Motor Vehicle Accident

Jul 27 0

Chiropractic Care of Children…Is It Really Safe???

Posted by Rook Torres

In the late 1990s, an article published on the safety of chiropractic treatment of children also revealed significant benefits for children who received chiropractic treatment.

This article was written in response to safety concerns due to the increased utilization of chiropractic for various pediatric conditions.

One primary topic of discussion included the neurological and vascular complications associated with chiropractic treatment in pediatric patients.

This topic has been reviewed previously in adult patients and much of the same concerns can be associated with the pediatric patient.

The likelihood of a vascular injury in a pediatric case is certainly less than in the adult patient due to the pliability and flexibility of the neurovascular structures.

The incidence in the occurrence of stroke in teenagers (children under 15 years of age) is reportedly at a rate of 2.7 per 100,000 children was reported.

However, based on an extensive search dating back 32 or more years, only two reported cases of neurovascular complications related to pediatric patients who had received chiropractic care were found.

Based on the data derived from multiple sources, a conservative estimate of the number of pediatric visits to chiropractors in the United States over the same time frame amounted to over 500 million treatments.

THE REVIEW CONCLUDED THE CHANCE OF A NEUROVASCULAR COMPLICATION ARISING FROM THE CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 OUT OF 250 MILLION VISITS.

The article concluded the benefits outweigh the risks when applying cervical spine manipulation to any individual, including the pediatric population.

Based on their review, chiropractic care, as it relates to neurovascular complications, presents little risk to the pediatric patient. Even less than the general non-pediatric population which too, is extremely rare.

One other risk cited in its paper was potential damage to the growth plate (epiphysis – the growing ends of bones) of the growing child. However, in the 32+ year review, no reported research documentation could be found supporting this claim.

Another article reported ways in which parents might be able to detect spinal problems in children.

Unless an obvious trauma such as a trip and fall has occurred, it can be challenging in some cases to detect spinal issues, similar to the dentist discovering a non-symptomatic cavity.

More obvious findings parents can detect may include head tilt or leaning to one side, the child turning their whole body rather than their neck to converse or look at someone, sleep interruptions, a child rubbing their own neck, feeding /nursing difficulties on one side and crying/agitated behavior compared to the child’s “usual” behavior.

When children are able to communicate, they may complain of aches that many refer to as “growing pains.”

Less documented / anecdotal evidence that might suggest nervous system dysfunction include persistent earaches, sore throats, colic, headaches, bed-wetting, and others are conditions that parents may bring their children for chiropractic treatment.

From In Good Hands Magazine.

http://www.chiroweb.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=37423 Dynamic Chiropractic – September 7, 1998, Vol. 16, Issue 19 Chiropractic — Is It Safe for Children? By Claudia Anrig, DC; Claudia Anrig, DC Clovis, California
http://www.chiroweb.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=41406 Dynamic Chiropractic – July 29, 1994, Vol. 12, Issue 16
A Parent’s Guide to Chiropractic Care for Children Peter Fysh, DC San Jose, California

Jul 27 0

Do Spinal Curves In Your Neck, Mid Back and Lower Back Affect Your Health?

Posted by Rook Torres

Chiropractic was founded in 1895 after the hearing was restored in a patient following a spinal adjustment to the upper region of the spine.

Since then, our profession has been conducting research to help determine why spinal manipulation or adjustments work so well.

Many conditions have been studied, as well as the physiological responses to the adjustment including blood chemistry changes including hormone levels, blood pressure changes, circulation changes, and many other parameters of health.

Posture, bone alignment and spinal curves have been long been evaluated in patients presenting with muscle and joint complaints by most of the health care professions, including chiropractic.

But the question remains: how important are spinal curves in the overall health picture of the patient? Can alterations in the “normal” curve lead to future trouble or, be the cause of a current condition?

A recent study reported the results after conducting a “systematic critical literature review” where all research published on this subject was reviewed for quality and content.

They gathered 54 studies published between 1942 and 2008, which included over 20,000 patients and reported the association between the sagittal curve (curves when looking at a person from the side) and various health conditions.

