A Circle of Wellness
Summer 2007
Continued on page 2
Whiplash
Healing a Pain in the Neck
Hope Bentley
Whiplash injuries can lead to headache as well as neck, jaw, and back pain.
A man's health
can be judged
by which he
takes two at a
time--pills or
stairs.
-Joan Welsh
Office Hours and Contact
Holly Poer, LCMT
www.CircleMassage.com
Call for appointments:
818-723-2426
In this Issue
Whiplash
Managing Arthritis
The Scoop on Meditation
Getting rear-ended in traffic.
Face-planting at the bottom of a ski
slope. Tumbling over the handlebars on
your bike. Whiplash comes in many
forms, and can become a long-term
problem if not treated correctly.
Fortunately, massage and bodywork can
address the ache and discomfort that
come with whiplash and prevent chronic
pain down the road.
Understanding
Whiplash
The term "whiplash" came into use in
1928. Doctors will sometimes use
"hyperextension injury," to describe it,
but "whiplash" is a more visceral account
of what has happened to the victim's
neck. The neck itself has made a
whip-like motion bending first towards
and then away from the point of impact.
As the head moves rapidly in one
direction, the muscles in the neck
receive the message to contract. The
momentum of the head can cause strain
or sprain to the muscles and ligaments
in the neck as the head reaches the end
of its movement.
Car accidents are the most common
causes of whiplash. The American
Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
reported that about 20 percent of
people who have been in rear-end
collisions later report whiplash
symptoms. Whether front to back or side
to side, whiplash can affect muscles all
the way into the victim's back and arms.
The most serious form of whiplash
compresses nerves in the neck and cause
multiple sprains of the ligaments.
The good news is, serious
hyperextension injuries are in the
minority, as whiplash usually comes in
the less serious version of the injury.
"Fortunately, about 95 percent of the
time whiplash tends to be more
superficial damage, like slight muscle
strains and tears," says Ben Benjamin,
Ph.D., a massage therapist who holds a
doctorate in education and sports
medicine. But whether the pain is
minor soreness or serious discomfort,
massage can provide relief and prevent
chronic problems in the long run.
Bodywork has an arsenal of methods to treat whiplash injuries for a full recovery.
Continued from page 1
Whiplash Symptoms
The symptoms of whiplash include neck
pain and stiffness, headaches, pain in
the shoulder or between the shoulder
blades (sometimes called "coat hanger
pain"), low back pain, and pain or
numbness in the arms or extremities.
Often people who suffer whiplash do
not feel the effects until two or three
days after the injury-causing incident.
Benjamin explains that this delayed
onset is because it takes time for scar
tissue to manifest in the sprained or
strained muscles and ligaments. And
because scar tissue is more adhesive than
regular tissue, people experience it as
stiffness in the injured areas.
Whiplash affects primarily the neck, but
victims shouldn't ignore the rest of the
body. This injury can pull the long
muscles on either side of the spine,
which reach all the way to the tailbone
and can cause discomfort along the way.
Discomfort or stiffness in the chest and
arms can also be due to whiplash. And
headaches may be the result of slowed
circulation to the head caused by the
swelling in the injury.
Massage Can Help
Any massage that causes a general
relaxation of the client's muscles can
help relieve muscular pain in common
types of whiplash injuries. In addition,
massage increases the amount of oxygen
that reaches the healing tissues and
opens those tissues so they can receive
oxygen and nutrients, thus speeding the
healing process.
In addition to relaxation massage,
specific bodywork methods ease acute
whiplash discomfort and help prevent
chronic fallout. For example, myofascial
approaches restore fluidity to the
fascia--normally a slippery tissue that
surrounds all the moving parts inside
the body--allowing freer movement of
muscles and ligaments. Friction-based
massage helps break up scar tissue and
relieve stiffness. Trigger point therapy
works by releasing tension held in tight
knots of muscle. And any type of
bodywork that stimulates circulation
helps ease and prevent headaches.
Finally, the incident that caused the
whiplash in the first place, (a car wreck,
for instance) can be traumatic. Massage
helps relax a client's psyche as well as
their muscles, helping her or him work
through the emotional issues induced by
the accident.
Because the neck is such a delicate part
of the body, it is important to proceed
with caution. Benjamin advises waiting a
few days after the accident to seek
treatment. This allows the initial scar
tissue to knit, which is an important part
of the healing process. The initial
treatment should be extremely gentle,
and if there is a chance of a fracture, a
concussion, any disc problem or other
serious injury, the client should make
sure to see a physician first.
Let the Healing Begin
It used to be that physicians would
immobilize whiplash injuries with a
cervical collar, but now health care
professionals advise a more temperate
course for their patients.
