rash and many other injuries. Then, our pain management doctors, chiropractors, and other specialists will create a personalized rehabilitation plan to get you back to your normal life after a motorcycle wreck.
How Long Does It Take to Fully Recover?
If you suffer a minor case of road rash, it should fully heal within a couple of weeks. You’ll need to keep the area covered and clean. After two weeks, it should be almost gone. If your road rash is severe and you need a skin graft, it may take a couple of months to recover fully.
Does Road Rash Cause Any Permanent Scars?
In most cases, you won’t experience any scars. However, if your road rash is severe or you require skin grafts, there is a good chance you’ll have some permanent marks. When you visit our treatment center, our practitioners will do whatever they can to prevent scars.
Let Us Help You Recover After a Motorcycle Crash!
At Injury Medicine, you can receive top-quality treatment for road rash and other motorcycle accident injuries without the hassle of multiple healthcare providers. We are experts in urgent care, chiropractic, pain management, and more.
Our team will create a personalized rehabilitation plan to get you back to your normal life after a motorcycle wreck. We also work with your accident lawyer so you can get the compensation you deserve. You can contact us today at 864-866-PAIN to schedule your initial assessment.
