Avoiding whiplash and how to treat it

October 26, 2010 By

Last week I almost hit three deer on two different occasions while driving to work. I have also driven through torrential rain and witnessed a van hitting and cracking a telephone pole.

Accidents happen all the time and while modern cars can often withstand quite a bit of “injury”, the human body often can not.

Your head weighs 8 to 10 pounds; if your seat belt is fastened, the force of a collision can cause your head to whip forward and back or side to side. Accidents are at times unavoidable, but there are things you can do to decrease the chance of sustaining a whiplash injury.

  • Always fasten your seat belt.
  • Position your head rest to “catch” your head, which means it should be right in the center of your head. Positioning it too high or too low can actually cause or worsen a whiplash injury.
  • Position your seat properly. You should be sitting up straight and the seat should be as close to your head as possible to lessen the distance between your head and the seat upon impact.
  • Be aware of your surroundings — which means no calling, texting, eating, putting on makeup, etc.

If you do sustain a whiplash injury, get checked out by a medical professional. Some of the symptoms of whiplash: blurred vision, dizziness, jaw, shoulder or neck pain, headaches, vertigo, memory loss, irritability, sleeplessness, fatigue.

Most pain associated with whiplash is caused by tense muscles. When the neck is forced back and forth in a jarring motion, such as the type caused by a car accident, muscles and ligaments in the area are stretched beyond their normal limits. In severe instances, the supportive muscles of the spine are torn. Muscles in the surrounding area then tighten to try and support the injured tissues. This limits range of motion and causes strain on those muscles which are not being used to bearing the extra load. This causes more pain.

Muscle pain is your chiropractor’s specialty, so get checked out. And be careful out there.

Monica S. Nowak, DC
The Chiropractic Center of Canaan
176 Ashley Falls Road
Canaan, CT 06018
860-824-0748

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Back Talk – Acute Injuries

October 8, 2010 By

Last weekend my husband, my brother, his children and a few friends and I went to Pulaski, N.Y. to see the salmon run. My brother rolled his ankle while walking down to the river. His ankle swelled to the size of a melon which got me thinking: Do people know the best way to care for an injury like that?

The first thing to know is that there are two basic types of injury — acute and chronic. An acute injury is defined as one that has rapid or sudden onset. The pain is typically short-lived. A chronic injury is one that develops over time and is long-lasting.

When treating an acute injury, you use cold; when treating a chronic injury, you use heat.

Acute injuries are often accompanied by swelling and inflammation; the application of ice will help reduce those symptoms and the pain. You can usually ice an injury as often as you like but here is the key: only apply the ice for 15 minutes at a time; then allow the skin to warm up in between applications. And do not place the ice directly on your skin; the best thing to do is wrap it in a towel.

If you apply ice for longer than 15 minutes, your body’s natural defenses will kick in and try to warm the area by bringing more blood there. At that point, the ice pack will do the opposite of what you want it to do. It will cause more swelling.

Chronic injuries are often accompanied by sore, still muscles or joint pain. This type of pain can be relieved by warming the injury to increase elasticity of the joint connective tissues and to stimulate blood flow. Heat can be applied for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

And, of course, sports injuries and the pain that accompanies them can also be treated by a chiropractor.

Monica S. Nowak, D.C.
Chiropractic Center of Canaan
176 Ashley Falls Road
Canaan, CT 06018
860 824-0748

Reprinted with permission from the writer.

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Getting backpacks right

September 9, 2010 By

Quite literally, we are talking about backs in this Back Talk column – specifically about children’s backs and their school backpacks.

The backpack might seem like the least important thing for a parent to worry about in the hectic days before school starts, but keep in mind that even very young children wear their packs every day, nine months a year.

And, when those backpacks fit incorrectly, it can add pressure to a child’s neck, shoulders and back.

Here are some tips to prevent neck and back pain/strain.

* Choose a lightweight material. You might have to replace it sooner but it won’t add to your child’s already heavy load.

* Wide padded shoulder straps help distribute the weight of the pack more evenly.

* Children should carry no more than 10 to 20 percent of their body weight. Their bodies are still developing muscles, bones and their attachments are only equipped to support a small amount of weight without taxing them. Would you be comfortable carrying an 80 pound briefcase to work? For many children, this means working with a parent to figure out which one can remain on campus, in a desk or locket.

