Mountain Island Chiropractic: July 2019

Thursday, July 25, 2019

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

Thursday, July 18, 2019

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