Case Study: Whiplash, Migraines, and Dizziness After Car Accident

1. Patient's Issue

A client contacted my Las Vegas massage studio five weeks after being involved in a serious car accident in which the vehicle they were riding in was struck from the side. They were t-boned while in sitting in the backseat. The impact caused whiplash, and though the neck brace had been removed by the time we worked together, the aftermath had compounded significantly. Severe post-concussive headaches had developed, requiring daily pain medication, which then led to a duodenal stomach ulcer from the prolonged use.

Dizziness and anxiety were triggered every time the client rode in a car, so they were wearing their neck brace anytime they rode in a car. Sleep had been largely absent for the entire five weeks since the accident. Their physician had cleared them for work, and the they were also cleared for massage. They had experienced some progress, but came to me still in the thick of the acute symptomatic phase — migraines, nervous system on edge, and body locked in the kind of protective holding that follows trauma.

2. My Treatment

Before beginning any hands-on work, I took time to explain how specialized fascial release differs from conventional massage, particularly for a post-trauma presentation. I described how the fascial system can hold the nervous system in a pattern of prolonged stress when it has become locked up by injury. I also explained how working with that tissue gently and without force can shift both physical pain and nervous system dysregulation. The client was receptive, and I adapted every element of the session to prioritize safety and comfort, including conducting the session in the client's home environment where they felt most at ease.

3. How I Helped

During our session, I used a blend of:

• Myofascial Release (MFR) techniques targeting the cervical spine, suboccipital region, and upper trapezius that were slow and low until the neck and shoulders stopped bracing,

• Diaphragmatic breathing cues to encourage:

  • back breathing into an expanding rib cage,

  • parasympathetic activation, and

  • fascial sliding and gliding,

• Sustained, slow contact that allowed the tissue to respond on its own timeline, and

• Co-regulation without a neck brace using a guided visualization exercise while sitting in the backseat of my vehicle while it was turned on, but still parked.

I began by stimulating the spinal nerves and then with still contact at the base of the skull. The suboccipital muscles were significantly restricted and contributing directly to the headache pattern. Rather than working against this holding, I waited with gentle, sustained pressure while guiding the client to breathe slowly and deeply into the upper chest and shoulders, then into the back. As the upper cervical region softened, I moved through the lateral neck, levator scapulae, and upper thoracic fascia. I used cross-hands MFR with fingers and palms, following the tissue's lead throughout. I finished with gentle pectoral stretching, and body mobilization techniques (BMT) in the shoulders drawing the shoulder back slowly to restore respiratory freedom and improve circulation to the chest. Conversation was minimal throughout, allowing the client to meet me on the inside to stay present with their breath and the area being worked rather than drifting into anxious thought.

Next we moved to the backseat of my parked vehicle while it was running. Client was wearing the seat belt, but not a neck brace. We did a guided visualization while I placed one hand on their heart and one hand on their upper back for 10 minutes to co-regulate their nervous system through me. Then I removed my hands and client did guided imagery on their own for 5 minutes. We shut off the vehicle, undid the seat belt, and got out just like we had been arriving to their home from an outing.

4. Results of Specialized Fascial Release

That afternoon, the client immediately napped for 3 hours as their nervous system rewired. That night, they reported sleeping soundly for the first time in five weeks. The severe headaches shifted to ordinary, manageable ones over the following days and then resolved completely. Two weeks after the session, the client reported that they had turned a significant corner after my treatments: they were now cleared for cervical traction and chiropractic adjustments, interventions their providers had been unable to perform prior to the massage because the headache severity and muscular tension had made those treatments too risky. The dizziness and anxiety previously triggered by riding in a car were gone entirely, and pain medication for headaches was no longer needed.

This case illustrates how post-trauma fascial holding can become a barrier not just to comfort, but to receiving other necessary care. When the nervous system is locked in a state of chronic threat, the body is not ready to be adjusted, tractioned, or pushed through. It needs to feel safe first. Gentle, non-forceful MFR, applied with patience and presence, gave this client's system enough room to release the protective bracing that had accumulated over five weeks. Once that shifted, their healing process could move forward on multiple fronts simultaneously.

To learn more about how my personal massage style can help you or your loved ones, subscribe to my newsletter, where I will continue to share case studies, massage videos, and updates about my online coaching class. And if you are looking for a licensed Las Vegas massage therapist, I am located just off the freeway at S. Eastern and the 215.