WHIPLASH!!!!! Is it real?

There you are, minding your own business, sitting at the traffic light or bogged down in expressway traffic. Then BAM!!! Someone hits you from the rear. In a split second your entire body is slammed forward with the exception of your head. Your head snaps backwards then violently forward again. This quick, snapping motion of the head causes tearing of the muscles and ligaments around the joints of the cervical spine(the neck bones). Picture a paper cut, you can barely see it but it hurts like the devil. This is what's happening in the soft tissue(muscles and ligaments)of the neck, only it's dozens of these little tears. The tissue begins to swell. Muscles spasm as a protection. Joints of the spine are twisted out of their normal alignment. Nerves are getting "pinched" by the spasm, swelling and misalignment. All of this is going to cause pain. Arm pain, upper back pain, headaches. Of course, the first thing you want to do is treat your pain. You want a muscle relaxer, a pain killer and an anti-inflammatory. Yes, this will give you some relief but will not correct the problem. Examination and x-rays by your chiropractor can determine to what extent your injuries are. Spinal adjustments and physiotherapy as well as specialized exercises and home care instructions can help you return to normal function. Whiplash can be caused by other activities such as karate, gymnastics, football, boxing and water skiing.
There are several factors that can affect your recovery. Age, sex, your overall general physical condition, the acuteness and length of time of the symptoms. Older patients may require more extensive treatment. Flexibility and the strength of the muscles and ligaments is less as we get older. The muscles and ligaments are not as healthy and pliable in our later years. Women have smaller neck muscles and bones making them more susceptible to injury. Arthritic changes, disc degeneration and previous injuries can also be factors in your recovery. Smokers and those that don't exercise don't heal as easy or as well. Not using the head restraint on your car seat properly can be a reason to start this whole problem at the time of impact. Chiropractic has been shown as one the BEST ways to treat neck injuries and whiplash. Research in the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine found that 74% of the people in the study with whiplash showed improvement with chiropractic care. The researchers also found that other forms of treatment were disappointing.
Remember, all that I ask is a chance.

JUST PROUD!!!!

This post is not about health. Well, maybe my mental health. This blog is to say how proud I am of my family. My wife has been appointed to be the principal of McKendree Elementary School in Lawrenceville, Ga. This has been a long time goal of hers and I'm very proud of her. She has worked hard to put herself in a position to have this opportunity. I know she will do a fantastic job. She is just a day away of doing the defense of her dissertation for her PhD. Again another long road. Again I'm very proud of her dedication and the hard work to accomplish such a great feat.
My youngest daughter is just a couple of months away from getting her Masters in education. She's a great special education teacher in Dacula. She is very good at it, too. Again---Proud! My middle daughter graduated last Friday from the Fire Academy in Dacula. Now,she is not only a certified EMT/Paramedic,but,she is a certified Firefighter. As a matter of fact, she is fighting her first fire today. Seeing all she had to study, learn and do during the 4 months of this program, I'm amazed and, yes, you know------PROUD!! My oldest daughter is being a great mom. She is pregnant with her second child----a boy this time. I truly enjoy watching her be the wonderful mom that she is. And of course---I'm very proud of her.

I'm proud of myself too!! In July, my wife and I celebrate our 30th year of marriage. In July, I celebrate 29 years of practicing chiropractic. My pride comes from the numbers of people that have put their confidence in me to help them with conservative, natural chiropractic treatment. I pray that I will have many more years and many more people to treat. Thank you to all of you that have been part of this nearly 30 year run. And please know, this is a positive pride and not a negative pride. Thank you Lord for all you do for me and mine.