Expert: Lawrence Gold - 9/21/2007

Question
I am a seventeen year old college student. I think I injured myself in dance last year. Last fall I had horrible neck  and shoulder pain that extended into my hands so it was too  painful too write. I quit dance and the pain eventually subsided. I tried dance in spring, the pain came back and I went to a physical therapist. The pain did eventually subside. However, now I have started college and the pain is back. I can't stop bending my head down from reading because reading is what I do. The pain is only getting worse.   What  can I do?

Answer
Hi, Laura,

I don't think dance caused your injury; it would have had to be something forceful and sudden like a fall, blow -- or maybe a hard yank (dance?).

In any case, your neck muscles are being held tight by protective reflexes.  The way out is to recapture control of those muscles through movement training.

I say more in my articles on whiplash injuries and on completing recovery from an injury, at somatics.com/page4.htm, including how to recover.

With regard,
Lawrence Gold