If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you know how much damage can be done to both your physical body and the body of your vehicle. Even from just a small accident, it’s easy for your body to get knocked around or injured in a way that leaves lasting pain in certain areas. When this happens, it can be hard to know what you can and should do to help alleviate that pain and get your health back to normal. To assist you in this area, here are three ways you can help to ease your own pain that’s been caused by a minor car accident.

Heat and Ice

For minor injuries, whether they’ve been sustained in a car accident or in some other way, one of the first things you can and should do is to apply heat and ice to the area. According to Nicola V. Hawkinson, a contributor to Spine Universe, you should first apply heat for about 15 minutes every hour or so so that you can reduce swelling and inflammation. After you’ve done that for about a day, you can then apply heat to the area for 15 minutes every two to three hours. When doing this, make sure you’re being safe about getting your skin too cold or hot and that you’re only using heat or ice for the prescribed amount of time.

Gentle Movement

In many small car accidents, you might get some extent of whiplash to your head or neck. You could also get strains in your muscles, which can be painful to work through. In situations such as these, WebMD shares that one of the best things you can do to help relieve this type of pain is to participate in gentle, active movement of the area that’s been strained. By moving these areas early after you’ve gotten injured, you reduce the chances of becoming too stiff and can help to work those muscles in a more natural and impactful way.

Alternative Treatments

In the event that you try the above-mentioned therapies or attempt to reduce your pain in other tried-and-true ways, you may then want to consider some alternative treatments. According to Shannon Johnson, a contributor to Healthline.com, some of the most helpful alternative remedies for pain or injury sustained in a car accident can include things like chiropractic care, massage, or acupuncture. Depending on your medical insurance, some of these treatments might even be covered for you or be available at a reduced cost.

If you’ve recently been in a minor car accident and are having some residual pain, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you ease that pain and get back to your normal self.