TABLE OF CONTENT
Whiplash injuries develop due to a sudden motion of the head and neck. They can hurt a lot. The neck gets microtears from this sudden movement. In addition, it results in sprains and strains. This can be remedied by massage therapy for whiplash. Here is everything you need to know about whiplash and massage therapy.
Reasons and symptoms of whiplash injury
Whiplash injury reasons
Here are the events that can lead to whiplash injury.
- Car accidents led whiplash injury
- Physical abuse
- Sports (boxing, football, etc.)
- Falls
- Any other force from behind
| Reason of whiplash injury | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Car accident | Rear end collisions jerking head forward and backwards |
| Physical abuse | Sudden forceful movement |
| Sports | Sudden change in direction or speed forcefully extending or flexing neck |
| Fall | Head thrown back and forth during impact |
Whiplash injury symptoms:
Common symptoms of whiplash injury include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Pain in the neck
- Stiffness in the neck
- Fatigue
- Vision problems
“The clinical syndrome of whiplash injury includes neck pain, upper thoracic pain, cervicogenic headache, tightness, dizziness, restriction of cervical range of motion, tinnitus, and blurred vision.”
César Fernández de las Peñas et al
| Symptoms | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Neck pain | Ligaments sprains, muscle strains, and injuries in discs and spine cause it |
| Headache | Caused by neck muscle tightening or nerve or joints of cervical spine becoming irritated. |
| Upper back pain | Caused by tearing of neck’s soft tissue |
| Fatigue/Dizziness | Lack of energy by neck instability is the cause |
| Numbness | Nerve damage causes it |
| Vision problems | Causes include concussion or damage to optic nerve |
How does massage help whiplash?
Here are the ways this whiplash treatment can help:
Less tension in muscles:
Pain after whiplash is caused by the neck muscles becoming stiff. They do this as a response to the impact. Recovery massage therapy helps by easing up these muscles. This relieves most of the pain.
Improving flow of blood:
The other main benefit is better blood flow. Through massage for whiplash, oxygen and nutrients enter injured tissues. This means that there is now blood, and in turn more nutrients, in the affected area. Massage therapy for whiplash, thus, speeds the healing process.
Greater motion
Lesser motion of the neck is a major concern for people with whiplash. Massage for whiplash is a great help in this regard. Massage therapy for whiplash enhances the motion of the neck to a high degree.
Better mood
Massage therapy for whiplash triggers happy hormones. This is helpful in relaxing and improving your mood.
Types of massages used
There are many massage therapies for whiplash. Here are some of them:
Myofascial release:
Purpose:
It Improves the fluidity of the tissue. It also assists to hydrate the tissues. This improves mobility of soft tissue (muscles, tendons, etc)
Role in whiplash:
Here, this massage for whiplash can focus on the painful pressure points in your muscles. Pain can be reduced by massaging the muscles to return them to their natural state.
Deep tissue massage:
Purpose:
A technique by the name suggests, is targeted towards deep layers of muscles and connective tissues.
Role in whiplash:
Here, deeper body muscles and tissues are loosened by this kind of massage. This can result in pain reduction and better range of motion.
Trigger point therapy
Purpose:
It also relieves tension in damaged muscles. This is done by reducing the nervous system’s firing to painful body sites.
Role in whiplash:
This whiplash treatment massage helps release the tension by applying pressure on certain points. This release of tension lowers the pain.
Rapid neurofascial reset massage:
Purpose:
As the name suggests, it can reset pain responses of the body.
Role in whiplash:
For whiplash injury, it can penetrate into tissues and release the tension and pain. It can be done on its own or before any other massage.
Cross-Fiber Friction Massage:
Purpose:
This massage is done to reduce scar tissue and boost healing of the rest of the scar tissue.
Role in whiplash:
In whiplash injuries, micro-tearing of tissues happens. Healing of muscles forms scar tissue. Scar tissue forms unevenly and bones and tissue stick under it. When your neck moves, the stuck parts pull and cause pain. This kind of massage aligns the scar tissue and unsticks it.
