Posts Tagged ‘New Fairfield Chiropractor’
Welcome to Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center's New Fairfield Chiropractor Archive. Here you can learn more about Chiropractic Life and Wellness Center, Chiropractic, and Dr. Brandon Chorney, today's choice for Chiropractors in New Fairfield, CT. Read Dr. Brandon Chorney's Chiropractic New Fairfield Chiropractor for the health of it.
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jan 24, 2023 | Health Articles
The roar of an engine! The roar of the crowd! The roar of wind racing by as you hold on and enjoy a day at an amusement park. Life today is fast and we play hard. Unfortunately today’s fast lifestyle can have a traumatic effect on your health.
The injury suffered is most often described as Whiplash. Car accidents are most often associated for causing whiplash injuries, however, this action can also occur when a person is participating in a sporting event or known to occur when riding on amusement park rides and sometimes as the result of a fall.
What causes Whiplash?
A whiplash injury occurs when there is an abrupt backward or forward jerking motion of the head which causes an injury to the neck where the intervertebral joints (located between vertebrae), discs, ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots may become damaged. These cervical spinal injuries most frequently result when a person is struck in such a way as to cause the jerking motion of the head and neck to occur. Whiplash is then characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck.
People who experience whiplash may develop one or more of the following symptoms, usually within the first few days after the injury:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Headaches
- Pain in the shoulder or between the shoulder blades
- Low back pain
- Pain or numbness in the arm and/or hand
- Dizziness
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue
It should be remembered that the effects of whiplash may take weeks or months to fully manifest, thus it cannot be assumed that no problems exist just because no symptoms are felt immediately following the accident. These symptoms should always be taken seriously no matter how insignificant they may at first appear due to the areas which are affected.
If you are not very careful, a whiplash injury may end up causing permanent damage when it is not noticed or its effect is underestimated. Around 50% of whiplash victims are still suffering the effects of their whiplash years later.
Whiplash Injury Studies
Nearly 1 out of 15 adult Americans suffers from the annoying and sometimes debilitating long-term effects of a whiplash injury, usually in the form of neck stiffness and pain. Fortunately, Chiropractic offers a very high level of help regarding relief for whiplash. Here are the conclusions of 4 separate studies cited:
- In a study published in Injury, 93 percent of 28 patients showed significant improvements following Chiropractic care. The help protocol utilized included spinal manipulation, stretching and ice therapy.
- Study results published in the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine showed similar findings. “Whiplash injuries are common. Chiropractic is the only proven effective treatment in chronic cases,” researchers said in their study conclusions.
- Finally, two separate studies published in the Journal of Manipulative Physiology and Therapy confirm Chiropractic benefits. “For chronic spinal pain in general, when compared to traditional medical approaches, Chiropractic has generally been shown to be more effective.”
Be Smart
Whiplash is a common injury that can occur in our current lifestyles. Practicing safe driving and using properly adjusted headrest restraints and seat-belts can go a long way to preventing whiplash accidents. Also, wearing the proper head gear in sporting activities, particularly for those playing a violent sport like football, can also help to prevent injury. But when painful blows to the cervical spine occur be smart and have a professional evaluation by a spinal specialist – a Chiropractor. Studies confirm that Chiropractic can provide significant help and long-term healing results.
Ask our expert Chiropractic Team what recommendations we would advise to keep your cervical spine in top condition and help you to avoid injury to your neck and back.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Jan 17, 2023 | Health Articles
Workplace Ergonomics Simply Defined Workplace ergonomics is the practice of designing or redesigning an area in which a person works to the specific needs and job requirements of that person. Simply defined that for an ergonomic workplace to be created, a proper assessment of the environment must first of all take place so that appropriate...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Aug 13, 2020 | Health Articles
With today’s hectic lifestyles our stress and pain overload is up and our time and resources are limited for solutions. For solutions many of us head to the internet to search for these solutions. Unfortunately there is too much information on the information highway which allows us to become paralyzed with confusion. Here are a few recent studies to help show that your neck pain solution maybe cost effective, simple, and best of all in convenient location near you.
First Understanding Neck Pain
Your neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. Incredibly, the cervical spine supports the full weight of your head, which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.
The neck’s susceptibility to injury is due in part to bio-mechanics. Activities and events that affect cervical bio-mechanics include extended sitting, repetitive movement, accidents, falls and blows to the body or head, normal aging, and everyday wear and tear. Neck pain can be very bothersome, and it can have a variety of causes.
