Techniques for car accident victims

[divinemystick]

Need help.  Just started outcall service and received referrals from two car accident clients.  what treatments would be appropiate?  Moist heat?  need help!!!!

 

[Pop]

Techniques for car accident victims

Hmmmm,First it might be a good idea to make sure that their personal physian is on board with this at this point. I always ask the client if their doctor approved when I stumble across something that may be tricky.If it is whiplash, scalene work will be important. Neck injuries can turn pretty chronic. When in doubt, ice, ice baby.I once worked on an individual who had gotten paralyzed from a swollen spinal cord injury. We alternated, ice, heat, ice heat after he was on the road to recovery. When the injury was new, we just used ice. The swelling left and he fully recovered, but we didnt add heat when there was swelling. It's a matter of listening and paying attention to the body and where the injury is, what's injured etc.I assume this person is ready for massage?

 

[Mark H]

thanks for your quick response because they want me tomorrow.  it was a minor accident and she is sore from the impact.  i heard of a situation where the therapist had to testify at trial because the client was seeking damages.  i'm not sure if a doctor was consulted...thanks for the tip.  tanya

 

[Lesley]

Tanya,If you get a chance to read this before you work, that's great. If not, I hope you'll have other appointments lined up with the car accident folks. I just recently had a longtime client get injured in an accident (T-bone). She came to me before she went to her DO. I worked v-e-r-y carefully to just relax the supporting muscles of the neck & back until she got the okay from her Doc. We were on the right track. I usually did very deep stretches & relaeses on her neck & shoulder girdle, but have had to backtrack now. We are building back up to that work as she heals. Take very thorough SOAP notes (for your own records, and for future reference if needed).  I used an herbal linament that gave great pain relief after I finished the gentle work (one with capsicum, arnica & botswalla), and gave her a little Biofreeze to put on as needed when sore. Good luck. The very best advice (repeating) is to be quiet when you work & trust your instincts. If you feel you should be more conservative, do it. Take care.Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[ihateemopeople]

THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! I DID GET A CHANCE TO READ THIS BEFORE GOING.  BIG HELP!!!

 

[shyshay87]

Techniques for car accident victims

I worked with a chiropractor for about a year, and most of our patients came from car accidents.  Betti is completely right about the ice and the listening.  Trigger point work in combo with passive stretching is the technique I used most.  Your clients will tell you where they hurt, but finding out if it comes from some where else and then working those trigger pts. carefully will be the ticket.  I have patients who have tried everything else, and they have told me that I was the only one whom they felt got to the root of their pain. I was glad I helped!

 

[patricia]

Becareful of patients whom have a feeling of insuranceitis, or you can find yourself in court.  To help you in the future, it is definately a good idea to have an MD or DC referral.  And especially working hand in hand with a DC is paramount.  I have found in whiplash, the deep mm's of the posterior neck is where most pain arises.  Use ice if injury is recent and there is swelling.  Otherwise moist heat is wonderful for helping to loosen up those tight mm's.  Also I found one of the most important things to be the patients care of themselves at home!!!

 

[Sahar]

For some reason accident victims are drawn to me like a magnet! (prbably because that is how I got into massage) I haven't been practicing for 2 yrs, but  I have done alot of voluneer work in grocery checkouts, movie lines,ect. All it takes is a few points in the scalenes, occipitals, and Traps. It always amazes me how quickly it works.  I had a chance to test it out last year when I was side swiped (the other guy was going 30 I was at a stop). I wouldn't even talk to anyone or get out of the car until I had hit all the points and felt relaxed.  I also took some homeopathic arnica.I felt bruised until the next morning and then I was fine. The points  also work wonders on migrains.

 

[Peng]

Techniques for car accident victims

I work on Accident victims all day long.Find out if they were wearing their seatbelt. If they were, the side that the seat belt was on is the side that will need the most neck and Pec. Mjr. work done because the seatbelt hold the shoulder back but the head keeps moving. The side without the seatbelt will need work done on the Rhomboids. Check the hip where the lapbelt would be and of course the most likly will have some low to mid-back problems, QL, SI joint, erectors, etc.

 

[Mother Amethyst]

Hi Jill M.Could you describe the exact scalene, trap, and occ. points that you referred to?  If it's hard to describe, can you recommend a resource so I can get a visual?Thanks so much,Carole

 

[Eric Davidson]

I am also very interested in the trigger points Relaxinaz was refering to.  There is sooo much to learn and I think this is a great idea.  I live in a very isolated area and don't have much contact with other MT's.  Thanks for all your help.

 

[dobermann lover]

Re Techniques migrain victims

Does anyone have techniques that can relieve a migraine instantly or shortly. I had/have a client who gets migraines that it takes her off her feet and the last one was over her eye, I worked on her for 45 min and she still left in pain. I felt so bad for her. I know that I have to accept we can't cure everyone but I would like to at least give them some ease. I did do the point in the occupital, used pepperment on the temples (with cream). Myo facial stretching on the postier cranial. I don't know what else
HELP for both our sake :-d

 

[aussiegeezer]

Re Techniques migrain victims

Does anyone have techniques that can relieve a migraine instantly or shortly. I had/have a client who gets migraines that it takes her off her feet and the last one was over her eye, I worked on her for 45 min and she still left in pain. I felt so bad for her. I know that I have to accept we can't cure everyone but I would like to at least give them some ease. I did do the point in the occupital, used pepperment on the temples (with cream). Myo facial stretching on the postier cranial. I don't know what else
HELP for both our sake :-d

I can't relieve a migraine instantly, but being the recipient of those bad guys, I can tell you what I ask for myself and what I do for clients. I spend the entire hour in and around the pain site. Usually that pain site is going to be a "knot" or TP which is the epicenter from which the HA comes.

For myself, I ask the MT hubby or some other MT friend to get on that spot and push like the dickens, until I have to hum (literally hum) to take my mind off the pain, until the knot gives. It usually takes a few minutes, only to be repeated again. Many times I have to ask for them to stop for a bit, work something else and then come back to it. At the point where it loosens enough for a chiropractic adjustment to hold, then I really start to finalize the relief. However, I'll be the first to tell you, I also take my meds when necessary, and generally must be in a dark room, and get close to immediate sleep after the bodywork, or things can get progressivly worse and stay bad for at least 14 hours (usually). Generally the bodywork is a God-send though. And when I can get it, I gravitate toward it like a honey-bear to honey.

I do a less intense variation of this for clients (with the hour being wrapped around the "knot", entire neck and traps -- since many don't know their body limitations like a therapist does. As a rule, I get good results.

Now, for chronic migrain sufferers who are on a medication like Lyrica, Maxalt, or some other combination of drugs... I find it may take as many as 7 - 12 visits to start getting results where the migraines will really break their pattern. Since most of these individuals suffer daily migraine and a constant low to high grade headache all day long, these can be a bit more tricky.

 

[asambrano752]

Techniques for Migraine

When it comes to migraines, getting to the cause & relief can be multifacted. Bodywork Techniques, such as Craniosacral, Myofascial Release, Shiatsu or Acupressure or Energetic Healing Arts like Jin Shin Jyutsu, often work well with a focus on the gallbladder meridians.

Migrafew is a product that uses essential oils & is available in healthfood stores. It contains Feverfew, which is an herb that is often used for preventing migraines. Many people affected with this problem have allergies to foods, or food additives (like MSG, or sulfites in wines, etc.) & sensitivities to chemicals, as well as other triggers (even hormonal imbalances) so it can be difficult for them to find resolution for their condition.