Backpack Safety

It's back to school time!  One important thing parents often overlook is their child's spinal hygiene.  The changes of a new routine that they encounter can impact their health.  A backpack is not usually thought more than just a way to carry things to school, with children often picking their bags based on the color, design, etc.  However, it is important to help your child choose a backpack that best supports healthy spinal posture.

Did you know that the MAXIMUM healthy backpack weight is 10-15% of your child's weight? For most elementary aged kids this equals about 1-2 textbooks.  The reason that this is important is your child's developing and growing spinal joints.  Stress to these joints causes subluxations in the neck and back, leading to pain.  Adding extra weight to the backpack increases this stress placed on the nervous system.

Fit is also important when choosing a backpack. The bag should not sit lower than the waist as this increases tension load on the shoulders and drives the shoulders back while pushing the neck forward.  Also, if possible, buy a back pack with added straps at the waist and/or shoulders across the chest as this helps distribute the weight more evenly.  And as always, get your child adjusted!  Chiropractic kids are proven to miss less school days than children who do not get adjusted regularly! Have a happy and healthy school year!

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

Lavigne, V. (2014). Weight limit recommendations in backpack use for school-aged children. J Clin Chiropr Pediatr., 14(2):1156-1159.

Can Chiropractic Save You Money?$?$?$?$

Our current healthcare system can change by the day.  With the amount of people in the country with a chronic illness, and the rising costs of healthcare to manage those chronic conditions, many people are finding it unaffordable to manage their health.  Traditionally, medical management of pain and chronic conditions require a lot of time, money, repeated prescription drugs, referrals to several doctors and specialists, diagnostic testing, diagnostic imaging, and that doesn't include the insane costs of a hospital stay.  In 1995, it was shown that 75% of people aged over 55 years had at least one chronic condition to manage.

According to a researcher at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Pran Manga, chiropractic care has benefits to your bank account.  He suggested that the "poor or worrisome health outcomes of medically managed diseases, illnesses, or injuries" have not yielded the optimal results that one often finds with chiropractic care, and the cost of mismanagement of these issues are over double than when seeking chiropractic.

Over DOUBLE! The majority opinion would say the cost of medical vs chiropractic care of an issue of back pain would be more than double, if not quadrupled!! Imagine, coming to one office for your treatment, instead of the above mentioned route of doctor, x-rays, lab, pharmacy, physical therapy, etc. Plus, when you consider the preventative benefits of chiropractic adjustments, when you seek to treat the cause of the problem, not treat the symptoms after the problem has occurred, chiropractic is the safe, gentle, and COST-EFFECTIVE choice!


Manga, P. (2000). Economic case for the integration of chiropractic services into the healthcare system.  Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 23(2), 118-122.




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

Management of Concussions with Chiropractic

Concussions obtained in sports is a hot topic right now.  There are several benefits to competing in sports, but there must be caution and awareness given to the risks associated with impact sports.  

Over 3.8 million concussions occur every year in the country, and unfortunately the majority of these happen in high school athletics.  Concussion primarily affects the sensorimotor system in the brain.  A 2007 study published in Clinical Neurophysiology showed improvements in concussed individuals following chiropractic treatments.  Adjustments were given to the cervical spine, or neck area, and several areas showed improvement.  The overall recovery time for patients under chiropractic care following a concussion were significantly higher than those not under chiropractic care.  Sensory integration improved, which involves an athletes ability to touch and balance.  Also, proprioception improved significantly (meaning the body's awareness of its position in space.)  This is vital for athletes because poor proprioception leads to an increased risk of permanent, career-ending injuries.  For example, there is a 4x greater risk of an ACL tear following concussion because of poor proprioception.

Getting checked regularly for nerve interference increases the body's sensorimotor integration!

Haavik-Taylor, H., & Murphy, B. (2007). Cervical Spine Adjustment Alters Sensorimotor Integration-A Somotosensory Evoked Potential Study. Clinical Neurophysiology.



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

Chronic Illness in Children

Our bodies have the unique ability to adapt to our environment.  It is widely accepted that the strength of our immune systems depends on environment factors.  This is especially evident in children.  Do you have a friend whose child always seems to be sick?  Have you looked at their environment in which they are being raised such as smoking in the home, emotional stress, sleeping habits, food and beverage choices, exposure to other children, etc and thought no wonder why they are always sick?

A 9 year old patient who was chronically fighting illness such as ear infections, constipation, sinus issues, chronic sore throat, and bloating were just to name a few.  Her mother brought her to a local chiropractic office and multiple subluxations of the spine and neck were discovered.  The child was having neurological signs and symptoms as well.  After only 3 months of routine chiropractic care, the child saw major improvements in her sleeping, constipation issues, and less congestion and sinus infections.  Her overall health was improved and the child missed much less school.

These symptoms were alleviated due to the ability to remove the nerve interference.  This is why chiropractic adjustments can help with allergies, asthma, headaches, bowel issues, restless leg, ADHD, sinus infections, ear infections, and many more especially in the pediatric population.  Children's bodies respond more quickly to chiropractic adjustments due to the fact that they have lived shorter lives in a state of bodily stress, and therefore it takes less time to correct subluxations.

Heagy DT, Canty A. Restoration of olfaction in a child with chronic sinusitis undergoing subluxation-based chiropractic care: A case report.  J Pediatr Matern & Fam Health-Chiropr. 2009 Summer;2009(3):Online access only 4p. ICLID:20776

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

Can Chiropractic Help Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is known as a mystery diagnosis to most in the medical profession.  Little is known about the cause of fibromyalgia, and patients who have been diagnosed experience a wide range of symptoms, as well as severity of symptoms.  Because so little is known about specifics, treatment plans seem to vary widely and therefore patients are left feeling frustrated as if they are fighting an uphill battle. 
A commonly accepted theory of fibromyalgia is atlas subluxation that causes distorted activity in the brain and it's neurons, which can cause widespread activation of the brainstem and cerebral cortex.  By removing the subluxation with specific upper cervical adjustments to the atlas bone, neurological irritation is gone and the brain's processing pathways are freed to improve function and regulation.

A 2015 case study followed a 32-year old woman who saw a COMPLETE resolution of all fibromyalgia symptoms after only 4 months of chiropractic care! Her initial pre-x-rays revealed a complete loss of cervical curvature in the neck (0 degrees out of 45 degrees).  Her atlas bone was also severely out of alignment.  After 90 days of treatment, a follow-up examination and x-rays took place and revealed restoration of the atlas bone to full alignment and an increase in her cervical curvature to 0 degrees to 20 degrees!  After 4 months of treatment, the patient experienced 100% improvement of her symptoms, and was no longer bedridden, experiencing pain, fatigue, or depression.  She was removed of all pain medications!

Tedder, A., Tedder, N., and S. Gorshack. "Resolution of Chronic Fibromyalgia and Improved Spinal Curves Following Correction of Atlas Subluxation: A Case Report & Selective Review of the Literature." Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research 2015.3 (2015): 24-29. Web.

  

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

Study Finds Improvement for Depression, PMS, Dysautonomia, and Insomnia with Chiropractic!

A case study published in November 2016 followed a young 27-year old woman suffering from depression, insomnia, severe effects from pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), headaches, constipation, and heartburn.  It is known that at least 16% of Americans suffer from depression.  Physical symptoms associated with depression such as decreased energy, fatigue, anxiety, loss of interest in activities, guilt, insomnia, helplessness, difficulty concentrating, heartburn, and physical pains throughout the body.  The exact cause and triggers of depression may be unknown, but what is very clear is that with depression the brain experiences biochemical changes and also in the nervous system as well.
Chiropractic care evaluates and corrects interference found in the nervous system by aligning the spine.  Since we know that the nervous system controls the bodies regulation of all of the above listed systems, it is clear to see how chiropractic care can improve symptoms of depression.
The woman in the case study was given questions at the beginning of treatment and follow-up questions after 3 months of chiropractic care to quantify her improvements.  After 3 months of treatments, she had a 48% improvement in her depression, 18% improvement in sleep related symptoms, 46% improvement in PMS-related symptoms, 18% improvement in headaches, and an incredible 51% improvement in digestive issues.  All because of removing subluxations found in the spine that changes the way the nervous system functions.  Chiropractic care has amazing results for symptoms you would never think of!  When you release the subluxation, the body is able to remove symptoms and function properly.


Vaden, C., DC, & Pratt, R., DC (2016). Reduction in depression, insomnia, pre-menstrual syndrome & dysautonmia in a patient undergoing subluaxation-based chiropractic care using torque release technique. A. Vertebral Subluxation Res., 2016, 125-132.

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

Improvement of Scoliosis!

Scoliosis seen in childhood that is allowed to progress into adulthood has been shown to lead to cardiovascular disease, respiratory failure, back pain,  spinal degeneration, disability, emotional impairments and a decreased quality of life.  Approximately 2-4% of children ages 10-16 have scoliotic curves left unattended.  Traditional, conservative methods for treating scoliosis includes braces, and spinal exercises.  Severe treatment includes surgery with rod placement around the spine.

A long-term study followed adolescents with scoliosis whose curves were in 2 categories; a 7-10 degree scoliotic curve or at least an 11 degree curve or worse.  In this particular study, all patients were receiving chiropractic care for over one year.  The researchers who conducted the study found improvements of 48-62% of their curvatures.  Meaning, patients with 7-10 degree curves found a 62.1% improvement of those scoliotic curves! All because of gentle, specific chiropractic adjustments to the neck and spine.

Chiropractic care can not only improve scoliosis but prevent progression of it!

Harden J, Jaszewski E, Galano J. Reducation and maintenance of scoliotic and sub-scoliotic curvatures: A follow-up study on children with idopathic scoliosis undergoing subluxation correction with Pierce Results System. J Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health. 2017;2017(1):16-23.

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