Whiplash — What happens to your body?
The average weight of your head is around 4.5 to 5 kilograms, so in the event of a car accident, this will certainly affect your body. Even if you're not driving that fast, the sudden shock with your car will cause your head to launch forward/backward or sideways and then back again quickly. The greater the speed, the greater the impact. Why should this affect the whole body, and what could it do to your muscles?
The impact!
Most times when we experience a car accident, it happens so quickly we don't have time to notice what happens with our bodies. We are more focused on bracing ourselves for the impact, so we tend to tense up our bodies as a natural reflex. In a split second we are all tensed up, then there is the impact, the violent jolting of the body, and then everything comes to rest. You are left in a state of bewilderment and emotional shock!
Mechanical stress - whiplash
When you have an accident the head is whipped either forward/backward or sideways, and then back again. If the force goes beyond the body's ability to adapt, the tension will lock into the body structures immediately, for example the neck, lower back or wrists. Click here to learn more about Body Stress.
After an accident
Any trauma to the body, as in the case of a car accident, is likely to result in body stress. If it is not released, as time passes, the layers of muscles in the back and neck will become increasingly tense in order to minimize mobility and avoid further tissue damage.
Effects of body stress
Because of the impact on the nervous system due to the tension locked into the muscles (namely neck and lower back), the effects of body stress can range from mild to debilitating. These could be experienced as pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, headaches, stiffness, restricted movement, loss of flexibility/mobility, distorted posture or tiredness. See here for more information on whiplash. This is why it makes sense to have the locked in tension dealt with as soon as possible (Gail Meggersee — Self-healing with Body Stress Release 2007).
Why Body Stress Release?
Body Stress Release is a gentle technique that works primarily with releasing tension in muscles. It assists the body in its' own healing process and can bring effective relief against all forms of tension, pain and discomfort. Many clients have expressed how Body Stress Release has enhanced and transformed their lives, living without pain and tension. To find out more on how Body Stress Release could help you, click here.
