Loosey goosey girl

June 7, 2006 1:45 PM

PhysioFilter: Where can I find information about really loose ligaments with a tendency to subfluxation?

We were in a car accident last month. (It wasn't our fault and we're mostly okay.) My husband and I both sustained whiplash. Mine is worse. The physio says this is partly because I didn't see the car coming and couldn't brace. However, she said that I have incredibly loose ligaments and so I don't have much stability. Apparently, my muscles usually have to do the work of my ligaments and, when injured, that means I'm in a worse situation. (She says I missed my calling as a ballerina.) She said that I am thus very prone to subfluxation and that it's going to take a long time to recover. My central nervous system is still sending out mixed messages and is in a heightened response mode.

I would like to read about this loose ligament and subfluxation stuff -- preferably materials in plain language, since I don't have a strong background in anatomy. I don't even know if there is a name for this sort of situation. I just want to learn about it and compare it to what my physio tells me. I do trust my physio and my doctor, but I always like to be well informed. My physio is great.

I don't really have much experience with physiotherapy and reading some of this would also make me feel a bit more comfortable with the work she's doing on me. I am not clear on the line between spinal manipulation and just getting stuff back to normal, for example. I'm astounded that my central nervous system could still be freaking out a month after an accident. It's just that I'm not well-informed about these things. I believe what she's telling me about my ligaments, because I know I do hyperextend. (Enough that she started to look ill when she asked me to do a few things for her.)

Thanks.

posted by acoutu to health & fitness (14 comments total)

If you are googling, the word you are looking for is probably subluxation (no "f"). This has a medical meaning, but is most commonly heard in chiropractic, in which some people interpret it to mean "pay for needless treatments."
posted by Rumple at 1:56 PM on June 7, 2006

Thanks, Rumple. That might be part of the problem with Googling it!

I am not a fan of chiropractice. However, Canadian physiotheraphy is generally highly regarded. And I have had toes dislocate on their own before, so I don't think she's bluffing. She really did turn green when I did some exercises for her.
posted by acoutu at 2:17 PM on June 7, 2006

Er, chiropractic. I can't spell at all today.
posted by acoutu at 2:17 PM on June 7, 2006

Luxate means "dislocate". Subluxate means undesired movement that stops short of full dislocation. Subluxation is usually talked with regard to the major joints, particularly the shoulder, where a single traumatic dislocation leads to repeated subluxations and dislocations, due to the tendons and ligaments which normally retain the ball in the socket being stretched and torn.

Now, I don't really know what the term subluxation means with regard to the spine, since it isn't a joint that can dislocate. Certainly it is well known that car crashes can cause long-lasting pain and disability due to the spine getting torqued in ways it doesn't like. You'd probably have the best results googling for "whiplash recovery" or something along those lines.

The standard recipe is simple, though: a continuous campaign of moderate exercise and stretching until everything is feeling good again. I would treat it like any back injury.
posted by jellicle at 2:24 PM on June 7, 2006

She did say I have some sort of (temporary) muscular scoliosis, but I think she was generally talking about subluxation of my joints, especially the shoulder, not the spine.

Would whiplash recovery resources talk about the special situation of someone who has loose ligaments? I will check out the various whiplash sites. Thanks.
posted by acoutu at 2:27 PM on June 7, 2006

IANAD, but I believe physiotherapy is legit - comparable to what Americans call physical therapy, not chiropracty.

Subluxation is pretty oddball, I think; most people have the opposite problem. I have it in many of my joints, and your line about, "I know I do hyperextend. (Enough that she started to look ill when she asked me to do a few things for her.)" really rung a bell for me. I also compensate for my laxicity with my muscles, and it causes all sorts of weakness and joint pain - particularly my spine and hips.

As far as googling, dropping the f should do the trick. Definitely keep up with the exercises and therapy you're taught, as that can make a huge difference in both recovery and the ability to maintain an active lifestyle.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 3:30 PM on June 7, 2006

Physiotherapy is definitely legitimate, I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. Chiropractic has its believers and nonbelievers, and this isn't the place for that discussion -- I only mentioned it because the concept of "subluxation" really is central to chiropractic and some people think that discipline is bogus.
posted by Rumple at 3:42 PM on June 7, 2006

My wife asked me to comment for her, since she doesn't have an account:

'Would you do me a favor and suggest to "loosey goosey girl" that she look for information on hypermobility? Like her, I missed my calling to be a ballet dancer. When she's done with physiotherapy, she might want to look into Pilates. Ballet dancers love it, and we loosey-goosey girls do too.'
posted by hades at 5:36 PM on June 7, 2006

Try Yoga. It can help you learn to develop strength and stability.
posted by Mr. Gunn at 8:04 PM on June 7, 2006

Thanks, everyone. I will try yoga and pilates once I am up to it.

Rumple -- I'm a non-believer in chiropractice, which is why I became concerned when you said subluxation was from that field. I think physios are legit, but the idea of moving things around and the idea that my central nervous system was doing stuff kinda freaked me out.

Jellicle - thanks for the tips.

Spaceman -- glad I'm not alone! This association looks interesting.

Hades -- please thank your wife! That helped tremendously and even explained postnatal problems for me!
posted by acoutu at 9:40 PM on June 7, 2006

from another whiplashed mefite: don't let anyone manipulate your neck, regardless of profession (including physiotherapists). it is dangerous for your neck arteries.
posted by mirileh at 1:10 AM on June 8, 2006

Mirileh, what does "manipulate" your neck mean? My physio said that she wasn't doing spinal manipulation. But what does it mean when they get you to press your head very, very gently into their hand and stuff like that? Is that dangerous?
posted by acoutu at 2:49 PM on June 9, 2006

That's not dangerous. The way PTs (physical therapists) treat subluxations is usually with gentle movements like this that allow your body to realign itself -- she's using the actions of your muscles to nudge the subluxed joint back into its normal position. She'll likely follow up with strengthening those muscles around the joint so that it'll be less likely to happen again.

The "manipulations" that people are concerned about in chiropractic are higher-velocity movements of the cervical spine (neck) that could put your vertebral artery (the one that runs through your cervical vertebrae) in danger.

(I am not a PT, but I'm a second-year PT student.)
posted by jennyjenny at 6:51 PM on June 10, 2006

JennyJenny, thank you for relieving my worries!
posted by acoutu at 9:10 PM on June 11, 2006