In the past week, I’ve seen 3 clients who are recovering from car accidents and the resulting injuries. Whiplash, neck pain, brain fog and headaches often go hand in hand to create suffering that ranges from uncomfortable and annoying to downright debilitating.
While I’ve worked with whiplash and co. quite a lot over the years, this clustering of clients makes me take notice. I suspect there are more people out there who can benefit from what I have to say.
The body has an innate ability to heal from acute injuries such as this. Yet, this particular group of maladies can linger indefinitely despite getting immediate and ongoing medical attention.
I believe it’s because of the damage to the emotional body and strong feelings of being unsafe in the car or near cars, and how the body tenses up reflexively, attempting to protect from potential harm.
Alas, this protection only adds to the suffering, causing the muscles in the neck and shoulders to lock up, putting pressure on nerves and diminishing blood flow to and from the head. Which is quite problematic as I’m sure you can see.
Treating the muscles can provide relief until the next seeming “threat” causes the overactive defense system to tense, activating the whole cascade of physiological responses.
Chiropractic adjustments tend not to hold because the muscles keep pulling the bones out of alignment, sometimes coming into contact with nerves and triggering a pain-tension-more pain cycle.
Until a sense of safety is reestablished on a somatic level, the loop tends to continue and suffering lingers. By “somatic”, I mean a felt sense of safety. Feeling safe and not just thinking about it.
While our sympathetic nervous system responses are great in times of crisis, they can get stuck in emergency mode, pulling the fire alarm when there is no fire, just a small puff of smoke from the toaster.
We need to speak directly to the body and that requires a compassionate presence, gentle touch, patience and a slow, steady pace. I approach whiplash clients the same way I would a feral cat. Cautiously, with no sudden moves and a soothing voice.
Reiki is a brilliant remedy for this conundrum as it both activates the body’s relaxation response (the antidote to overprotective fire alarms) and floods the system with healing life-force energy.
It encourages the muscles to relax, not because they are pummeled into submission, but because when the body feels safe, there is no cause for undue tension. This allows blood flow to normalize, proper oxygenation of the brain and removal of cellular waste from the head and neck.
It’s a way of working with our biology and instinctive responses rather than trying to override them. The former can succeed with consistency, while the latter is doomed to fail.
Once the hyper-vigilance and pain start to diminish, we can then work on the fear that is so common when clients get back in a car or walk along a busy street and deactivate the startle reflex.
One of the most significant benefits of Reiki is that it can be administered remotely, so the recipient need not drive to a session if they are unwell, unwilling or without wheels.
If you’ve been suffering from whiplash and its unpleasant effects, I hope this information is helpful for you. There are numerous ways to work on releasing trauma from the nervous system, but Reiki is the one I know to be both safe and effective regardless of the severity of injuries and the other treatments and medications taken.
I think yoga nidra would also be helpful if you’re looking for a DIY approach. You can find many guided sessions on the free app Insight Timer.
Luminous Heart Reiki & Massage 