There were many different types of studies and methods used to evaluate the sagittal curves of the lumbar (low back) (38 studies), thoracic (mid back) (34 studies) and cervical (neck) (6 studies) spine.

These methods included plain x-ray (25 studies), MRI (1 study), photographs (3 studies) visual analysis or, by the eye (5 studies) and those using a variety of instruments (21 studies).

A strong association was reported in five studies with an increased angle in the midback/thoracic spine (kyphosis – sometimes referred to as “humpback”) with lung disorders causing breathing problems.

Poor physical function and pelvic organ prolapse were also strongly associated with kyphosis.

A moderate association was found when the low back curve (lordosis) was reduced, which was associated with an increase in low back pain.

Similarly, future osteoporotic midback/thoracic compression fractures were moderately associated with kyphosis or “humpback” deformity.

Kyphosis was also moderately associated with heavy household activity, uterine prolapsed and death in three other studies.

No association was found in many studies.

The conclusion of the article reports most of the studies did not fulfill the basic requirements for this type of study or had design flaws.

They encouraged researchers to use new/better approaches to study this association between spinal curves and health and disease.

From In Good Hands Magazine.

Jul 27 0

Adjustments vs. Other Treatments?

Posted by Rook Torres

Mechanical neck pain affects an estimated 70% of people at some point in their lives. Many different treatment approaches are available for neck pain, making it very difficult for those suffering from neck pain to know which treatment approach(es) to choose. Research in this topic has revealed some very interesting information that places chiropractic and spinal manipulation in a VERY STRONG POSITION – in fact, at the TOP OF THE HEAP!

One such study looked at benefits of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) in patients with acute and subacute neck pain. This study compared three study groups: 1. SMT only, 2. medication only, and 3. Home exercise and advice (HEA). This study randomized 272 neck pain patients suffering from neck pain for 2 to 12 weeks into a 12 week treatment period using 1 of the 3 treatment approaches tracking the results with the participant-rated pain as the primary treatment outcome measure. Secondary outcome data was obtained from other approaches. The results showed that the group treated with SMT, “…had a statistically significant advantage over medication after 8, 12, 26 and 52 weeks. HEA also had a statistical advantage over medication. Lastly, similar benefits were calculated between the SMT and exercise group. The conclusions support SMT and exercise/advise to be the choice over medication for acute and subacute neck pain patients. Regarding exercise, a similar study showed that “high-dosed supervised strengthening exercise” with and without SMT, was superior to a “low dose home mobilization exercise and advice group at 4, 12, 26, and 52 weeks.”

Regarding chronic neck pain patients (that means pain that has been present for greater than 3 months), this study evaluated the changes that occurred in 191 patients. These patients were randomized to 11 weeks of 1 of 3 treatment groups and evaluated at 3, 6, 12, & 24 months after treatment. The 3 treatment options included: 1. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) only, 2. SMT with low-tech neck exercises, or, 3. A form of exercise using a MedX rehab machine. The results support the highest level of patient satisfaction was found in the 2nd group (SMT with low-tech exercise), suggesting that when patients present for treatment, spinal manipulation with low-tech exercises results in the most satisfied patient. These findings are important as this study evaluated the LONG-TERM benefits in patients who have had neck pain for a long time (i.e., “chronic”), where most studies only look at the short-term benefits.

Similar conclusions were reported from perhaps the largest scale study on neck pain based on research from 1980 to 2006 on the use, effectiveness and safety of noninvasive treatment approaches for neck pain and associated disorders. Their review of over 350 articles supported manual therapy (manipulation and mobilization) and supervised exercise to again, SHINE in their conclusions.

What is important is that ALL these studies support what chiropractors do: manipulate the neck and give supervised exercises! So, what are you waiting for? SPREAD THE WORD to everyone that you know who has neck pain – CHIROPRACTIC MAY BE THE BEST CHOICE!!!

Article from In Good Hands Magazine

May 04 0

Chiropractic Care…Safe and Cost Effective

Posted by Rook Torres

With the debate raging on about health care reform, a pilot study indicating chiropractic care and other physical medicine approaches may reduce costs is VERY TIMELY!