* Show them how to pack their bags ergonomically. Heavy items should be closest to their back. Use multiple compartments so that the load doesn’t sway from side to side.

* Make sure your children are wearing their backpacks correctly. They should be worn over both shoulders, high on the back (2 inches above the waistline) and have them buckle the waist strap if their pack has one.

No one is saying that backpacks are going to cause major illnesses or dysfunction in a child. But, packs can contribute to future neck and back problems.

So, check in with your children, ask them if they have any pain and/or numbness in their neck, shoulders, arms, back and/or legs. Children should not have any pain at any age, it’s just not normal.

If they are experiencing pain, try a natural alternative: chiropractic. It can help them adjust their spine and skeleton before any problems become permanent.

Monica S. Nowak, DC
The Chiropractic Center of Canaan
176 Ashley Falls Road
Canaan, CT 06018
860 824-0748

Reprinted with permission

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No pain, better game

August 17, 2010 By

My father has become an avid golfer. He plays every Tuesday — and then comes to see me, suffering from back and joint pain.

When I ask him if he warmed up before playing, he demonstrates his stretching routine by whipping his upper body back and forth. Clearly, this routine isn’t working.

Golfers exert a huge amount of effort, repetitively pounding on specific joints (usually on one side of the body). Among other ailments, this can lead to “golfer’s elbow.”

Warming up your joints is essential. Slow stretching lubricates the joints and warms the muscles surrounding them, to prevent tearing of ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues.

To prevent injury, golfers should do exercises to strengthen the muscles supporting the joints used in golfing. That means they should do exercises to strengthen their shoulders, arms, wrists, legs, knees, ankles, abdominals and low back.

Many of our clients are golfers who compete in weekend tournaments without any preparation — and then wonder why, at the end of two grueling days, they are so sore they can barely move.

Golfers should straighten up, too. Good posture is key to achieving a great golf swing, and it is important to spinal health.

Golf also requires spinal flexibility, so try some yoga. You might be surprised at the improvements they bring to your game.

And if you still have pain after you play, visit a chiropractor. Chiropractors have extensive training in the biomechanics of human movement, so if after playing you feel pain in specific joints or muscles, you probably need those joints adjusted.

People don’t normally think of chiropractic for elbows and knees, but chiropractic is very effective in mobilizing smaller joints and relieving pain.

Your chiropractor can not only treat those repetitive stress injuries but can possibly redirect your swing pattern, improving your game while getting you out of pain.

Monica S. Nowak, DC
The Chiropractic Center of Canaan
Monica Nowak, DC and Peter Markowicz, DC
176 Ashley Falls Road
Canaan, CT 06018
860-824-0748

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Chiropractic Education

February 22, 2010 By

Having been in practice now for over twenty five years I have been asked innumerable times “How much education does a chiropractor have?” My usual answer is a lot. A typical entering chiropractic student has four years of premedical undergraduate studies in chemistry, biology, physics and psychology, much the same as an entering medical student. I, myself, did graduate work in Biochemistry prior to entering chiropractic school.

The prospective student has a choice of many chiropractic colleges located throughout the United States and in numerous countries around the world.

Once enrolled he or she begins a four to five academic year program of professional study that encompasses a minimum of 4200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical experience that includes a minimum of a one-year clinical-based program dealing with actual patient care. In some areas, such as anatomy, physiology, and rehabilitation, they receive more intensive education than most medical doctors or physical therapists. Whereas in medical schools there is a focus of concentration on pharmacology; chiropractic schools have a focus on specific adjusting techniques and therapeutic modalities for the spine and the extremities.

After the successful completion of the above the graduating student is awarded the professional degree of ‘Doctor of Chiropractic’ or D.C.

Before entering practice, doctors of chiropractic must pass four national board examinations as well as individual state board examinations. Chiropractors are licensed as primary care providers (meaning patients have direct access without a referral needed) in all fifty states and many nations throughout the world. They are trained in diagnosis and treatment and have the knowledge to make appropriate referrals when necessary.

To maintain their license the individual states have yearly requirements for post-graduate continuing education. Many chiropractors choose to pursue advanced training in diagnosis, neurology, orthopedics, nutrition and rehabilitation. Thus my answer of “a lot” would be most appropriate.

David D. Godwin, D.C.
Chiropractic Physician
Salisbury Chiropractic
Salisbury, NC
704-633-9335

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