How Chiropractic Can Help With Bell's Palsy

Bell's palsy is a sudden onset of weakness or paralysis of one side of the face.  It can also include headaches, drooping of the eyelid or inability to close one eye completely.  Also, facial drooping including a corner of the mouth as well as changes in saliva and tears production can be symptoms.  It is estimated that over 40,000 people each year have a new onset of Bell's palsy.  Repeat attacks are common as well once you've been affected by this disorder.  Bell's palsy is extremely scary, especially because the symptoms can mimic a stroke.  It is important to note that a stroke should be ruled out first and foremost if these symptoms suddenly arise.  The good news is that with Bell's Palsy, although frightening actually has a simple, single reason behind it and there can be relief with chiropractic care.  The facial nerve, or 7th cranial nerve, becomes damaged or irritated during this disorder.  The facial nerve travels through a narrow canal called the Fallopian canal in the skull, underneath the ear to the muscles that control the side of the face.  These muscles affected are those in charge of controlling eye blinking, eye closing, smiling and frowning. Also, the 7th nerve is in charge of sending messages to the tear and saliva glands which becomes greatly affected with the nerve has experienced trauma such as inflammation or subluxation.  This means that the structure of the skull and spine have a direct effect on the treatment of Bell's Palsy.
A recent case study in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research followed a 68-year old man suffering from Bell's Palsy who had previously tried steroids, eye drops, and anti-inflammatory prescription medications without relief.  He sought chiropractic care and after a short time with regular chiropractic adjustments his facial paralysis was completely resolved!  No need for continued medications with costly side-effects.  While chiropractic adjustments do not treat specific symptoms, the brain and nervous system were allowed to function freely without interference or disruption and therefore his facial nerve was restored to send proper messages to the face.  
Significant relief is found when the spine is aligned and free from interference to function at optimal levels!

Yours in Health,


Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV


Preece, S., D.C., & Alcanta, J., D.C. (2019).  Resolution of Bell's Palsy in a 68-year old Man Following Correction of Upper Cervical Subluxation:A Case Report & Review. J. Upper Cervical Chiropractic Reasearch, 28-35.

Study Shows 87% of Nurses Experience Back and Neck Pain

 

The nursing profession is a job which requires a great deal of physical and emotional strength.  Nurses often stand on their feet for an extended period of time and work long shifts, ranging from 4-16 hours at a time.   Any profession that requires you to stand on your feet all day can suffer from tremendous discomfort and it takes a toll on the mind and body.  Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are among the most frequent occupational disorders among the nursing profession.  Working overnight shifts and forcing your body to be out of the "normal" sleep/wake cycles can often make these disorders more intense.  

A 2018 study followed 110 nurses working in a hospital setting to determine the type of physical and psychological toll that their profession was taking on them.  With increased sick days called for musculoskeletal pains, it was found that 86.24% of those studied had pain and discomfort in their spine.  Long periods of time on their feet, bending, pushing beds, lifting patients, among many other repetitive movements all made their pains worse during shift work.  42% of those studied reported residual fatigue each time at work.  All 86.24% of those reporting back pain also reported that their pain contributed to decreased satisfaction and productivity with their job.  

Nurses give so much of themselves while caring for others that they often are left feeling overwhelmed and stressed both physically and emotionally.  It is of upmost importance that nurses take care of themselves so that they can continue to perform at a high level for many years in their demanding profession.  Spinal health is crucial to these professionals so that they may continue doing what they love pain-free.  We love to care for nurses in our office. Chiropractic adjustments can help relieve back and neck pain, and well has help their bodies recover faster from long shifts and overnight hours.  Chiropractic care can also boost energy, reduce inflammation, restore sleep function, aid in cognitive clarity, and reduce stress and anxiety levels.  My wife is a RN and so I know first-hand how demanding their profession is, and the toll it can take on the body.  Have a nurse that you care about?  Remind them to take time for themselves by getting their spine checked!  

Yours in Health,


Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV


Dias da Silva, T.P., Navegantes de Araujo, W., Stival, M. M., Martins de Toledo., A., Burke, T. N., & Carregaro, R. L. (2018). Musculoskeletal discomfort, work ability, and fatigue in nursing professionals working in a hospital environment.  Rev Esc Enferm USP, 52(e03332). 1-8. doi:10.1590/S1980-220X2017022903332

Long-Term Effects after a Car Accident

There are an estimated 6 million car accidents in the US every year, with over 3 million resulting in serious injuries.  Its easy to think of only the "right now" effects of a car accident when it comes to our health.  Most people who have been in an accident do not feel pain immediately, and research shows it takes about 48 hours for pain and stiffness to set in after a collision.  However, over 68% of people involved in a motor vehicle accident still feel pain in their back and neck at one year post-accident when left untreated.  It only takes a collision at 8 miles per hour to have damaging effects or whiplash of the neck.  If whiplash is untreated, this leads to long-term pain in the neck and damage to the nervous system.  Even more so, chronic neck pain is the 4th leading cause of disability in the world for adults!
Whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck. Symptoms people may experience after whiplash of the neck due to a car accident include neck pain, stiffness in the neck and shoulder, loss of range of motion in the neck, headaches, upper arms and back soreness, numbness and tingling in the arms and hands, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, sleep disturbances, irritability, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and depression.  Taking medication after a car accident such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or opioids will help with short-term pain control, but won't correct the injury sustained.  Inflammation that the body produces after an injury is what causes long-term effects because proper flow of blood and nutrients to the body is interrupted.  Chronic interruption of these impulses is what can lead to chronic health issues and pain.  Therefore, reducing inflammation by removing interference to the nervous and skeletal systems will allow the body to heal properly and avoid long-term effects from a car accident. Not only can a chiropractic adjustment reduce inflammation and correct subluxations of the neck and spine, it restores motion in the joints as well as reduces scar tissue formation and helps the body to release IL-6 and other pain-reducing hormones.
Our office located in Charlotte, NC is the areas leading expert in identifying and treating injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents and can help restore your body to proper functioning.

Yours in Health,


Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV


Nolet, P. S., Emary, P. C, Kristman, V. L., Murnaghan, K., Zeegers, M.P., & Freeman, M.D. (2019). Exposure to a motor vehicle collision and the risk of future neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pm&r. doi; 10.1002/pmrj.12173

Decreasing Frequency of Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches affect an estimated 38 million Americans, with 91% of those patients reporting that their daily lives are affected by them.  Migraines are debilitating.  Different than an "average headache," migraine headaches can not only cause pain but affect vision, sensitivity to light and noise, seeing spots or "halos," tingling on one side of the body, increased sense of smell, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, all with no relief from pain medications.  Migraine sufferers often are debilitated during an attack and miss work and other daily activities. With little to no relief from prescribed medications, patients have been turning to alternative therapies during migraine attacks as well as preventative measures to increase time between attacks. Every day your brain is making about 500 milliliters of spinal fluid that acts like the blood for the brain and spinal cord. Once this fluid is made in the brain, it is transferred out of the skull, down the spinal cord, all the way down your spine, where it finally gets pumped back up to the brain. This fluid is very important as it delivers essential nutrients to your central nervous system. When a subluxation or misalignment is present in the top bone of your neck (called the Atlas or C1) due to its attachments to the brain, it can pull the cerebellum partially through the skull. The result is that spinal fluid will not be able to escape the brain, causing a back flow of spinal fluid. This back flow will cause swelling and will eventually cause damage to the small blood vessels of the brain, resulting in a migraine headache. A recent research article published in the journal Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain reviewed chiropractic care specifically for effectively treating and preventing migraine headaches.  Researchers found that chiropractic adjustments significantly reduced migraine headache frequency as well as reduced symptoms during a migraine attack.  Specifically an upper cervical adjustment have been proven to reduce frequency of migraine headaches in one month by 8!  Read about this study here https://nucca.org/blog/chronic-migraine-sufferers-find-significant-improvement-nucca/.  Our office specializes in upper cervical chiropractic and the NUCCA technique and we are experts at helping to manage migraine headache attacks by taking a multi-disciplinarian approach to your care.   Don't suffer any longer with these awful headaches...we are here to help!

Yours in Health,


Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV


 Woodfield, H. Charles, III. “Effect of Atlas Vertebrae Realignment in Subjects with Migraine: An Observational Pilot Study.”
Rist, P. M., ScD, Hernandez, A., MS. Bernstein, C., MD, Kowalski, M., DC, Osypiuk, K., MS, Vining, R., DC...Wayne, P., M., PhD. (2019). The Impact of Spinal Manipulation on Migraine Pain and Disability:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 59(4), 532-542. doi:10.1111/head.13501

Chiropractic Aids in Recovery of Any Kind

 

Healing takes time.  Often we don't listen to our bodies to fully understand its needs when recovering from an illness or injury.  Trauma to the body, no matter what form, doesn't heal overnight.  Have you ever said to yourself "usually I'm not bothered by this but for some reason I'm not getting over it this time as fast?"  If so, you haven't allowed your body to properly recover from an illness or injury in the past.  Therefore, each incident takes a larger toll on the body and mind for a longer period of time.  No matter what we are recovering from, providing our body with the best opportunity to function, recover, and heal is essential.  

Plenty of rest, good nourishment and hydration, and relaxation are all key components whether you've broken your leg, suffered with a simple cold, lost a loved one, drug addiction, or recently had surgery.   Another important piece to the recovery puzzle is allowing your nervous system which controls all functions of the body be free from interference.   Chiropractic care focuses on helping restore proper function to your nervous system which allows for better overall health and an improved recovery process.  It allows for faster healing times by removing any nervous system inference. 

A case study followed a 37-year old man who recently had surgery.  Post-surgical symptoms included nausea, fatigue, gastric reflux, dizziness, and migraines.  Multiple spinal subluxations (or blockages of the spinal cord) were found.  He received chiropractic adjustments to remove those interferences to his nervous system.  This allowed his body to maintain a more optimal healing environment after his surgical procedure.  Following 3 weeks of chiropractic care, the patient reported improvements in all of his symptoms and was also able to stop taking multiple medications.  Chiropractic care helps create a pathway to healing no matter what the initial injury or illness is.  The power that made the body heals the body when it is free from interference!

Yours in Health,


Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV



Harden, J., D.C., & Smedley, L., D.C. (2019). Improvement in Vestibular Dysfunction & Quality of Life Following Chiropractic Care in a Male Suffering from PostSurgical Complications for Vestibular Schwannoma:A Case Report & Review of the Literature. Vertebral Subluxation Res., A, 34-44.

Chiropractic Care Can Help With Menstrual Pain

Menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) affects women before and during their menstrual cycles.  Often times they can feel not only pain, but lethargy (feeling sluggish), irritability, pain with urination, cramping, nausea, headaches, and vomiting.  Pain typically begins in the lower abdomen and radiates thru to the back and even down the legs for some women.  Over 50% of reproductive-age women report a reduced quality of life during their cycles because of menstrual pain.  Dysmenorrhea and bladder pain syndrome have both been linked to the autonomic nervous system not functioning properly.  Our autonomic nervous system and the reproductive hormones which fluctuate during different phases of the menstrual cycle are directly related.
A 2019 study followed 123 participants with a chief complaint of dysmenorrhea or bladder pain with their cycles.  All patients had their heart rate variability (HRV) measured to test how well the autonomic nervous system was functioning.  The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls and regulates heart rate, breathing, urination, digestion, pupillary responses, and is the primary mechanism that controls our flight-or-flight response.  In 100% of these patients in the study, they were found to have a lower or dysfunctioning ANS because of a lower heart rate variability response.  When the HRV is high, this means that the autonomic nervous system is functioning properly.  So how does the ANS become dysfunctional?  There are many factors, but the simplest one can be a subluxation or interference on particular nerves that send signals to the bladder and pelvis.  Chiropractic care removes these subluxations with specific adjustments to the spine.  This assists the autonomic nervous system and specifically the pelvic splanchnictic nerve (S2, S3, S4) to function freely without interruption and therefore removes pain and discomfort associated with the menstrual cycle.  Although hormone regulation is an intricate process that the body takes on daily, we can help alleviate issues by removing interference to the autonomic nervous system with chiropractic care.  Our office has seen great success in relief of menstrual pain and bladder control issues with just a few visits for specific, gentle chiropractic care.


Yours in Health,


Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV


Oladosu, F. A., Hellman, K. M., Ham, P. J., Kochlefl, L. E., Datta, A., Garrison, E. F....Tu, F. F. (2019). Persistent autonomic dysfunction and bladder sensitivity in primary dysmenorrhea. Scientific Reports, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-38545-3.

Ear Infections in Children

Before the age of 3, it is estimated that 80% of children will experience at least one ear infection (otitis media), while over 40% of children will have multiple ear infections by the age of 5.  Children often experience pain, irritability, fever, disturbed sleep patterns, loss of appetite, and general feelings of malaise during these times.  Most often, viruses are the cause of ear infections, and therefore giving a child an antibiotic will not help relieve the infection.  During an ear infection, fluid gets trapped in the middle ear because of swelling in the inner ear or eustachian tube.  Fluid then builds up in the middle ear and causes the eardrum to bulge outward, causing immense pain.  When we are fighting off a virus, our lymphatic system is trying its best to remove the infection however if the eustachian tube is blocked then you have a backup of the lymph system.  Often times you will see an associated bulging of the lymph nodes of the neck and face as a result of a backed up system.  When an antibiotic is given for a non-bacterial infection, it simply removes all good flora from the gut and therefore delays the healing time, as well as changes our immune system to become immune to those antibiotics with repeated use over a short period of time.
Chiropractic care offers relief but most importantly prevention of ear infections.  How does this work?  A chiropractor looks to find subluxations or "blockages" in the childs nervous system, or misalignments of the neck and spine that house the nerves that deliver the messages to the eustachian tubes.  By removing the interference to the ear, fluid is allowed to drain properly down the eustachian tube and out of the lymphatic system.  A recent research study suggests that upwards of 93% of all children under the age of five receiving chiropractic care showed improvement with ear infections with 75% of those children getting better within the first 10 days.  43% of these children only needed one or two adjustments to relieve the ear problems completely.  Want to know more about how chiropractic helps with ear infections?  Call our office today!

Yours in Health,
Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV














Ear infection: a retrospective study examining improvement from chiropractic care and analyzing for influencing factors (Abstract), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.