Other massages:
All other types of whiplash treatment massages that aid in relaxing muscles and improving headache can be done. Cupping is a technique that can be employed for better blood flow.
Precautions before massage therapy:
You should exercise the following cautions before taking massage therapy for whiplash:
- Let the initial phase pass before taking massage therapy. This is a period of severe injury and it should heal before you take massage therapy.
- Any fractures should be healed before you begin massage therapy.
- Avoid taking this therapy in case of untreated dislocations too.
- If you have open wounds, avoid all kinds of massages.
- Take conditions such as disorders with blood clotting into account.
- Take extra precaution in case you have weak bones or osteoporosis. Speak to a doctor beforehand.
Combination of massage therapy:
Whiplash injury causes multiple problems. These would be dealt better if different therapies would be merged with massage therapy.
Physiotherapy:
Combining it with massage therapy can improve the healing journey. This is because each therapy can improve different aspects of injury. Healing process is sped up as a result.
Different massage therapies:
Depending upon the stage of injury, different massage therapies can be combined. For instance, to release tension, any two techniques can be combined.
Time limit to recover with massage therapy for whiplash
Whiplash recovery time depends on the injury and the person. Here is an estimated time period.
Time period:
Average time for recovery is around three months or less. The amount of care plays a vital role here.
Frequency of sessions
Initially, there should be more sessions and they should be placed closely. After that a session once or twice a month is enough.
Average schedule
On average, once a week a session of massage therapy for whiplash would be enough. This average is for 8-12 sessions.
How can Concise Medico help in massage therapy for whiplash?
Whiplash Massage Therapy presents a host of benefits. It is, therefore, very useful in the process of recovery. Massage therapy can promote recovery in acute as well as chronic pain.
If you suffer from an event that caused you whiplash injury, then it will be of great value to consult Concise Medico for service. Our therapists and rehabilitation services are experienced in physical injury cases. They’ll assist your recovery and remove your distress. For help, contact us now.
FAQs
Whiplash injuries develop due to a sudden motion of the head and neck. They can hurt a lot. The neck gets microtears from this sudden movement. In addition, it results in sprains and strains. This can be remedied by massage therapy for whiplash. Here is everything you need to know about whiplash and massage therapy.
Reasons and symptoms of whiplash injury
Whiplash injury reasons
Here are the events that can lead to whiplash injury.
- Car accidents led whiplash injury
- Physical abuse
- Sports (boxing, football, etc.)
- Falls
- Any other force from behind
| Reason of whiplash injury | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Car accident | Rear end collisions jerking head forward and backwards |
| Physical abuse | Sudden forceful movement |
| Sports | Sudden change in direction or speed forcefully extending or flexing neck |
| Fall | Head thrown back and forth during impact |
Whiplash injury symptoms:
Common symptoms of whiplash injury include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Pain in the neck
- Stiffness in the neck
- Fatigue
- Vision problems
“The clinical syndrome of whiplash injury includes neck pain, upper thoracic pain, cervicogenic headache, tightness, dizziness, restriction of cervical range of motion, tinnitus, and blurred vision.”
César Fernández de las Peñas et al
| Symptoms | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Neck pain | Ligaments sprains, muscle strains, and injuries in discs and spine cause it |
| Headache | Caused by neck muscle tightening or nerve or joints of cervical spine becoming irritated. |
| Upper back pain | Caused by tearing of neck’s soft tissue |
| Fatigue/Dizziness | Lack of energy by neck instability is the cause |
| Numbness | Nerve damage causes it |
| Vision problems | Causes include concussion or damage to optic nerve |
How does massage help whiplash?
Here are the ways this whiplash treatment can help:
Less tension in muscles:
Pain after whiplash is caused by the neck muscles becoming stiff. They do this as a response to the impact. Recovery massage therapy helps by easing up these muscles. This relieves most of the pain.
