Patient Education Library
Educational signposts to guide you from the confusion of the crash site back to your driveway.
Explore the Recovery Guide
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The Mind-Body Connection
An explanation of why pain can continue after a motor vehicle accident. Covers pacing, early movement, soft-tissue care, and how calming the sensitized nervous system supports strength, mobility, and confidence.
What you'll learn:
- How pain can continue even after tissues have healed
- Why pacing, graded activity, and early movement matter
- How stress, sleep, and mood affect pain intensity
Mind-Body-Spirit Deep Dive
A deeper look at how trauma changes muscle tone, autonomic balance, sleep, breathing, and threat perception, and how coordinated physical and psychological care rebuilds a sense of safety and control.
What you'll learn:
- How trauma changes the autonomic nervous system
- The role of the amygdala and threat perception in ongoing pain
- Ways to integrate physical treatment with psychological work
Why the Other Driver Rarely Hurts
Why injured patients often struggle more than at-fault drivers. Reviews loss of control, perceived injustice, system stress, and how these factors amplify pain.
What you'll learn:
- How loss of control and perceived injustice can intensify pain
- Why victims and at-fault drivers experience recovery differently
- Steps to rebuild a sense of control and safety
Myofascial Pain Referral
An introduction to referred muscle pain with examples. Explains why pain travels, which patterns are common, and basic strategies for relief.
What you'll learn:
- How irritated muscles can cause pain away from the source
- Referral patterns that look like spine or joint problems
- When to move from home care to hands-on treatment
Whiplash & Hydrostatic IMS
Why whiplash leads to persistent myofascial patterns and how Hydrostatic IMS compares with dry needling and trigger point injections.
What you'll learn:
- How whiplash leads to ongoing myofascial pain patterns
- Differences between Hydrostatic IMS and dry needling
- Symptom patterns that respond best to each approach
Common Trigger Points After MVA
An overview of muscle patterns commonly irritated in collisions. Shows where they refer pain, how they can mimic other conditions, and which treatments can help.
What you'll learn:
- Upper and lower body trigger points often seen after MVAs
- How these patterns can resemble nerve or joint problems
- Treatment options that can reduce these patterns
The Iliacus & Psoas
How deep hip flexor spasm develops after collisions, especially with height-mismatched impacts. Describes psoas-SI interaction and the role of targeted anterior work.
What you'll learn:
- The role of the iliopsoas in stabilizing the spine and hip
- How vertical shear drives psoas spasm after MVAs
- Referral patterns that can mimic lumbar or hip joint problems
The Sacroiliac Joint
A review of post-MVA sacroiliac joint pain patterns. Explains how vertical shear loads irritate the SI joint and how to distinguish SI pain from disc-related pain.
What you'll learn:
- How height-mismatched impacts create SI stress
- Typical SI referral patterns compared with lumbar disc pain
- When SI injections or rehab are appropriate
"Degenerative Disc" Pain
An explanation of age-related disc findings, what MRI terms actually mean, and how myofascial sources can imitate disc pain.
What you'll learn:
- What "degenerative disc" usually means on imaging reports
- Why many disc changes are expected for age
- How discogenic pain behaves differently from myofascial pain
Herniated Disc Deep Dive
Why true herniated discs are rare in MVAs, the limits of epidural steroid injections, and why conservative care is the gold standard.
What you'll learn:
- Why herniations are statistically rare in collisions
- Why Epidural Steroid Injections (ESIs) are not a cure-all
- The distinct difference between a bulge and a herniation
EMG/NCV Testing
An overview of how EMG and nerve conduction studies separate nerve injury from muscle pain. Explains what the test measures and how results guide treatment.
What you'll learn:
- What EMG and NCV measure in nerves and muscles
- Which symptoms and timelines make testing useful
- How results affect plans for imaging, rehab, or procedures
Sensory Mapping
A detailed explanation of a sensory-mapping approach to post-traumatic pain: how to identify primary drivers, separate muscle from nerve sources, and understand sensitization.
What you'll learn:
- How to recognize nerve, muscle, and joint-driven patterns
- How a sensory map is built in clinic
- When EMG adds value and when it is optional
Rebuilding Your Capacity
How to restore strength, endurance, and confidence after injury once the pattern is stable. Describes layered capacity building and task-based training.
What you'll learn:
- How capacity returns in layers rather than all at once
- How to tell expected soreness from a true setback
- How physical progress and emotional confidence reconnect
Philosophical Essays
Deeper reflections on injury, recovery, and the practice of medicine - exploring the intersection of physical healing and the human experience.
Explore Essays