Whiplash injury occurs when the spine’s soft tissue is strained and stretched following an abrupt occurrence when the body is suddenly thrown forward as in a car accident. Common vehicle accidents that lead to whiplash include sudden deceleration. Aside from that, other activities could also cause appearance of whiplash injury like diving.
One of the proven effective ways to treat and relieve whiplash injury is yoga therapy. In this program, you would be conditioned to set posture designed specifically for individual problems and imbalances for healing the body. Usually, numerous pain and misalignment problems could be cleared up when muscles get balance and tend to properly align after regular yoga exercises.
To help you further understand whiplash, imagine your body as a three-story building. Once the supporting beams shift and pull downward, even top floor of the edifice would soon sag downward. If the leg muscles get tight, there could be a perpetual pull on the upper body. In time, the constant downward pull could lead to various chronic pain conditions to be worsened by whiplash.
The four-limbed staff pose in chaturanga dandasana would require a great amount of strength from the whole shoulder girdle. Several yoga styles do the pose repeatedly. If you start feeling shoulder pain, you could drop to your knees down to the floor. You could ease your shoulder’s burden. Handstand preparation, easy dolphin, and downward facing dog are other yoga styles that could eventually keep shoulders working sans taxing them. In time, you would notice that whiplash injury would gradually ease.
The upper extremity weight bearing from the downward facing dog pose could address neck and shoulder problems as in the case of whiplash injury. Constant yoga practice could surely bring about relief and treatment to the condition.
A cross twist (laying on the floor with your arms at shoulder level legs straight) also could help with your whiplash. While bringing one leg up to the chest and across the body (right leg across to the left and to the floor and turn your head to the other side). While keeping your shoulders to the floor notice where it is tighter in comparison to each side. As a general ‘rule’ the tighter side would be worked twice as much as the softer side.
If it is felt that the shoulders lift when doing this twist, then use sand bags or books in the hands as you turn into the twist, this will help keep your shoulders down. In all events, be gentle with yourself.