Injuries and Bellydance

[Caricar]

Hi everybody!

I am wondering if any of you have had the unfortunate experience of a car accident and injuries, and how you overcame them and returned to dance?

I was rear ended quite badly on my way to a bellydance workshop 1.5 years ago. I haven't danced since.

I haven't yet healed - have got classic whiplash injuries still and a very, very unhappy thoracic spine with constant back pain which over time, has gotten worse as I have lost my core strength.

I figure things couldn't get worse than they are and I have to build up my core strength again if I want to get rid of these injuries and am thinking about returning to dance since it is probably the best way to build up my core again.

I am wondering if any of you were rear ended or in a car accident or dealt with whiplash... and if you would be willing to share your experience with me (you can private message me if preferred).

Thanks *SO* much!

 

[Marya]

Actually, a car accident is what led me to Belly Dance. I wasn't rear ended and did not have whiplash, but a taxi hit us as we crossed an intersection and the taxi ran a red light.

my insurance company paid for chiropractic and massage therapy for several months which helped quite a bit and the massage therapist suggested Belly Dance as a way to help heal my back. That was way back in 1992.

I have inherited back problems as well as other injuries and have to maintain a certain level of activity or I become nearly immobile. Yoga, dance, and walking or biking help a lot.

Belly Dance isn't a magic potion but take it easy when starting out, improper technique can actually aggravate back problems, I nearly gave up BD but was fortunate to find a teacher that could correct my technique.

Are you eligible for any kind of physical therapy? With an injury that has lasted this long I worry that just BD would not suffice to help you recover.

Marya

 

[adiemus]

Bellydance is a great way to get back into moving again! The tissues will have healed from your whiplash (only takes about 6 weeks or so for that to happen), but the pain you've got sounds like chronic pain and could be with you for a lot longer. It's unlikely you're harming yourself when you move with your pain, but it will hurt and you're best to start slowly, and gradually increase what you do. At the beginning, don't go for neck slides or head rolls (actually I don't do them now either! don't like that giddy feeling), but shoulder movements and all the others from shoulders down will be great.
I'd probably go quite gently with veil movements with the arms/shoulders up high initially, the tendency is to look up and if that's done too much too fast, it could be uncomfortable.

Core strength is a bit over-rated as far as back pain etc goes (see my blog for more info on this), and good posture doesn't harm anyone.

Be reassured, 'healing' of your tissues is over, but your brain is working hard to try to protect you by allowing pain messages to be felt. Help your brain along by giving your body gentle and gradual exposure to normal movements, and avoid 'boom and bust' where you do lots on a day you feel good, and then get payback.

If you can, see a good pain management physician or musculoskeletal physician, and see whether they can recommend anything helpful, especially if pain is interrupting your sleep.

Unless you've got neurological problems (loss of muscle power, sensation and/tingling), or bowel and bladder loss of control, you're not likely to need surgery - and most pain management physicians or musculoskeletal physicians would not recommend surgery anyway. You might respond to injections, but if you don't get lasting relief, I'd stop.

Anyway, take a look at the blog and pm me if you'd like more info.
cheers
Bronnie
HealthSkills Weblog

oh, and start dancing, it's fun, it's not hard on your body, and it improves posture and gives you good endorphins.

 

[shiradotnet]

When I was 17 years old, I was in a rollover car accident that injured the muscle of my back in the thoracic area. I've had a lifetime of back pain in that part of my back. I have also been in three rear-ending car accidents, which resulted in whiplash that gave me ongoing pain for many years.

I found that belly dancing was wonderful for my thoracic back pain. I noticed that when I took a month or so off from belly dancing regularly, my back pain would be worse. And then when I'd start dancing regularly again, my back would get better. Not pain-free, but better.

My neck has been pain-free for about 3-4 years now, and the thoracic part of my back is so much better that I can now go several days at a time being pain-free. I still have some issues with my back, but I'm MUCH better. Reason: rolfing. It did me a world of good.

 

[Ariadne]

I've had back problems most of my life and have been in three or four car accidents resulting in whiplash (I have honestly lost count). I wasn't the one driving either so it's not because I'm a lousy driver. It was always painful afterward but after the first two it was just routine to call my Chiropractor and let him know I was coming in again and why. A series of regular visits, muscle relaxants for the worst one, other treatment I can no longer remember... all of them put me back on my feet in a matter of months and I returned to my regular exercise.

It was when I stopped exercising regularly that I started having serious trouble. That is what lead me to bellydance actually. I knew I had to do something or I would end up crippled from the pain and compounding poor health and I had always wanted to learn to bellydance so when I learned there was a teacher in the area I signed up.

I am going to agree with adiemus. Based on my experience it isn't the "core strength" that is important to combat the pain from back issues, instead it is the regular stretching and warming the muscles around the area. I don't have to be intensive about my practice, in fact starting out gently is best, I just have to be regular. Anytime I slack off and don't at least do a nice warmup and stretching followed by basic drills, reeeeeally basic drills that stretch and use the target muscles, within days I will find myself back in pain.

I did try other types of exercise but for avoiding pain and improving my health bellydance has been the most successful. If you want to return to bellydance for your own health also I encourage you to give it a try. I would also encourage you to follow adiemus' advice concerning working into it gradually and seeing a good specialist.

 

[maylynn]

I don't have personal experience with back pain from a car accident - but can relate on a certain level from having worked through injuries from long-distance running. Those also tend to be the persistent type...

I have always been a huge proponent of yoga, but am even more now and think that the right type of yoga practised regularly can work absolute wonders. I would really encourage giving it a try (with permission from your doctor). Also physiotherapy - if you can find a good one that specializes in neck/back injury rehabilitation they can make a huge difference. Good luck!

 

[Elin]

I was in a car accident in July 2008. I wasn't badly injured, thank the Goddess, but in the beginning I could hardly get out of bed because of pain. It took me a few months where I first took it easy, then later got physiotherapist treatment. After a little while my physiotherapist gave me some exercises, and the exercises and swimming brought me back to normal after a few months. I didn't do any dancing while I was injured, though, it was too painful.

 

[Lydia]

o yes please read and remeber all the post above!!! i can only agree with them i hade a car accident hurt my back and so many other thigs that hurt my back,i can tell you this if i am not dancing that is in the month of ramadan my pain comes back i have to keep on exercising and dancing otherwise like you think the back gets week...please dance!!!ofcourse you must have common sense dont go crazy on the dancfloor ,but go back to dancing its very very good!!!!