Neck Pain

Signs And Treatments For Whiplash

Michael Schuneman, DC
March 10, 2016June 15, 2020

Whiplash refers to a painful injury of the tendons and ligaments of the neck. It is often due to a sudden jolting of that part of the body. It accounts for over three-fourths of injury claims following auto accidents. The following are some signs of whiplash, along with treatments that can help with pain reduction and recovery.

Pain In Just About Every Direction – But Sometimes Not at First

A whiplash injury causes pain when the neck is moved in just about any direction – front, backward and side to side or any combination thereof. However, the pain of whiplash may not be immediately felt right following the accident. Sometimes it can take a day or two for this type of pain to manifest, or occasionally even longer. The pain may come on gradually or suddenly and then get worse as time passes.

Whiplash Symptoms

Other symptoms of a case of whiplash include neck stiffness, tenderness, pain, constricted movement and minor to severe headaches. Interestingly, women seem to be more likely than men to experience whiplash after an accident. While traffic accidents are the main cause, other possibilities like a hit to the head, slipping and falling, or trauma experienced while playing a sport can also result in whiplash. Any movement that causes a sudden jolt can potentially cause a case of whiplash.

A list of many whiplash symptoms is as follows:

Neck pain
Neck stiffness
Upper back/shoulder pain or stiffness
Numbness/pain in arms or hands
Headaches
Lower back pain
Ringing in the ears
Dizziness
Blurry vision
Difficulty concentrating
Memory loss
Irritability
Chronic fatigue
Sleep disturbances/insomnia

Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash consists of injuries to the soft tissues like neck muscles and ligaments as well as the disks in the spine. These injuries cannot be seen with a standard X-ray and are most often diagnosed by considering the signs, symptoms and circumstances that led to the injury. Tests like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT scans can assist with diagnosis, but are not typically used unless a more serious spinal injury is a possibility.

Treating Whiplash

Using ice packs on the neck followed by a heating pad or warm bath can assist in reducing swelling and pain, and a pain reliever (over the counter, prescription or even a natural or herbal remedy) can reduce discomfort. A multifaceted approach utilizing massage, physical therapy and chiropractic treatment in Colorado Springs offers the best healing and can also help profoundly in reducing discomfort. Recovery time will depend upon the severity of the case of whiplash.

Is It Bad To Pop My Own Back Or Neck?

Michael Schuneman, DC
September 8, 2015June 15, 2020

This is a question that I sometimes get from patients or other people when they find out I am a chiropractor. Often it goes something like this, “I know I shouldn’t but it feels so good to pop my neck (or back) and I do it all the time. Is that bad for my neck(or back)?” People seem to think it is a bad thing to be popping their back or neck all the time. Today I wanted to answer that question and give you some of the reasoning behind it.

The short answer to the question “Is it bad to pop my own back or neck?” is it depends. The reason I say that is because there are many different ways that the back or neck can pop. But first let’s talk about what that pop is.

The prevailing thought is that the popping noise you hear when ‘cracking’ or ‘popping’ your knuckles, or any other joint for that matter, is the sound of gas bubbles being released from the fluid within the joint. Much like when you open a can of soda the gas that was dissolved in the liquid is released because the change in pressure. Likewise there is gas that is dissolved in the liquid that lubricates the joints of the body. When you change the pressure within the joint by stretching or moving the joint, some of that gas is released. The gas will eventually be reabsorbed into the fluid within the joint. This process in and of itself does not cause any damage to the joint.

When It Is Okay

So if the ‘pop’ or ‘crack’ is simply gas being released and does not cause problems, why would popping your own back or neck be bad? Well as I said before it depends on how you are popping your back or neck. Often when people are doing a gentle stretch of the back or neck they will get pops and that is okay. I really wouldn’t worry about this because this movement is within the normal motion of the joint. And to be honest it may actually help correct minor misalignments or restrictions because the body is always trying to correct itself.

Now just to help you understand, regularly popping your back and neck in this way does not mean you don’t need to go to the chiropractor. What I do is much more specific and precise to help restore proper motion and function to the spine than a good general stretch . Besides, the joints of the spine that are moving well enough to allow them to pop are probably not the ones that really need to be adjusted. While those that really need to be adjusted are unlikely to release with this type of motion.

When It Is Bad

So if a general stretch is okay, when is popping your back or neck a bad thing? Sometimes individuals will use a quick jerking motion to get the neck or back to pop. This can be a bad thing. One of the reasons being that it can become a habit and they end up doing it repeatedly, often several times a day or even several times an hour. This is a problem because the repeated motion with that quick jerk or pull can stretch the ligaments surrounding the joints and, over time, lead to injury or even laxity of those joints. This can lead to some instability or excessive motion at those joints and set the stage for likely further injury.

