Your mindset can speed up recovery from whiplash

Studies show that the way you think may dramatically alter recovery from a whiplash injury. Researchers in New York found that how long pain from a whiplash injury lasted in a group of tested patients was more dependent on psychological and cultural factors than the severity of the car crash they were involved in.

Maintaining a positive outlook
If somebody had a more positive outlook and invested time in repairing their body system and creating wellness, symptoms lasted only for a few days or weeks compared to a few months. The findings, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, shed new light on 'chronic pain' connected with whiplash injuries and suggest that a positive mindset can accelerate recovery.

The type of solutions patients choose to find, such as whether they wish to rely on 'passive' support from a neck collar or take a more active approach to their recovery by doing neck exercises and walking, also indicates whether they need more medical support or want to take a more self-actualised approach to recovery and healing.

In some countries, like the US and Canada, chronic neck pain was reported in tested patients, while in Germany, Greece and Lithuania, most patients recovered quickly from a whiplash injury. Researchers therefore deduced that the culture of the country, and not the nature of the crash, was more important in affecting patient recovery and the duration of chronic pain.

Optimistic thoughts can accelerate recovery
Daily positive mantras and affirmations can help you on the path to wellness. Walking while speaking a mantra can productively combine exercise and optimistic thought processes. Some positive phrases could include "every day I feel more and more healthy" or "I am recovering from my injury more quickly every day".

Following neuro-linguistic programming guidelines, if you alter the way you think, you can create the reality you would prefer to experience in your emotional and physical world. Deciding that you feel better therefore makes you more likely to feel better on a cellular level.

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is about language and communication. It has been described as the "technology of the mind". Self-motivation guru and NLP coach Anthony Robbins has said of NLP that it is "an incredibly effective and enjoyable way to access more of the true potential of your brain."

Through NLP you can potentially do whatever you do better than you do now; acquire new skills and attitudes that will help you in the future; communicate more effectively with others; think more clearly and manage your thoughts, moods and behaviours more effectively.

Employing NLP tools affects how we think and respond to life situations and is a process that can be used to master your thought processes. More information and slide shows about NLP can be found at www.nlpinfo.com

Making a whiplash injury compensation claim
Every two minutes in the UK, somebody is involved in a road traffic accident. Even minor prangs can hurt your neck and disturb your physical and emotional equilibrium. When somebody is not balanced on the inside, chaos can be created in their external universe and the simplest actions can become complicated.

If you have been involved in a non-fault accident, are suffering the symptoms of a whiplash injury as a result and are finding that life is not as easy to manage at the moment as it should be, you may be able to make a claim and put any compensation awarded towards the cost of treating your injury.

Our team are experts in personal injury cases and have an excellent success rate. Give us a call now on 0808 143 43 42 and we talk you through the whiplash claim process and let you know what the next steps are.