Frequent Causes:
Accidents and Injuries: A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the inter-vertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash.
Age: Degenerative disorders such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease directly affect the spine.
- Osteoarthritis, a common joint disorder, causes progressive deterioration of cartilage. The body reacts by forming bone spurs that affect joint motion.
- Spinal stenosis causes the small nerve passageways in the vertebrae to narrow, compressing and trapping nerve roots. Stenosis may cause neck, shoulder, and arm pain, as well as numbness, when these nerves are unable to function normally.
- Degenerative disc disease can cause reduction in the elasticity and height of inter-vertebral discs. Over time, a disc may bulge or herniate, causing tingling, numbness, and pain that runs into the arm.
Daily Activities: Poor posture, obesity, and weak abdominal muscles often disrupt spinal balance, causing the neck to bend forward to compensate. Stress and emotional tension can cause muscles to tighten and contract, resulting in pain and stiffness. Postural stress can contribute to chronic neck pain with symptoms extending into the upper back and the arms.
Recent Studies on Chiropractic
One of the most recent reviews of scientific literature found evidence that patients with chronic neck pain enrolled in clinical trials reported significant improvement following chiropractic spinal manipulation.
As part of the literature review, published in the March/April 2007 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, the researchers reviewed nine previously published trials and found “high-quality evidence” that patients with chronic neck pain showed significant pain-level improvements following spinal manipulation. No trial group was reported as having remained unchanged, and all groups showed positive changes up to 12 weeks post-treatment.
Anther important study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, compared three modes of treatment to determine which was the most effective in improving mobility and reducing neck pain.
The research group consisted of 183 patients between the ages of 18 to 70, who had reported complaints of neck pain for a minimum two-week period, participated in the study.
Group one received continued routine care by a doctor and were ordered to take pain medication and rest; group two received Chiropractic adjustments, and group three underwent physical therapy, including a supervised exercise regimen.
After seven weeks of treatment, 68.3% of patients who received adjustments reported that they were either “completely recovered,” or had significantly improved as a result of treatment — compared with only 50.8% of the physical therapy group and 35.9% of patients under a physician’s care.
The results show that Chiropractic adjustments are more effective than drug therapy in treating neck pain. An additional note was mentioned in the results – that the range of motion also improved more among patients in the adjustment and physical therapy groups.
How Chiropractic Can Help You
During your visit, a doctor of chiropractic will perform exams to locate the source of your pain and will ask you questions about your current symptoms and remedies you may have already tried. For example:
- When did the pain start?
- What have you done for your neck pain?
- Does the pain radiate or travel to other parts of your body?
- Does anything reduce the pain or make it worse?
The doctor will also do physical and neurological exams. In the physical exam, your doctor will observe your posture, range of motion, and physical condition, noting movement that causes pain. He/she will feel your spine, note its curvature and alignment, and feel for muscle spasm. A check of your shoulder area is also in order. During the neurological exam, the doctor will test your reflexes, muscle strength, other nerve changes, and pain spread.
In some instances, the chiropractor might order tests to help diagnose your condition. An x-ray can show narrowed disc space, fractures, bone spurs, or arthritis. A computerized axial tomography scan (a CT or CAT scan) or a magnetic resonance imaging test (an MRI) can show bulging discs and herniations. If nerve damage is suspected, your doctor may order a special test called electromyography (an EMG) to measure how quickly your nerves respond.
Chiropractors are conservative care doctors; their scope of practice does not include the use of drugs or surgery. If your chiropractor diagnoses a condition outside of this conservative scope, such as a neck fracture or an indication of an organic disease, he or she will refer you to the appropriate medical physician or specialist. He or she may also ask for permission to inform your family physician of the care you are receiving to ensure that your chiropractic care and medical care are properly coordinated.
Our Team is Ready
Contact our expert team today so we may schedule this very important examination and consultation to assess your condition and answer all of your important health questions.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | May 28, 2020 | Health Articles
An optimal spine equals optimal health with your posture being the window to you spine, but that’s not all…A new study has revealed that good posture also gives you more confidence in your own thoughts. Learn More Researchers have concluded that people sitting up straight think more positively about themselves, and are more likely to...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | May 14, 2020 | Health Articles
Finally summer is here! But with the great weather that arrived late this year so did the massive pollen levels that are causing an historic spike in cases of seasonal allergy, also known as allergic rhinitis. Bad news for those of us who anxiously awaited to emerge from our winter cocoons and enjoy the great outdoors....
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