South OC Chiropractic New Year's Deal & Newsletter

Happy New Year!

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Start the Year of Right

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Improving your health
Being Pain Free
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Taking care of yourself
Being Proactive about your health and lifestyle
And More

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New Year Deal!

Refer a friend and get a Free 30 minute Massage*

*Massage is subject to availability of the therapist and office hours. All paid accounts will hold priority over massage availability. Your name must be mentioned at the time of check by your friend in order to proof the referal. Promotion offer valid through 1/1/16-2/1/16

In this issue

Today we will look at whiplash and why it is so important to seek treatment even when symptoms might not be severe. In addition, we will look at how chiropractic can help children involved in car accidents.

Articles

Quote of the day

“Look well to the spine for the cause of disease.”

-Hippocrates

NEWSLETTER

Whiplash injury, Neck Pain and Spinal Manipulation

To understand the biomechanics of a whiplash injury, the Yale University School of Medicine conducted a series of rear-ened collisions in 1997. They concluded that during the earliest phase of the collision, the cervical spine forms an "S" shape deformation, in which there is flexion of the upper cervical spine and hyperextension of the lower cervical spine.

It was later determined that most of the whiplash injury occurs during the deformation phase which is the initial effects of the collision of the cervical spine. Further research determined that during the impact, the cervical facet joint is the most common source of neck pain after whiplash and then becomes the most common source of chronic neck pain after the injury.

The determination of why and how the "S" shape cervical spine deforms during impact was determined to be caused by the injury to the facet joints and their capsular ligaments.

How Can Chiropractic Help?

It is a known that spinal manipulation primarily affects the apophyseal spinal joints. Given the information above in correlation with what we know about spinal manipulation, it is plausible that spinal adjusting could improve the pain and recovery time of individuals who have experienced whiplash. Studies have shown such improvement in a patient. In addition, recent research has shown that over 90% of patients who undergo chiropractic treatment for chronic whiplash injury showed improvement.

In addition, research has shown that people who get chiropractic treatment need fewer sessions to complete their treatment. This is due to the mobility an adjustment creates in the joints. Furthermore, many adhesions due to the injury are decreased through the adjustment due to decrease pressure in the affected joint.

In summary, both acute and chronic neck pain is primarily attributed to the facet joints. This is true of those who have experienced whiplash from an accident. Chiropractic spinal adjusting affects many tissues, but primarily the facet joints. Evidence continues to support spinal manipulation to be effective and safe for patients suffering from neck pain and whiplash. In addition, evidence supports that spinal manipulation for both acute and chronic neck pain can have long lasting benefits.

Car Accidents, Chiropractic and Children

Children are injured in motor vehicle collisions more often than we think In fact, it has become a big problem in recent years. Motor vehicle collisions have consistently been proven to be the number one reason for both mortality and morbidity in children younger than 25 years of age.

The bodies of children younger than on year of age function as a single piece of inertial mass during motor vehicle accidents. Usually, children have proportionately larger head sizes compared to their body mass. Consequently, during an accident, their head will "lead" the force of the impact.

Serious head, brain, and cervical spinal cord injuries can be avoided when the child is restrained properly. However, an accident even while being restrained properly can increase vulnerability of the cervical spine injury. This is due to the immobilization of the child's body while the head is still mobilized. This can cause significant cervical spine and soft tissue injury.

Most serious injuries to children younger than one year of age occur during a frontal impact collision. These serious injuries can be reduced by placing the child restraint seat in a rearward facing direction, and then properly securing this child restraint seat to the vehicle using the adult restraint belts. Serious injuries are reduced as the forces of the frontal impact are dispersed over a broader surface area of the child; over the back of the skull, the thoracic cage, and the pelvis.

Very young children cannot communicate to their parents or health care providers. Even the smallest non-life threatening injuries in children should be documented and properly managed. Chiropractic is safe for children and there are many non-evasive forms of treatment for as needed.