Question
Hi Gary,

A year ago I was in a mild car crash and received whiplash. Now I constantly have neck pain. Some have told me it's a herniated disc but nothing is helping. What can I do to relieve the pain?

Answer
Hi Chrissie,

Sorry to hear about your neck pain.  I do think I can give you some things to do that may help you.

"Whiplash" occurs when the muscles in the neck tighten in response to trauma such as a car accident or fall.  When the neck muscles do get violently "stretched" they overcompensate by tightening up in case the same trauma happens again.  It really is the body trying to protect you, even though it hurts.

Imagine for a moment all the muscles in your body like the rigging (ropes) on a big old-fashioned sailboat.  All the ropes (muscles) have to have the proper tensional settings or the entire structure will be thrown off.  If some muscles (just like the rigging) are too tight, then the bones will be pulled out of position, OR in the case of vertebrae, be pulled closer together and compress the discs between the vertebrae.

Bones are basically chunks of calcium.  They don't do anything on there own.  Bones only go where muscles pull or hold them.  If you have a bulging disc, it's because the tight muscles in your neck are pulling the bones together more firmly than is optimal.

I talk about all of this in greater detail on my completely free website,
Do-It-Yourself-Joint-Pain-Relief,
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/
where there are free follow-along videos for every joint in the body.

I'm going to recommend you go to my main Neck Pain Relief page,
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/neck-pain-relief.html
and follow along with the videos to release your neck.

I do think these videos can show you how to achieve the neck pain relief you've been seeking.  The only reason why this wouldn't work would be if you had a ruptured disc (with the gel oozing out from the disc), but from your description of the accident and your pain I do not think that is the case.

I do hope this helps.

Best,

Gary