Improving flow of blood:
The other main benefit is better blood flow. Through massage for whiplash, oxygen and nutrients enter injured tissues. This means that there is now blood, and in turn more nutrients, in the affected area. Massage therapy for whiplash, thus, speeds the healing process.
Greater motion
Lesser motion of the neck is a major concern for people with whiplash. Massage for whiplash is a great help in this regard. Massage therapy for whiplash enhances the motion of the neck to a high degree.
Better mood
Massage therapy for whiplash triggers happy hormones. This is helpful in relaxing and improving your mood.
Types of massages used
There are many massage therapies for whiplash. Here are some of them:
Myofascial release:
Purpose:
It Improves the fluidity of the tissue. It also assists to hydrate the tissues. This improves mobility of soft tissue (muscles, tendons, etc)
Role in whiplash:
Here, this massage for whiplash can focus on the painful pressure points in your muscles. Pain can be reduced by massaging the muscles to return them to their natural state.
Deep tissue massage:
Purpose:
A technique by the name suggests, is targeted towards deep layers of muscles and connective tissues.
Role in whiplash:
Here, deeper body muscles and tissues are loosened by this kind of massage. This can result in pain reduction and better range of motion.
Trigger point therapy
Purpose:
It also relieves tension in damaged muscles. This is done by reducing the nervous system’s firing to painful body sites.
Role in whiplash:
This whiplash treatment massage helps release the tension by applying pressure on certain points. This release of tension lowers the pain.
Rapid neurofascial reset massage:
Purpose:
As the name suggests, it can reset pain responses of the body.
Role in whiplash:
For whiplash injury, it can penetrate into tissues and release the tension and pain. It can be done on its own or before any other massage.
Cross-Fiber Friction Massage:
Purpose:
This massage is done to reduce scar tissue and boost healing of the rest of the scar tissue.
Role in whiplash:
In whiplash injuries, micro-tearing of tissues happens. Healing of muscles forms scar tissue. Scar tissue forms unevenly and bones and tissue stick under it. When your neck moves, the stuck parts pull and cause pain. This kind of massage aligns the scar tissue and unsticks it.
Other massages:
All other types of whiplash treatment massages that aid in relaxing muscles and improving headache can be done. Cupping is a technique that can be employed for better blood flow.
Precautions before massage therapy:
You should exercise the following cautions before taking massage therapy for whiplash:
- Let the initial phase pass before taking massage therapy. This is a period of severe injury and it should heal before you take massage therapy.
- Any fractures should be healed before you begin massage therapy.
- Avoid taking this therapy in case of untreated dislocations too.
- If you have open wounds, avoid all kinds of massages.
- Take conditions such as disorders with blood clotting into account.
- Take extra precaution in case you have weak bones or osteoporosis. Speak to a doctor beforehand.
Combination of massage therapy:
Whiplash injury causes multiple problems. These would be dealt better if different therapies would be merged with massage therapy.
Physiotherapy:
Combining it with massage therapy can improve the healing journey. This is because each therapy can improve different aspects of injury. Healing process is sped up as a result.
Different massage therapies:
Depending upon the stage of injury, different massage therapies can be combined. For instance, to release tension, any two techniques can be combined.
Time limit to recover with massage therapy for whiplash
Whiplash recovery time depends on the injury and the person. Here is an estimated time period.
Time period:
Average time for recovery is around three months or less. The amount of care plays a vital role here.
Frequency of sessions
Initially, there should be more sessions and they should be placed closely. After that a session once or twice a month is enough.
Average schedule
On average, once a week a session of massage therapy for whiplash would be enough. This average is for 8-12 sessions.
How can Concise Medico help in massage therapy for whiplash?
Whiplash Massage Therapy presents a host of benefits. It is, therefore, very useful in the process of recovery. Massage therapy can promote recovery in acute as well as chronic pain.
If you suffer from an event that caused you whiplash injury, then it will be of great value to consult Concise Medico for service. Our therapists and rehabilitation services are experienced in physical injury cases. They’ll assist your recovery and remove your distress. For help, contact us now.