I know that some of you out there reading this might be in this second category and think, ‘well a general stretch won’t get it to pop and that pop feels good and relieves the tension or pain for a little bit’. It is true that the pop (which is called a cavitation) does feel good and for a very short time can lead to pain relief. But my advice to you is to leave the adjusting to the expert, the chiropractor. You will be better off and will likely experience long term relief from regular chiropractic care.

Let me know what you thought of the post and share your most interesting story of who you know who likes to pop their back or neck. If there is someone that you think needs to read this pass it along. And if you would like help with your back or neck pain and are in the Colorado Springs area stop on by, I would love to help.

Do I Need To See A Chiropractor?

Michael Schuneman, DC
July 22, 2015June 15, 2020

Well I will be completely up front, as a chiropractor in Colorado Springs, I think everyone would benefit from seeing a chiropractor! But to simply tell you that is not the purpose of this blog. I wanted to share five specific things that you can look for that are good signs that you should give the chiropractor a visit to receive chiropractic treatment. These are things that show there may be an underlying problem with your spine that is limiting what you can do and the enjoyment you get out of life.

1. Back or Neck Pain

Now this probably does not come as a surprise to most people. This is typically why people think they should go to a chiropractor. And it is true that chiropractic is great at helping to relieve back and neck pain but it can also help with so much more.

Back or neck pain can be caused by many different things, but most cases of back or neck pain are from what is termed ‘mechanical pain.’ This simply means that the pain is due to some physical stress on the spine or surrounding tissues. This can be from repeated motions, poor posture, increased stress on the spinal joints, etc. An often overlooked cause of back or neck pain is subtle misalignments of the bones of the spine because chiropractors are one of the only health professionals that are even looking for it!

2. Stiff or Limited Motion

This can be of any joint in the body, not just the spine. Chiropractors have the knowledge and skills to adjust every joint in the body. Often stiff or limited motion of the shoulders, elbows, knees, ankles, hands or feet can be improved with a chiropractic adjustment in those areas. When joints become misaligned there are muscle spasms that can go along with it which can make you feel stiff and limit motion. When you correct the misalignment the muscles often will balance again, or if not completely resolved by an adjustment, there are many soft tissue techniques that a chiropractor can use to help.

3. Shoes Wear Out Unevenly

Now you may be surprised by this! What does my shoes wearing out have anything to do with chiropractic you may ask. Well if your shoes are wearing out unevenly there is probably some imbalances in the biomechanics of the body. This can again be from misaligned or restricted motion of the pelvis, hips, knees, feet, or even other areas of the body. A chiropractor can evaluate your posture and motion and find the areas that are causing uneven stress not only on your shoes but the joints in the legs and feet. When these imbalances are corrected they not only save your shoes but your joints as well making it less likely to develop arthritis in those joints.

4. Headaches

There are many different causes of headaches, but something interesting is that not all headaches originate in the head itself. Research has shown that there is an area of the brainstem that extends down into the spinal cord of the upper neck where pain receptors from the head and upper neck connect with other nerves. Sometimes a pain receptor from one area (say the neck) can be interpreted as coming from somewhere else (say the head). This referred pain can be a cause of headache and the source is not even within the head. I actually see this a lot in my chiropractic practice. Headaches, even migraines respond well to chiropractic adjustments as well as working on relaxing and balancing the muscles in the neck.

5. Poor Sleep

What causes poor sleep? There can be many causes – pain so you can’t get comfortable, stimulants are keeping you awake, or stress doesn’t allow you to adequately relax to name a few. But one thing to think about is if you have difficulty sleeping and you take a sleeping pill: does that do anything to address the underlying problem? Poor sleep actually can be helped through chiropractic treatment. I learned this more so from experience than anything else when patients would just mention it as extra benefit of their care. While for some of them it may be from the pain relief allowing them to be more comfortable to sleep, that is not the cause in every case. Besides just the pain relief, chiropractic also helps the body to relax. I have patients every day tell me that they feel more relaxed after the chiropractic adjustment and many make a comment like “I am ready for a nap.” This is because when the spine is misaligned or not moving properly it puts extra stress on the nerves and shifts the body towards the ‘fight or flight’ mode. After an adjustment the body is shifted away from the ‘fight or flight’ response more towards rest, relaxation, and repair.

I hope you found this post to be useful and informative. I love to hear your stories of how chiropractic has helped you. So if you have a chiropractic story that relates to one of these five things or even something else, please share below in the comments. Also if you know someone that could benefit from this information please pass it along!