Tag Archives: pain relief

Whiplash “Basics.”

12 Dec

Whiplash is a non-medical term typically describing what happens to the head and neck when a person is struck from behind in a motor vehicle collision. Let’s look at some basic facts about whiplash:

Before cars, trains were the main source of whiplash and was called “railroad spine.”

Better terms for whiplash injuries include “cervical acceleration-deceleration” (CAD) which describes the mechanism of the injury, and/or the term “whiplash associated disorders” (WAD), which describes the residual injury symptoms.

Whiplash is one of the most common non-fatal injuries involved in car crashes.

There are over one million whiplash injuries per year due to car crashes alone.

An estimated 3.8 per 1,000 people per year have a whiplash injury.

In the United States alone, 6.2% of the population has “late whiplash syndrome” (symptoms that do not resolve at one year).

1 in 5 cases (20%) remain symptomatic at one year post-injury of which only 11.5% returned to work and only 35.4% of that number returned to the same level of work after 20 years.

The majority of whiplash cases occur in the fourth decade of life, females>males.

Whiplash can occur from slips, falls, and brawls, as well as from horse-riding, cycling injuries, and contact sports.

Injury from whiplash can occur at speeds of 15 mph or less.

In the “classic” rear end collision, there are four phases of injury (time: 300msec)

Initial (0msec) – before the collision (the neck is stable)

Retraction (1-150msec) – “whiplash” starts where the head/neck stay in the original position but the trunk is moving forwards by the car seat. This is where the “S” shaped curve occurs (viewing the spine from the side).

Extension (150-200msec) – the whole neck bends backwards (hopefully stopped by a properly placed head rest).

Rebound (200-300msec) – the tight, stretched muscles in the front of the neck propels the head forward immediately after the extension phase.

We simply cannot voluntarily contract our neck muscles fast enough to avoid injury, as injury to the neck occurs within 500msec. and voluntary contraction or bracing takes 800msec or longer.

Injury is worse when the seat is reclined as our body can “ramp” up and over the seat and headrest. Also, a springy seat back increases the rebound affect.

Prompt treatment is better than waiting for a long time. Manipulation is a highly effective (i.e., COME SEE US!) treatment option.

We realize you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family both presently and in the future.

 

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Fibromyalgia Holistic Care

9 Dec

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a very challenging condition to both diagnose and treat since there are different clinical signs and symptoms that make each patient with FM unique. Therefore, we usually make the diagnosis by excluding other possibilities. To make matters even more challenging, there are “primary” and “secondary” types of FM, or those who develop FM for no know reason (primary) vs. those whose FM arises from a known condition (secondary). Because of these challenges, there is no single treatment program to apply to all struggling FM patients. Rather, studies often suggest that a multidisciplinary “team” of health care providers be utilized in the management of patients with FM. It is recommended that EACH FM patient have their needs be uniquely treated. This month, we will look a “multimodal” approach to treating FM that incorporates a “team” approach.

For those less familiar with FM, many patients with this condition have symptoms that include fatigue, “all over” body pain, sleep problems, mood symptoms, and chronic pain. They may also have conditions including irritable bowel syndrome, palpitations, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal dysfunction, gastroenterological symptoms, chronic headaches, and MANY others. Dealing with these and other FM symptoms can have a tremendous negative impact on one’s quality of life and activities of daily living.

So as previously stated, the treatment of FM requires a comprehensive approach where the patient’s individual symptoms are targeted, as there is no “cookie cutter / one size fits all” management approach. Effective management approaches include chiropractic, allopathic, acupuncture, soft tissue therapy, sleep hygiene counseling, nutritional counseling, mind-body therapy, and dietary counciling including nutritional supplementation that target specific deficiencies determined by lab/blood tests and/or are based on the clinical history.

Treatment is centered on the human body’s deficiencies with the most important being the removal of any and all “trigger(s)” that causes inflammation in the body. Use of an anti-inflammatory herb such as ginger, turmeric, boswellia, (and others) can help until the causes are identified. A gluten-free diet is often very successful in reducing the autoimmune reaction that occurs with gluten sensitivity, which is estimated to be as high as 80% of the general population. This is NOT to be confused with gluten intolerance or celiac disease (they affect 7-10% of the general population). Once inflammation is controlled, weaning away of the anti-inflammatory supplements can be done successfully.

The hormonal levels of the body must also be in balance, especially the thyroid, adrenal, and sex hormone levels. Lab tests should include a complete thyroid panel (TSH, T3, T4, T7/free thyroxin), a salivary cortisol test (for adrenal function), and sex hormone levels (DHEA, pregnenolone, progesterone, estradiol, and, free and total testosterone). Assess and eliminate food sensitivities/allergies (gluten and dairy are most common). Nutritional supplementation should include vitamins (a multiple, omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin D3, and Co-enzyme Q-10; minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium), amino acids and sometimes others (case dependant)). These keep our organs functioning well, like a finely tuned machine! Care must also be taken not to over-dose as well, so let us guide you in this process – consider chiropractic your “coach” in this team-based approach!

 

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