In 2008, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield conducted a 1-year pilot program designed to study the quality of patient care. The researchers concluded that the use of chiropractic and other physical medicine services significantly improved clinical outcomes and reduced health care costs. The 2008 Iowa and South Dakota pilot study included 238 chiropractors, physical therapists and occupational therapists that provided care to 5500 Wellmark patients with musculoskeletal disorders. They reported 89% of all patients receiving physical medicine services improved at least 30% within 30 days. These statistics were so impressive that they decided to continue the program.

Supporters of chiropractic treatment praised the findings, saying that the cost-effectiveness of the method has been documented in several studies.

The president of the American Chiropractic Association, Glenn Manceaux, referred to a 2005 study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics that found chiropractic and medical care have comparable costs for treating chronic low-back pain, with chiropractic care producing significantly better outcomes. Similarly, a study published in a 2003 edition of Spine medical journal found that manual manipulation provides better short-term relief of chronic spinal pain than a variety of medications, he said – “Especially during the health care reform debate, it’s important that chiropractic and other conservative care methods are taken into serious consideration as a cost-effective alternative to the utilization of expensive surge

May 04 0

Chiropractic… Natural, Safe, and Effective!

Posted by Rook Torres

The mission of chiropractic is to help sick people get well, as well as to help healthy people function better in the absence of drugs or surgery.

When people are asked, “…what do chiropractors do?” the frequent response is, “…they crack your neck and/or back.”

Chiropractic spinal manipulation (frequently called an adjustment), often produces an audible popping or cracking noise.

This sound is known as joint cavitation and it is reported to be caused by the release of pressure created by gases (nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide) within the joint.

It is the same noise produced when one cracks their knuckles. One common myth is that cracking or cavitating a joint will produce arthritis in the joint – this is simply not true.

Several scientific studies of joint cavitation dispel this old wives tale. In fact, studies demonstrated that joint manipulation actually benefits patients with arthritis of the spine.

There have been a number of studies published on the topic of unwanted reactions to spinal manipulation.

In general, side effects, if any, are mild and transient.

When they do occur, they typically happen shortly after the first or second session of spinal manipulation, similar to the post-exercise soreness that occurs when first introducing a new sport or activity.

Unpleasant side effects may occur in between 10% and 30% of patients. They occur more often in women than men, and as previously stated, they seem to occur more often after the first session of spinal manipulation.

The most commonly reported unpleasant reaction is temporary and transient increased pain or stiffness. This reaction usually resolves in 24 hours or less.

More rare reports of tiredness, light headedness, and occasional nausea have been infrequently reported.

The type and nature of these reactions may be associated with the severity and nature of the condition being treated.

It seems self evident that more severe problems have the potential to produce short term increases in symptoms. The use of ice, ultrasound and or other modalities can help to minimize any irritation that may occur due to spinal manipulative treatment.

SPINAL MANIPULATION HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE FOR UNCOMPLICATED SPINAL PAIN SYNDROMES. MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT MAY ALSO BE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO SURGERY FOR LUMBAR OR CERVICAL DISK HERNIATIONS.

There are many reports on both sides of this subject, with some stating spinal manipulation can increase compression of the spinal nerves in patients with disk herniations as well as the opposite – that it reduces nerve root pressure.

The good news is that the rate of occurrence is only about 1 in 1- 3 million cases, making spinal manipulation for disk problems an extremely safe treatment option for patient with herniated disks.

Chiropractors will often use low-force manipulation methods for treating herniated disks that do not require a standard type of manipulation thrust.

These spinal methods are sometimes preferred over traditional manipulative techniques for the treatment of herniated spinal disks, but this is case dependent.

To make an educated decision about any type of care you may be considering, you must consider “relative risks”. Simply put, relative risks compare the risk of one procedure with the risk of a second procedure for the same condition.

For example, if you are taking medications to relieve your pain, how do the risks of the medications compare with the risks of an alternative treatment, like chiropractic care?

An example is chiropractic treatment versus drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include aspirin, Aleve and Advil (TM).

