ICBC Recovery: Understanding Your Care Options

A car accident can change more than your vehicle — it can change how your body feels, moves, and functions long after the impact. Even minor collisions can leave lasting effects on the neck, back, or nervous system. At Catch Wellness, we help clients navigate the road to recovery through ICBC-approved care that prioritizes your safety, comfort, and progress.

If you have been in a motor vehicle accident, here is what you need to know about your care options and how our multidisciplinary team can support you every step of the way.

What Happens to the Body After a Collision

Even a small impact can send powerful forces through your body. Muscles tense, joints compress, and soft tissues can stretch beyond their limits. The most common result is whiplash — a rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck that can cause pain, stiffness, and headaches.

Other common symptoms include:

  • Neck
  • Soreness in the shoulders, back, or hips.
  • Limited range of motion.
  • Tingling, numbness, or weakness in the arms or legs.
  • Fatigue or dizziness.
  • Heightened stress or anxiety after the accident.

These symptoms might appear immediately or develop days later. That is why early assessment is so important. The sooner we understand how your body was affected, the sooner we can begin restoring function and preventing chronic pain.

Your ICBC Benefits Explained

If you have an active ICBC claim, you are eligible for pre-approved treatments within the first 12 weeks of your accident. You do not need a doctor’s referral to start care at Catch Wellness — you just need your valid claim number.

ICBC typically covers sessions for:

    • Physiotherapy
  • Early Access Concussion Recovery Program (EACR)
  • Registered Massage Therapy (RMT)
  • Kinesiology
  • Acupuncture

Our administrative team can help confirm your eligibility, direct bill ICBC on your behalf, and coordinate your appointments. We handle the paperwork so you can focus on healing.

 

Early Access Concussion Recovery Program

ICBC offers an Early Access Concussion Recovery Program for patients who have sustained a concussion from their motor vehicle crash, and Catch Wellness is one of only sixty clinics in the entire province approved to provide it.

This program gives you access to early, coordinated concussion care during the first twelve weeks after your accident. Once enrolled, you receive six to twelve weeks of interdisciplinary in-clinic support that focuses on assessment, education, symptom management, and steady progression back to daily function.

Your care team includes an Occupational Therapist paired with either a Physiotherapist or a Chiropractor. Depending on your needs, the program can also involve a Counsellor, a Kinesiologist, or a Rehabilitation Assistant. Every practitioner involved has specific training and experience in concussion treatment, so your recovery is guided by people who understand the full picture.

If your accident involves a head impact, dizziness, headaches, fogginess, or sensitivity to light or sound, early intervention can make a meaningful difference. Our team can help you determine whether you qualify and guide you through the steps to begin.

coordinate your appointments. We handle the paperwork so you can focus on healing.

The Catch Approach to ICBC Recovery

Recovery after a car accident is not just about relieving pain — it is about rebuilding confidence in your body. At Catch, we take an integrated approach that looks at both physical and emotional recovery.

Here is how our process typically works:

  1. Comprehensive Assessment
    Your journey begins with a detailed evaluation. A physiotherapist will assess your range of motion, pain levels, and functional limitations. This helps determine what structures were affected and what stage of healing you are in.
  2. Personalized Treatment Plan
    Based on your assessment, your physiotherapist designs a plan tailored to your needs. This may include manual therapy, exercise, education, and referrals to other practitioners on our team.
  3. Collaborative Care
    Recovery often involves multiple services. Your physiotherapist may recommend massage therapy to reduce tension, kinesiology for strength retraining, or acupuncture for pain modulation and relaxation. Our practitioners communicate with each other to ensure treatments complement one another.
  4. Education and Support
    We believe understanding your injury is a key part of healing. You will learn how to manage symptoms at home, what movements to avoid early on, and how to gradually return to activity.
  5. Progress Tracking
    Throughout your recovery, we reassess regularly and update your plan. Healing is dynamic, and your care should evolve with you.

How Each Discipline Helps

Physiotherapy
Addresses underlying dysfunction through assessment, manual therapy, and corrective exercise. Focuses on restoring mobility, strength, and coordination.

Massage Therapy (RMT)
Targets muscle tension, scar tissue, and postural compensation that often arise after an accident. Promotes relaxation and circulation for faster recovery.

Kinesiology
Guides you through safe, progressive exercise to rebuild stability, strength, and confidence in movement.

Acupuncture
Helps regulate the nervous system, manage pain, and reduce inflammation — a powerful complement to physical treatments.

When used together, these treatments form a complete recovery plan that supports both short-term relief and long-term resilience.

Why Early Treatment Matters

Many people wait to seek care after an accident, hoping the pain will fade on its own. While some soreness is normal, untreated injuries can lead to chronic discomfort or compensation patterns that affect posture and daily activity.

Early intervention helps prevent those issues by keeping tissues mobile, retraining your nervous system, and restoring healthy movement patterns. It also ensures your claim benefits are used effectively during your coverage period.

Common Questions We Hear

Do I need a doctor’s referral to start treatment?
No. You can begin physiotherapy, massage, kinesiology, or acupuncture as soon as you have an active ICBC claim number and your first visit is within the first 12 weeks of your date of accident.

How many sessions am I covered for?
ICBC pre-approves a set number of visits for each discipline within the first 12 weeks post-accident. If more sessions are needed, your practitioner can submit an extension request with progress documentation.

Can I see more than one type of practitioner?
Yes. In fact, that is often the most effective way to recover. Our team works collaboratively, ensuring each treatment supports the others.

What if it has been more than 12 weeks since my accident?
You can still receive treatment but you will require ICBC approval before your first appointment.  

Healing Takes Time, and That’s Okay

Recovery is not linear. Some days you may feel strong and mobile. Other days, stiffness or fatigue may return. This is normal. Healing takes patience, consistency, and the right support system.

At Catch, we make sure you never go through it alone. Our practitioners are here to guide you, encourage you, and adapt your care every step of the way.

Start Your Recovery with Us

If you have recently been in a motor vehicle accident, we are here to help you move forward safely. Book your ICBC assessment today and let our team create a plan designed for your body, your pace, and your goals.

Because healing is not just about getting back to where you were — it is about building the strength and confidence to move beyond it.

 

 

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