Whiplash...Correct the Injury Now to Avoid Long-Term Effects

A whiplash injury occurs between 4-10 G's of force to the head and neck.  The number one cause of whiplash is automobile accidents, however we may experience whiplash injury without necessarily knowing it.  Other causes of whiplash are riding a roller coaster, falls during water sports, contact sport collisions, or even hitting your head during a daily activity.  Although you may not experience full symptoms after a whiplash injury, research is showing the long-term damage that an injury sustained years before can lead to.  

Some patients experience neck pain, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, headaches, ringing in the ears, nausea, pain or numbness down the arms and hands, and even low back pain.  If not treated, symptoms can last for several weeks, even years after the initial injury!  Damage done to the muscles, ligaments, tendons, discs, nerves and vertebrae of the neck is the result of sudden hyperextension and hyperflexion of the neck. When a patient experiences a sudden force that moves the neck forcefully backward then forward, the ligaments and tendons that hold the vertebrae in correct alignment are damaged, causing the vertebrae to change their position and irritate the adjacent nerve roots. This in turn can cause impairment of the function of the body parts that are controlled by these nerves.  A car accident experienced in your teen years if not corrected will impact your spinal health for several years to come, and you may not even experience symptoms until adulthood.  

Chiropractic care helps the body to heal the injury by delivering specific, gentle adjustments to the neck, spine, and extremities.  These adjustments remove interference to the nerve allowing the inflammation and irritation to calm, and the ligaments and tendons to heal back to their "normal" state.  A 2018 study in the Journal of Physical Therapy and Science followed a 46-year old male who had experienced symptoms post whiplash injury for 2 years!  2 years this man lived with neck stiffness, dizziness, ringing in his ears, heart palpitations, lower back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, and spots in his vision.  This patient reported a 90% reductions in all symptoms while under chiropractic care.  This study shows that even an older injury can be corrected with chiropractic adjustments.  It's never too late to help correct an injury.  Chiropractic adjustments remove interference to allow the body to heal itself and return to its proper function.  We see patients every single day who've experienced whiplash injury from as little as one day ago to 15 years ago and they all see relief with chiropractic care!  Could whiplash be the cause of some of your symptoms?  

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

 Fortner, M. O., Oakley, P.A., & Harrison, D. E. (2018). Alleviation of posttraumatic dizziness by restoration of the cervical lordosis:A CBP case study with a one year follow-up.  Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 30(5), 730-733. doi:10.1589/jpts.30.730.

Pediatric Concussion Recovery

Sports can be risky at any age, but especially to children as their bodies are growing and changing daily.  Injuries sustained can affect the way their bodies develop and have the potential to become chronic issues if not cared for properly at the time of the injury.  Prevention is the key to best protect themselves against injury.  There was a staggering 70% increase in emergency room visits for traumatic brain injuries between 2001 and 2010.  Research studies are currently showing us that injuries not given much thought previously actually may have long-term effects.  However, upper cervical chiropractic care has been shown to treat and heal these hazardous brain injuries acquired during sports.
According to a recent case study, chiropractic care following a concussion to three different pediatric patients had phenomenal results.  Three different patients aged 11, 15, and 16 all had similar symptoms.  These included headaches, neck pain, dizziness, difficulty focusing, drowziness, and overall not feeling well.  All three pediatric patients received gentle, specific chiropractic adjustments within 3 days of their concussions.  As a result, they no longer experienced headaches and neck pain was relieved.  Their subluxations were corrected and therefore the body was allowed to heal itself after the traumatic concussion.  Although chiropractic care cannot prevent a head injury, it is a necessary tool in the healing process. 
It may surprise a person to learn that the brain is highly dependent on the correct alignment of the top two bones of the neck in order to function properly. A misalignment of either the C1 or C2 vertebrae can lead to a variety of problems within the body. The reason for a misalignment in this area can often be traced back to a concussion, even if it happened many years ago.  Especially in children, where healing tends to occur at a faster rate, upper cervical chiropractic adjustments corrects these misalignments to the C1 and C2 vertebrae allowing the body to function at its highest capacity.


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


Olson, H., DC CCSPS, ICCSP, Tunning, M., DC, ATC, & Lindholm, S., DC. (2018). CHIROPRACTIC MANAGEMENT OF THREE YOUNG ATHLETES WITH CONCUSSION. Chiropractic Journal of Australia, 46(1), 30-48.

Children and Adults with Asthma Find Relief with Chiropractic Care

Patients suffering with asthma may find everyday activities difficult to cope with at times.  Asthma statistics are steadily increasing, especially in pediatric populations.  Estimations of over 12 million people live with asthma, and of that over 3 million are children.  Often times asthmatic patients learn to adjust their lifestyle around their condition, and chiropractic care can offer relief when you may not realize the effects that an adjustment may provide.  Causes of asthma range from pollutions, food preservatives, mold, genetic make-up, and side effect of medications.  Although difficult to determine an exact cause in each patient, symptoms and asthma attacks have been researched to show complete subsidation in patients under chiropractic care.  

Pediatric asthma patients especially find great relief with chiropractic adjustments.  Specifically, a 12-year old female case study was presented in the Chiropractic Journal of Australia earlier this year.  This child missed school weekly, was not able to participate in activities, and overall had a low quality of life due to the number of asthmatic episodes she was experiencing.  By removing subluxations in the neck and spine, nerve interference was removed to the lungs, throat, upper airway, and brain.  This child was then able to enjoy everyday activities and saw a decrease in asthma attacks after only a few adjustments.  

Asthma patients have reported increased energy, better sleep, less asthma attacks, decreased need for their inhalers, less sick days, and an overall better quality of day to day life while under chiropractic care.  When the spine is misaligned, the body is in a state of dysfunction.  The physical and psychological stress associated with subluxation of the spine results in interruptions of the body's ability to function freely and heal properly.  Chiropractic care looks to the structure of the body to explain the function or dysfunction of the body.   

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


Rome, P. L. DC. (2018). Chiropractic Management of a Patient With Asthma: Case Report and Follow-Up of a 12-year-old Female. Chiropractic Journal of Australia, 46(1). 49-78.
 

The Hypothyroid Epidemic...How Chiropractic Can Help

According to a 2015 research article, Synthroid is the number one prescribed brand medication in our country.  Each month, over 23 million prescriptions are written for the synthetic thyroid hormone to treat hypothyroidism.  Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone (TSH, T3, T4) to meet the body's needs.  Estimations of people living with thyroid disease is at a staggering 20 million Americans, of which only 60% of those are even aware or being treated for it.  What's worse, thyroid cancer is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the United States. Symptoms can be vague, and therefore go undetected or treated for long periods of time.  People with hypothyroidism often experience fatigue, constipation, sensitivity to cold, muscle weakness, infertility or heavy menstrual cycles, thinning hair, depression, impaired memory, dry skin, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, elevated cholesterol levels, pain or stiffness in your joints, and swelling or puffiness of the face.  Although small, the thyroid gland is such a powerful piece to your health! 

Hypothyroidism can be attributed to an iodine deficiency, but most likely it is from an autoimmune source.  Current medical management for hypothyroidism is synthetic thyroid hormone, such as medications called Synthroid or levothyroxine.  These medications have serious side effects, which are often overlooked because of the misunderstanding of alternative treatments to help the thyroid gland.  

Many patients that seek chiropractic care for their hypothyroidism find great success.  Simply by adjusting the spine and neck, communication channels between the brain and thyroid gland are opened, and as a result the thyroid and immune systems can function properly.  A case report from 2018 followed a 49-year old male who had been suffering with hypothyroidism for over 4 years, as well as back, neck, and shoulder pain.  After 2 months of intensive chiropractic care, his thyroid levels were considered "normal", and after 8 months he no longer needed his thyroid medication!  His pain was eliminated and no longer complained of low energy levels.  Chiropractic seeks to cure the cause of the issues, not just treat the symptoms.  

Although the thyroid gland can be a complicated system, there are many other treatments to help with the cause of your hypothyroidism.  Chiropractic adjustments are a large piece to the puzzle to correct thyroid dysfunction.  We can help with your hypothyroidism!

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


Fuller, D., DC, & Douts, B., DC. (2018). Improved Thyroid Function Following Chiropractic Care to Reduce Vertebral Subluxation:A Case Study & Review of the Literature. A. Vertebral Subluxation Res., 2018(1). 57-68. doi:10.1007/s10286-017-0498-3