THE RISK FOR SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS FROM ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG IS FROM 6000-9000 TIMES GREATER THAN THE RISK FOR SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS FROM SPINAL MANIPULATION, MEANING THAT CHIROPRACTIC CARE IS A MUCH SAFER ALTERNATIVE THAN ASPIRIN OR OTHER NSAID DRUGS FOR TREATING INFLAMMATORY BACK OR NECK PAIN.

Further, there is no significant increased risk to add chiropractic care to an existing regime of NSAIDs, thus treating the condition with two different strategies.

Interestingly, studies have reported that patients receiving chiropractic care were able to reduce their intake of drugs, thus, reducing the risks of drug reactions/interactions.

If you are trying to avoid surgery for a spine related problem, your condition is more serious and potential side effects of surgery should be compared with chiropractic.

You should understand any patient who is a potential candidate for spine surgery has a serious medical condition. There is pressure on a nerve and the potential for permanent damage to that nerve exists. Studies show that chiropractic care often can reduce the pressure on a compressed nerve in the lower back or neck, without surgery.

The following references were utilized in the preparation of this information.

References

The audible release associated with joint manipulation. JMPT. 1995 Mar-Apr;18(3):155-64.
Does knuckle cracking lead to arthritis of the fingers? Arthritis Rheum. 1998 May;41(5):949-50.
Efficacy of treating low back pain and dysfunction secondary to osteoarthritis: chiropractic care compared with moist heat alone. JMPT 2006 Feb;29(2):107-14.
Comparison of human lumbar facet joint capsule strains during simulated high velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation versus physiological motions. Spine J. 2005 May-Jun;5(3):277-90.
Safety of spinal manipulation in the treatment of lumbar disk herniations: a systematic review and risk assessment JMPT. 2004 Mar-Apr;27(3):197-210.
Side posture manipulation for lumbar intervertebral disk herniation. JMPT. 1993 Feb;16(2):96-103.
Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical follow-up: study of 27 patients receiving chiropractic care for cervical and lumbar disc herniations. JMPT 1996 Nov-Dec;19 (9):597-606.
Prospective investigations into the safety of spinal manipulation. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2001 Mar;21(3):238-42.
Risks associated with spinal manipulation. Am J Med. 2002 May;112(7):566-71.
A risk assessment of cervical manipulation vs. NSAIDs for the treatment of neck pain. JMPT 1995 Oct;18(8):530-6.
J Side effects of chiropractic treatment: a prospective study. JMPT. 1997 Oct;20(8):511-5.
Frequency and clinical predictors of adverse reactions to chiropractic care in the UCLA neck pain study. Spine. 2005 Jul 1;30(13):1477-84.
Complications of spinal manipulation: a comprehensive review of the literature. J Fam Pract. 1996 May;42(5):475-80.
Dissection of cervical arteries Presse Med 2001 Dec 15;30(38):1882-9
Vertebral artery occlusion after acute cervical spine trauma. Spine. 2000 May 1;25(9):1171-7.18. Spine Journal
Internal forces sustained by the vertebral artery during spinal manipulative therapy. JMPT 2002 Oct;25(8):504-10

May 04 0

Chiropractic Education…You Had No Idea They Did This…

Posted by Rook Torres

Many people seem surprised to find out that the chiropractic education process is so extensive.

I usually reply, “…whether you’re planning to become a chiropractor, medical doctor, or dentist, it takes four years of college followed by and additional 4-5 years of additional education (med school, dental school, chiropractic college) simply because there is that much to learn about the body to become a competent health care provider.”

Hence, depending on the area of interest a person has in the health care industry, it takes a similar amount of time to complete the educational program.

DID YOU KNOW…

The initial step is completing a typical “pre-med” undergraduate or college degree.

Courses including biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology, various science labs, as well as all the liberal art requirements needed to graduate are included in the undergraduate education process.

Many states now require 4 years of college in addition to the 4 to 5 academic years of chiropractic education to practice in their particular state. (For the requirements in the UK, click here. For the requirements in Australia, click here. For the requirements in Canada, click here.)

Once entering a chiropractic university, the same format exists as most health care disciplines.

The basic sciences are covered in the first half of the educational process after which time successful completion of the National Boards Part I examination is required to move into the second half – the clinical sciences.

From there, internships, residency programs, preceptorship programs become available to the chiropractic student.

Once graduated, residence programs including (but not limited to) orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, radiology, sports medicine, rehabilitation, internal medicine, and others are options. Many various Masters and doctorate programs in specialty areas are also available.

The following chart shows the similarities between three health care delivery approaches, DC, MD, and DPT (doctor of physiotherapy).

Curriculum Requirements For the Doctor of Chiropractic Degree (DC) in comparison to the Doctor of Medicine Degree (MD) and the Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree (DPT):

*Does not include hours attributed to post-graduation residency programs.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF AVERAGE CLASSROOM AND CLINICAL STUDY HOURS PRIOR TO GRADUATION IS EVEN HIGHER FOR CHIROPRACTIC COMPARED TO THE MD AND DPT CURRICULUM.

It should be noted that this does not include additional educational training associated with residency programs, which are available in the three disciplines compared here.

At one of the chiropractic colleges, the academic core program or Clinical Practice Curriculum consists of 308 credit hours of course study and includes 4,620 contact hours of lecture, laboratory and clinical education.

There are 10 trimesters of education arranged in a prerequisite sequence.

The degree of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) is awarded upon successful completion of the required course of study.

In order to receive a degree, a student must have satisfied all academic and clinical requirements and must have earned no less than the final 25 percent of the total credits required for the D.C. degree, allowing up to 75 percent of the total credits through advanced standing.

The academic program may be completed in three and one-third calendar years of continuous residency. Graduation, however, is contingent upon completion of the program in accordance with the standards of the College, which meet or exceed those of its accrediting agencies.

In addition to courses included in the core curriculum, a variety of procedure electives are available to the students. These electives are designed to complement the study of adjustive procedures included and facilitate investigation of specialized techniques.

As a doctor of chiropractic, we are committed to providing the highest quality care available to our patients. We coordinate care with other doctors when appropriate in quest of reaching the goal of our helping our patients in the most efficient, economic, and evidence-based approach possible.

May 04 0

Chiropractic Care…Safe and Cost Effective and…

Posted by Rook Torres

“Ever since I was in my early teens, I’ve had muscle and joint problems that would come and go but never put me down where I couldn’t function. I was very active and played basketball, tennis, and ran in track but over the last 10 years I’ve avoided a lot of activity due to my problems. Now, after having a couple of children and gaining some weight, I notice more frequent and intense back problems and I’m getting quite concerned over the changes that have been taking place and afraid to do things. I talked about this with my family and friends and some have recommended chiropractic, some recommend physical therapy, others suggest medication and one even suggested shots! Quite frankly, I’m totally confused as to what to do!”

This scenario may sound familiar to many people.

The choice of health care provision is a personal one, often influenced by those around you – family, friends, teachers, and more!

It seems like everyone is an “expert” with different opinions and their advice, often conflicting, can lead to confusion about what is best for you.

There are many ways to approach back trouble, regardless of the diagnosis or condition.

First, all health care providers are biased in that they naturally focus on their specialty. If you choose to consult with a surgeon, s/he will look at your condition from a surgical perspective. Various surgical options may be discussed, tests are usually recommended and the process begins.

When consulting with a family physician, the typical approach is pharmaceutical or drugs such as anti-inflammatory medications (Advil, Nuprin, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Aleve, Tylenol, etc.), heat or ice, activity modifications (possibly rest or mild/moderate activity), and possibly referral for chiropractic or physical therapy.

In reviewing the various guidelines, it is recommended to start with the least invasive, safest, most cost effective approaches first.

Unless “red flags” like cancer, fracture, infection or progressive severe neurological losses are present, surgery is not a logical initial approach.

Chiropractic has been recommended as a first or initial choice as it has been found to be safe, highly satisfying, non-invasive, and cost effective.

The typical approach includes a thorough history, an examination that includes an analysis of posture, motion, function and includes the whole body.

For example, if one leg is short, the pelvis will tilt and spine is often crooked. That needs to be corrected for both long and short term results.

If the feet pronate and the arches are flat, the effects on gait/walking on the ankle, knee, hip and back can lead to trouble or perpetuate current problems.

Deconditioning or, being out of shape is an important aspect included in the chiropractic management process.

If these methods fail to bring about satisfying results, referral for more invasive approaches will be considered.

May 04 0

What Type of Doctor Should You See In Boise For Back Pain?

Posted by Rook Torres

Have you ever considered who is the best in Boise suited to treat back pain?

Since there are so many treatment options available today, it is quite challenging to make this decision without a little help.

To facilitate, a study looking at this very question compared the effectiveness between medical and chiropractic intervention.

Over a 4-year time frame, 2780 patients were followed with questionnaires. Low Back Pain patients were treated using conventional approaches by both MDs (Medical Doctors) and DCs (Doctors of Chiropractic).

Chiropractic treatments included spinal manipulation, physical therapy, an exercise plan, and self-care education.

Medical therapies included prescription drugs, an exercise plan, self-care advice and about 25% of the patients received physical therapy.

The study focused on present pain severity and functional disability (activity interference) measured by questionnaires mailed to the patients.

It was reported that chiropractic was favored over medical treatment in the following areas:

Pain relief in the first 12 months (more evident in the chronic patients)
When LBP pain radiated below the knee (more evident in the chronic patients)
Chronic LBP patients with no leg pain (during the first 3 months)

Similar trends favoring chiropractic were seen for disability but were of smaller magnitude.

All patient groups saw significant improvement in both pain and disability over the four year study period.

Acute patients saw the greatest degree of improvement with many achieving symptom relief after 3 months of care.

This study also found early intervention reduced chronic pain and, at year 3, those acute LBP patients who received early intervention reported fewer days of LBP than those who waited longer for treatment.

While both MDs and DCs treatment approaches helped, it’s quite clear from the information reported that chiropractic should be utilized first.

These findings support the importance of early intervention by chiropractic physicians and make the most sense for those of you struggling with the question of who to see for your LBP.

Mar 22 0

8 Reasons Why Chiropractic is the Best Boise Treatment for Auto Injuries

Posted by Rook Torres

You can see from my recent posts that this is already true, however, here is some great information I found from national whiplash expert Michael Melton that furthers the point. You can get these great benefits from chiropractic care right here in Boise.

1. Chiropractic Reduces Inflammation

During a car accident, the ligaments and muscles in your spine can experience micro-tears. X-rays or MRI scans usually aren’t sophisticated enough to diagnose these kinds of injuries, but this tissue damage causes the area to become inflamed. Many times, people don’t feel much discomfort immediately after a crash, but they wake up the next morning to a stiff and painful neck. This is caused by the body’s inflammation response to these micro-lesions.

A 2010 study found that chiropractic adjustments actually helps the body release anti-inflammatory Interleukin 6 (IL-6), an important substance created by your body that’s used to help heal acute injuries.

2. Chiropractic Restores Motion

Another problem with inflammation is that the tissues become immobile, which can slow healing to the area. Ligaments of the spine don’t get many nutrients or blood supply normally, and this becomes even more difficult when inflamed and injured.

During a chiropractic adjustment, the joints of your spine are mobilized, which helps increase blood flow and healing nutrients to the area.

3. Chiropractic Reduces Scar Tissue

Your body heals injuries by creating scar tissue. Scar tissue in an injured area is made up of the same kind of cells as the original tissue, but it’s laid down rapidly and randomly as a temporary “patch” on top of the damaged area.

If you get scar tissue in a large muscle, it can be uncomfortable for a while until you stretch it out, but it most likely won’t cause any long-term problems. Scar tissue in the ligaments of your neck or back, however, can be much more debilitating, since we can’t stretch it out ourselves. Your chiropractor focuses the adjustments on these specific vertebral joints that are fixated, effectively stretching them and breaking up the scar tissue in the joint.

4. Chiropractic Relieves Localized Pain

Over the last 20 years, countless studies have demonstrated that chiropractic adjustments are a safe and effective way to reduce pain. In fact, a 2013 study found that 94% of patients experienced neck pain relief with manipulation!

5. Chiropractic Reduces Pain in Your Whole Body

Many auto injury patients develop more widespread pain after a crash, especially if the original injury wasn’t treated promptly. A 2014 study reported that people who received a chiropractic adjustment had increased levels of pain-reducing hormones in their bloodstream.

