Question
I was in a car accident in November of '08. I had punctured lung, splenectomy, ventilator/traech, and 3 bloos spots on brain. Just as on overview of my injuries. I also fracured my c1 and c2 and was in a halo brace for 2 months and then a neck brace for 6 weeks. I was wondering about the chronic pain and maybe some excersizes I can do to elliminate some of the pain? Also, will I always have pain? I have always suffered from headaches and migraines but since the accident they have gotten much worse.

Answer
Hi Karrie and thanks for writing,

It does sound to me like you have weak support muscles which causes the discomfort when you抮e in certain positions - I recommend you work on strengthening your core.

My suggestion is to see if you can find a Classically trained Pilates Teacher who does one-on-one sessions in a private studio (avoid gyms that have big classes that they call "Pilates").  I know of two doctors who broke their backs and were told they'd never work again.  Of course they saw all the medical specialists and no one could help, but both were "cured" by Pilates and returned to work full-time.

Pilates works on strengthening core muscles and helping the body's alignment and I believe it would hep you a great deal. Swimming is another great overall exercise that benefits the whole body including he neck and back.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the best,

Margot