"I recommend gentle neck movement
within your range of motion while lying
on a pillow," says Benjamin. Movement
may help prolong the benefits of the
massage by continuing to circulate
blood, oxygen, and nutrients through
the healing tissue. "Heat or cold,
whichever feels better, can also help,"
says Benjamin. "Soaking in a hot bath
can also be beneficial." Limiting
physical activity for a few days and
getting plenty of rest in the wake of a
whiplash injury is also a good idea.
Whiplash is traumatic and should be
addressed soon after the injury to avoid
any chronic problems. If you or
someone you love is suffering from the
repercussions of whiplash, consider a
bodywork session to ease the discomfort.
Massage can help lessen muscle pain,
induce relaxation, and ease the trauma
often associated with whiplash. You'll be
back to your old self in no time.
Stretching can slow degenerative arthritis.
Managing Arthritis
Exercise and Bodywork Keep Joint Pain at Bay
The Scoop on Meditation
A Simple Practice with Profound Benefits
The word arthritis strikes fear in the
hearts of older adults. It often signifies
aging, pain, inactivity, and disability.
However, new research shows moderate
physical exercise can actually ease
arthritis symptoms by decreasing pain
and increasing a person's likelihood of
living a normal life.
Understanding Arthritis
The most common form of arthritis--
osteoarthritis, or also known as
degenerative arthritis--affects more
than twenty million Americans.
Osteoarthritis (literally meaning
"bone-joint inflammation") is caused by
wear and tear on joint surfaces and most
frequently involves the hips, knees,
lower back, neck, and fingers. More
than half of people over sixty-five have
some evidence of osteoarthritis on
X-rays, although it doesn't always
manifest as symptoms.
Many problems arise from a sedentary
lifestyle. Joints lose flexibility and
muscles lose strength, feeding the cycle
of pain, inactivity, and more pain.
Exercise Offers Sweet Relief
Vigorous walking, swimming, and
bicycling boost the release of powerful
endorphins, the body's natural
painkillers. When done four to five days
a week, these aerobic activities improve
general cardiovascular health and aid in
weight management (obesity is the single
biggest risk factor for osteoarthritis).
Strengthening and stretching exercises
targeted at maintaining joint flexibility
and muscle strength--especially for
at-risk joints--slow the progression of
degenerative arthritis. Yoga classes and
moderate weight lifting programs are
excellent ways to improve strength and
flexibility. Bodywork can also provide
relief.
If arthritis is slowing you down, get
serious with your exercise plan. Consult
your physician; work with a professional
trainer, physical therapist, yoga
instructor, or bodyworker; and start a
gentle, progressive exercise program.
Your joints will reward you for it, and
you'll free yourself from arthritic pain.
People who meditate regularly appear
internally and externally five to 10 years
younger than their non-meditating
peers, according to author Deepak
Chopra. That's good news for the
estimated 10 million people who
practice meditation on an ongoing basis
and experience the resulting calm it
cultivates.
The rich benefits come from doing
something that looks like nothing:
Sitting still, being quiet, and breathing
deeply. Meditation works simply but
profoundly by defusing the onslaughts
of life -- a racing mind, busyness,
deadlines, commutes, all of which have
physiological effects on well-being.
Meditation calms the nervous system,
decreases metabolic rate, heart rate, and
blood pressure, and lowers levels of
cholesterol, stress hormones, and free
radicals. It also has a direct effect on
breathing, slowing and deepening
respiration so more oxygen circulates
throughout the body. Not only that,
meditation is said to lessen feelings of
anxiety and depression and improve
memory and concentration. And all of
this culminates in slowing the aging
process, as Chopra notes.
There are many meditation techniques,
including focusing on a mantra, a sacred
word or phrase, or your breath. But the
basic intent of all meditation is focus
and attention. And it doesn't take hours
a day in an ashram to meditate
effectively. Benefits kick in with even a
short period of devoted time.
How to begin? Wear comfortable,
unrestrictive clothes, sit on a cushion or
chair with your back straight (think once
again, comfort), rest your hands on
your legs, let your eyes go soft and out of
focus or close them, breathe slowly and
deeply, and -- the hardest part --
attempt to empty your mind of thoughts
and quiet the internal dialogue. When
thoughts flit through your mind, let
them pass without judging them and
come back to your focus (your mantra,
counting, etc.) and breathing.
Start with this sitting meditation
technique for five minutes a day, and
add on time as you get more at ease with
the process. For more information on
techniques and benefits, check out
www.abc-of-meditation.com.
Kindness in
words creates
confidence.
Kindness in
thinking creates
profoundness.
Kindness in
giving creates
love.
-Lao-Tzu
Holly Poer, LCMT
is now providing her
Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork Services
at
Dr. Schumachers's Chiropractic & Relaxation Center
26560 Agoura Rd., Suite 113
Calabasas, CA 91302
Call (818) 880-2096
for appointments and information
Circle Massage
PO Box 2647
Winnetka, CA 91396
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