Question
I was in a road traffic accident in october 2005 and I was diagnosed with whiplash injuries and and injury to my lower back.after 7 months the pain has got progressively worse i have had a course of physio and although it helped my neck it did not help my back.  I have recently been assessed by a orthopeadic specialist for the insurance company who says that i am suffering from neck and back sprains.  as i was concerned regarding the assessment i requested that my GP takes x-ray the results of the x-rays show degeneration to the discs in my back with narrowing of the vertebra and osteo degeneration in my neck.  i have the following symptoms pain in my neck which radiates to my right shoulder down my arm. pain in my hands. I have pain in my lower back which radiates down my leg and causes numbness in my buttocks and causes swelling and pins and needles in my legs and feet mainly my left leg. I was the driver and had both hands braced on the steering wheel and both feet braced on the pedles when the car hit me from behind.  The specialists opinion was that my symptoms were not in proportion to the injury i received and that i have illness behaviour.  He did not recommend any further investigations just made the diagnosis that i had received a back and neck strain.  luckily my boyfriend pushed me to have x-rays taken as there is not a day that goes by when i am not in pain.  I was beginning to believe that this pain was in my head and that i was making up the symptoms. are the sypmtoms consistent with a road traffic accident, can rear impact accidents cause the on set of disc degeneration and osteo disc degeneration and narrowing of the discs?  I am awaiting to see an orthopeadic consultant independantly of the insurance company but honestly feel as if i am losing my mind give what was written in the insurance mediacal report.

Answer
No, Nicola, you aren't losing your mind.

Your medical practitioners just don't understand whiplash injuries or know what to look for.

The common effect of such an injury is that the muscles of the neck and spine tighten up.  Too tight, and nerves get pinched, contributing pain, tingling and numbness in the extremities to the pain of tired, sore muscles.  Disc degeneration or narrowing follows from that muscular tension.

Fortunately, a condition such as yours is quickly and relatively easily resolvable by improving your control of the involved muscles, to the degree of being able to relax them.  You need specific training (somatic training) accomplish that goal.

Visit somatics.com and click PRACTITIONERS in the blue navigation bar.  If there is no one near you, self-help programs are available, though the progress is slower.  See somatics.com/page7.htm.

Also, see the article on whiplash injuries at somatics.com/page4.htm.

You'll be O.K. once you follow the recommended course of action.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold