Mountain Island Chiropractic: December 2017

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Concussion, POTS, and Chiropractic

Concussion and whiplash injuries have an effect on every organ, cell, and tissue in the human body. Current research on concussions is proving the theory that trauma to the neck during concussive injuries plays a role in post-concussive syndrome and therefore delays in healing are evident. Finally, more attention is being given to these traumatic injuries and bringing forth necessary treatment options after concussions.
One of the side effects of a concussion can be postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). POTS is an inappropriate response of the cardiovascular system during different postures, causing dramatic increase in heart rate, dramatic drop in blood pressure, which then results in fainting. A 2016 medical research study followed 34 children who had been diagnosed with post concussive syndrome to determine if POTS was present. Shockingly they found that 70% of the children showed signs and symptoms of POTS, as well as fainting.
Chiropractic adjustments can alleviate POTS by delivering gentle, specific manipulations to the head and neck, as well as full spinal adjustments. The structure of the neck allows for nerves to flow through the spine and if injured in a concussive type of injury this misalignments can have negative effects. A chiropractor specializes in the function of these nerves that cause POTS signs and symptoms to be present. Who knew that a head injury can cause such changes in the cardiovascular system?!?! Proving that the brain and spinal cord have control over every function in the human body. When an injury occurs to the head and neck, it is crucial to restore proper nervous system functioning as soon as possible!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson

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

Heyer, G.L., Fischer, A., Wilson, J., Macdonald, J., Cribbs, S., Ravindran, R., ...Cuff, S. (2016) Orthostatic Intolerance and Autonomic Dysfunction in Youth With Persistent Postconcussion Symptoms. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 26(1), 40-45. doi:10.1097/jsm.000000000000183

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Chiropractic Care After a Stroke...Seriously????

Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. During a stroke, an interruption of blood flow to the brain occurs that results in lack of oxygen and brain tissue death. Those that survive a stroke can have a wide range of symptoms or outcomes because of that stoke. Some of these deficits include numbness in hands, arms, and feet, trouble with thinking and attention, paralysis on one or both sides of the body, walking difficulties, difficulty controlling emotions, and interruptions of activities of daily living such as brushing teeth, bathing, and getting dressed.
Chiropractic care can help alleviate the severity of a lot of these deficits or possibly relieve them completely. A 58 year old man who had suffered a stroke at the age of 40 was studied while receiving chiropractic care. His hand was involuntarily contracted and close to 100% non usability. He needed assistance to put on his coat, was unable to exercise, and was told that these were permanent changes that he would need to "just live with."
After just 2 months of chiropractic adjustments, he was able to use that hand to turn pages in a book! 6 months after that, he had a noticeable change in his mobility and also had the ability to fully flatten his hand that just 8 months prior had been contracted. He also was able to rejoin Pilates and was able to dress himself completely! By allowing the body to function at full capacity, the symptoms of stroke were able to resolved to a certain degree. What a fantastic result for someone who was told he would never live his life to the fullest following a stroke!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson