Author: Andre Broussard, D.C.
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Whiplash Diagnosis
Whiplash is, by definition, the rapid acceleration followed by deceleration of the head causing the neck to “crack like a whip” forwards and backwards at a rate so fast that the muscles cannot react quickly enough to control the motion. As reported last month, if a collision occurs in an automobile and the head rests…
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Low Back Pain and Obesity
Low back pain (LBP) is a VERY COMMON PROBLEM! Here are some facts about LBP: 1) At ANY given time, 31 million Americans experience LBP; 2) LBP is the single leading cause of disability worldwide; 3) 50% of ALL working Americans admit to having LBP symptoms each year; 4) LBP is the #1 reason for…
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CTS Self-Diagnosis – Is That Possible?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is technically a “pinched nerve” in the wrist (carpal tunnel) that results in numbness, tingling and later, weakness in the distribution of the median nerve (thumb, index, 3rd, and half of the 4th finger). There is a limited amount of space within the carpal tunnel. In addition to the median nerve,…
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Fibromyalgia and Sleep Interference
Fibromyalgia (FM) affects the entire body, which makes the diagnosis challenging! A VERY common issue with patients struggling with FM includes problems related to sleep. This goes beyond the number of hours one “tries to sleep” but rather the quality of sleep and feeling “restored” in the morning. That is, quality is more important than…
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Neck Pain – Where Is It Coming From?
Neck pain can arise from a number of different tissues in the neck. Quite often, pain is generated from the small joints in the back of the vertebra (called facets). Pain can also arise from disk related conditions where the liquid-like center part of the disk works its way out through cracks and tears in…
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Whiplash “Fun Facts”
Whiplash is a slang term for cervical acceleration, deceleration syndrome, or CAD. There are facts and myths surrounding the subject of whiplash. Let’s look at some of the facts. 1. The origin of CAD. The history of CAD dates back to a time prior to the invention of the car. The first case of severe…
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Ketogenic Diets and Pain
This article proposes that a low carbohydrate diet (ketogenic diet) may help reduce pain. This type of diet helps to control seizures, and some of the theory is based on that. They say that like seizures, chronic pain is thought to involve increased excitability of nerves, the ketogenic diet has some commonality with anticonvulsant drugs,…
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Whiplash “101” (Part 2)
Our current Whiplash topic continues from last month when we reviewed the “mechanism of injury,” the “type of injury,” and “prognosis.” This month, we will review the “nuts and bolts” of the whiplash injury or, whiplash associated disorders (WAD). Whiplash diagnosis: The diagnosis of whiplash first and foremost requires a thorough history. Here, we discuss…
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Headaches and Chiropractic Care
Did you know that 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches? There are many different types of headaches with a multitude of symptoms including achy, throbbing, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, numbness, blinding, noise, light and/or odor sensitivity, and more. The causes of headaches can include genetics (familial traits like migraine headaches), stress or tension (probably…
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Fibromyalgia – Do We Know The Cause?
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition that is characterized by widespread pain, fatigue and an increased pain response. Symptoms can include tingling of the skin, muscle spasms, weakness in the arms and legs, nerve pain, muscle twitching, bowel disturbances, chronic sleep disturbances, and more. So, what can cause such a widespread, whole body condition? Though the…