QuestionHi ,
I would like to ask for your opinion regarding the sensations I experience after the massage therapy. I have been in a car accident about 2 months ago. I got rear-ended at the very high speed and I cannot still recover. My therapist included massage in my treatment plan, however, about 24 hours after the massage I feel very unpleasant and scarry sensations. First I get very restless, that I feel nauseatic, and after that my heart starts to rush, I have difficulty breathing and my entire body goes through spasms. It lasts for several hours and goes away, but makes me very tired and scared. I know that massage is one of the most used therapy in whiplash treatments. However, it seems to me that it overstimulates my muscles and causes more harm than good, at least at this time. Could you advice me what in your opinion would be the best solution to my problem. I want to get better as soon as possible!. Thanks Jadwiga
AnswerHi Jadwiga
About 8 years ago I was in a car accident, rear ended and totaled my Camry. What happened was I saw it coming through my rear view mirror and my whole body tensed up right before impact.
As I went through various therapies to recover, I realized how much emotional trauma this had caused. In about 3 months I was out of the "alarming" pain and back to a semi relaxed state. However I found that I would grind my teeth when I drove and slept. A condition my body created a habit from during the moments of impact of the accident. It took nearly a year to break that nervous habit.
What's happening with you Jadwiga is very similar. Your body for survival reasons is letting go of the trauma of the accident in steps. Understand that this is the healing process of unwinding emotional energy from the trauma.
State your intention to be clear on healing, honor that intention and allow this process to unwind from your body. What happens is we make judgments on the healing process because we set up expectations on how we will heal. When we feel uncomfortable after the treatment we judge it then we think "this is not right, I feel worse, this is B.S.!" we tense up just like we did in the accident. The key is to accept what is happening as "part of the healing process".
For me I had to take a step back and see this as a journey about how my body heals. I realized the importance of letting go of the anger, guilt and resentment from the accident because it was hindering my healing and letting go of the emotional trauma.
The human body is an amazing creation and can heal itself, but we first must let go of the resistance of "how" we should heal. I know at first it seems scary because it is a new experience.
For me when faced with a new experience that I feel uncomfortable about I focus my breathing to be deep and slow and imagine being surrounded by a brilliant golden white light. This golden white light is a healing accelerator much like the Sun's rays radiating vitamin D and other nutrients. I realize this sounds silly, but it's worth experimenting with and has worked for me and my clients for the last 10 years.
If however you see no improvement in the next few days or intuitively you "feel" something is still not right. Seek professional help other than text based methods such as this one.
If you get a chance rent Iron Will, this may provide some insights to your journey.
Best wishes in your healing process
Jack Barakitis
