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Whip lash is not just in the neck

Stop and think about the mechanics of it. Modern cars have a belt from shoulder to hip and across to the other hip. All of these points restrain and rebound different parts of the body at different times during the accident
Chiropractic referrals will usually be for cervical sprain strain some times include the pelvic sprain strain but seldom include the thoracic sprain strain which often gets neglected for years and eventually causes mystery symptoms all over the body.
I have 15 years experience taking chiropractic X-Ray after motor vehicle accidents and then fallowing up with prescribed body work. For example a doctors daughter who has received chiropractic care from birth, after the family was involved in a violent rear end collision eventually had to stop collage varsity rowing because of an anterior ligament tear between two mid thoracic vertebra. Fallow up radiology showed the development of anterior spurring where the tear had occurred.
Therefore get a thorough accident history; driver/passenger - which side, seat belt used, grip on steering wheel, foot on break when body rebounded from seat makes a big difference in pelvic and leg injury pattern.
I have learned to help all of these injuries with the strain-counterstrain protocol of Structural Relief Therapy as taught by Taya Countryman.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on September 7, 2009 at 4:18pm

I find this all very interesting. I was rear ended by a drunk at a high rate of speed on August 24, 2007. I still to this day have pain most days in my back and neck. My neck bothers me more now that it ever did. I do my stretches every day as I have to and it helps. I quit seeing the chiro on April 29, 2009, as he felt there was nothing more he could do for me. My neck was dislocated about 1 1 /2 inces to the right or so, and to this day that is how it is. I do receive weekly 90 minute massages and they help immensely. What I am finding now is the pain in my right hip. My hip has been bothering me for months now all of a sudden. During that accident I did have my right foot on the break as hard as I could press it, as I saw the accident coming and could do nothing about it. The massages are a temporary relief from the pain. It comes back though within a few days.

Permalink Reply by Hans Albert Quistorff, LMP on September 10, 2009 at 1:04am

I suggest that you and your therapist read the pages starting at http://structuralrelieftherapy.com/class/aboutSrt/page/about-srt

I see two concurrent problems:your center gravity is shifted over your right leg; your right leg is locked in a muscle memory of the accident.
Fallowing the principles there you may be able to find a position supine replicating having the foot hard on the break that relieves the tender point in the right hip.
While the position is being held I find it helps many to review what happened during the accident then let go of it by accnowledging the amount of healing that time has given you and that you are no longer under the threat of the accident or the need to hold such a ridged protective posture.

The same can be done for the offset in your thoracic ans cervical spine put it is complicated enough that you would need a book and or class and experience to do it.

Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on September 12, 2009 at 7:42pm

Thanks Hans. I was very curious as to what you would have to say about this. Yes, my center of gravity is very off center. I have fallen 3 times since March, once forward and twice backwards. Now I understand this all much better.

Hans Albert Quistorff, LMP said:

I suggest that you and your therapist read the pages starting at http://structuralrelieftherapy.com/class/aboutSrt/page/about-srt

I see two concurrent problems:your center gravity is shifted over your right leg; your right leg is locked in a muscle memory of the accident.
Fallowing the principles there you may be able to find a position supine replicating having the foot hard on the break that relieves the tender point in the right hip.
While the position is being held I find it helps many to review what happened during the accident then let go of it by accnowledging the amount of healing that time has given you and that you are no longer under the threat of the accident or the need to hold such a ridged protective posture.

The same can be done for the offset in your thoracic ans cervical spine put it is complicated enough that you would need a book and or class and experience to do it.

Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on September 16, 2009 at 1:10am

One other thing I have noticed since this group has begun and my awareness has been enlightened is, when I am massaging, I will lock my right knee. Is that the muscle memory taking over? Now that I am aware of this, as soon as I notice it, I right away unlock my knee.

Permalink Reply by Viktor Bek on November 2, 2010 at 9:39pm

some of our colleagues are presently working on studies looking into MVA survivors using ultrasound and due to recent improvements in technology are finding that there's a "connective tissue proliferation" on side that received the impact,
so there's a real measurable thickening of connective tissue layers that can be observed on the side of impact,
these studies are right now in different stages and it will be a few years until/if they get published, but for what it is worth, no, it is not in your head it is real...and although there might be a memory, there probably is also a microscopical but real physical change
all research is in rather early stages
http://www.fasciacongress.org/2009/abstracts.htm
researchers around the world are still working on animal models and cadaver tissue and it will be a while until we have capability and proposed models for research in vivo...

Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on November 3, 2010 at 12:27pm

This is great information Viktor. The World Massage Festival is having a combined Research and Massage Convention in July 12-18, 2011 Western Carolina University. You should consider coming and presenting whatever research you are working on. So many therapists know so little about reseach and the World Massage Festival is trying to change that this coming year. Please consdier it. www.worldmassagefestival.com

Viktor Bek said:

some of our colleagues are presently working on studies looking into MVA survivors using ultrasound and due to recent improvements in technology are finding that there's a "connective tissue proliferation" on side that received the impact,
so there's a real measurable thickening of connective tissue layers that can be observed on the side of impact,
these studies are right now in different stages and it will be a few years until/if they get published, but for what it is worth, no, it is not in your head it is real...and although there might be a memory, there probably is also a microscopical but real physical change
all research is in rather early stages
http://www.fasciacongress.org/2009/abstracts.htm
researchers around the world are still working on animal models and cadaver tissue and it will be a while until we have capability and proposed models for research in vivo...