6. Chiropractic Relieves Stress

A car crash is a very stressful life event, especially if you’re in pain. When your body is exposed to trauma, it goes into a flight or fight response, which can result in anxiety, depression, and stress. A 2011 study used PET scans to look at the brains of people who received chiropractic adjustments for neck pain. They found that those patients had reduced brain activity in the parts of the brain responsible for pain processing and stress reactions. They also had significantly lower levels of cortisol, indicating reduced stress. Participants also reported lower pain scores and a better quality of life after treatment. Reducing your overall level of stress is important, because, left untreated, stress can also slow recovery time and increase your risk of developing chronic pain.

7. Chiropractic Works!

In 2015, an Ontario, Canada government group agreed that spinal manipulation, combined with staying active and continuing to work, are the most important factors in recovering quickly from car crash injuries.

8. Early Chiropractic Care Prevents Chronic Pain

Research from 2000 and 2003 found that auto injury patients who got early treatment focused on mobilizing the injured area recovered faster and had fewer residual symptoms from the crash. Chiropractic does this: a chiropractic adjustment gets the joints in your spine moving the way they’re supposed to, helping to prevent chronic pain.

If you’ve been injured in a car crash, you don’t have to suffer from chronic pain. Chiropractic is a great way to help your body heal from all kinds of injuries.

Jun 22 0

Car Accident Injury (Part III of III): Long-Term Health Affects of Whiplash

Posted by Rook Torres

Perhaps the most scary thing about a common car accident injury, whiplash, is that it can cause serious negative long-term health affects. A study recently published out of Canada looked at data correlating a history of neck injury from motor vehicle crashes with chronic neck pain. This list of health problems is terrifying and should absolutely change your actions when it comes to treating yourself and those you love after a car accident.

The study is entitled Long-Term Consequences of Whiplash: Allergy; Breathing, Digestive and Cardiovascular Disorders; Hypertension and Low Back Pain. Just the title alone nearly says it all. The authors inquired about neck pain, headache, and depression as well.

One of the most important aspects of this study was the association of various health problems with history of neck injury from car accidents. The authors looked at allergies, breathing disorders, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, digestive disorders, and low back pain. They found higher incidence in all categories except hypertension; in many cases, the reported complaints were close to twice that seen in those with no history of neck injury.

Unfortunately, the authors did not inquire about thyroid or other endocrine disorders. In previous studies there has been found a possible link between thyroid disease and neck injury, as documented in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. In that study, a possible link between hypothyroidism and exposure to whiplash trauma was made.

The bottom line here is if you have had neck trauma, and don’t seek proper neurological and spinal care for recovery and healing, your chances of many undesirable health problems can increase by 200 percent! That’s a risk I’m nobody needs to take when there’s expert care that’s so easy to access.

Remember, there are tons of car accidents so they’re widely studied and highly scrutinized. People are followed and the health affects widely studied.

You don’t need a referral to see a chiropractor. So scheduling an appointment at my office is easy and fast! The chiropractic care I provide is detailed, and as safe as any other treatment in healthcare (as proven by nearly the lowest malpractice insurance rates in all of healthcare among professionals).

When you come to my Boise office you get a detailed spinal motion and neurological exam designed to find the affects of whiplash.

Did you know that X-ray is the standard diagnostic test for car accident injury across all of healthcare? We have on site X-ray, so your results are fast and you save tons of time not having to go elsewhere to have proper diagnostic testing.

After a detailed exam and diagnostic tests you get to see your own X-rays and get an explanation of exactly what the problem is and what it will take to help you heal. I even give you an accurate estimate of how long it will take to recover and what the process will look and feel like. Costs usually aren’t a problem because insurance can cover most or all of the expense. If not, we’ll work with you. Due to my extensive experience and intricate analysis system that tells me exactly what treatment you need at that moment visits in my office are extremely thorough and fast, really fast! So you don’t have to interrupt your day and worry about how you can fit it all in.

Give my office a call or email right now! Now that you know how much your future health depends on it, and how easy it is, there’s no reason not to.

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