1^st Aid forWhiplash

"Doc, what should I do...

I just got into a Fender-Bender?"   

I always tell people that the most important thing to do is prevent the long term problems that can occur after neck strain/sprain injuries from a car accident (often called "whiplash"). Just because you aren't in a lot of pain, don't take it lightly.

1. Get yourself checked out by a good manual therapy Physician...a Chiropractor, an Osteopath, or a "hands-on" physiatrist (MD).  There can be subtle problems found by a thorough physical examination...the sooner the better.
2. Immediately start with gentle nerve release stretches.  The Australian government did some research on what people should do....and the #1 thing with the best long-term outcome was the following:
• Sitting straight with good posture, SLOWLY turn your head to the right as far as it will go comfortably, and return to midline.  Repeat ten times to the right. 
• Now do the same to the left side, ten times as well.
• Repeat every few hours for the first few days, then 3 times a day for the next week.
3. Be positive and expect the best:  every structure in the human body can heal and recover from injury.  True, some brain damage is permanent, and if your accident was that severe, this blog is not the right one for you.  Having a positive mind-set will make a difference in the outcome of your recovery.  I work diligently to help my patients find the good in their "bad experience."
4. Keep a written log or journal of how you feel and what symptoms you have.  This will help with remembering it all when it is time to talk to the doctor and the insurance company.
5. Always take brain symptoms seriously.  If you are dizzy, nauseous, confused, forgetful, irritable, sleeping poorly, or having strange symptoms, be sure to tell your doctor!  Many will improve over time without care, but it is best to report them to a professional.

Douglas Kennedy|Boulder Chiropractor | Best Boulder Chiropractor

Today, a patient returned complaining of a very very stiff and painful neck.  It seems it had been so bad for the last 2 weeks, that he even resorted to going to the Urgent Care center to get "a shot into the muscles" to make them relax.  The doctors there, of course, did not give him a shot, but did what they always do....suggested he take some medicine for the pain and the muscle spasm.  During the two weeks he tried massage (only made it worse) and self care using heat.  Finally, after much Advil, muscle relaxants and pain killers, it was mobile enough to come to me.

When I asked him why he didn't come to me right a way, he said his neck was "too stiff to be cracked."  He also remarked, that he kept thinking it would get better in a day or two.  

I hear this all the time: "You know, Doc, I thought maybe it will go away."  

How unfortunate.  I wonder how many people out there feel the same way.  The MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT for this condition can be found in the chiropractor's office. Dr Kennedy, Boulder's Best Chiropractor, can help with this type of PAIN.

At our office, we use careful diagnosis, gentle muscle relaxation, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, cold laser, and acupuncture .....as well as spinal manipulation.

My patient's problem would have been gone in 2-3 days.  I do it all the time, and have helped countless patients who come in with their necks off to one side, afraid to move or look around.

The next time you, or somebody you know, has a "kink in the neck"  be sure to tell them to go to a good manual therapist /  chiropractor.  No need for drugs or "the tincture of time" to get better.  I have never met anybody who had a blood panel that showed a deficiency of muscle relaxant or Vicodin.  Get a good exam.  Get some Hands on relief with Boulder Chiropractor Doug Kennedy.

Pain comes from a body part that is in distress;  find that part, and help it back to where it needs to be, and the pain can be released.  It is often that simple. 

For more info on neck pain and other possible symptoms and causes, go to:  neck pain

For more about "Chiropractic Myths" go to:  chiro myths & facts

Dr Doug Kennedy |Boulder Chiropractor|Best Boulder Chiropractor|Best Colorado Chiropractor

Kennedy Chiropractic of Boulder 3405 Penrose Pl. #106, Boulder, CO 80301 

Just about anybody with lumbar back pain has heard of the "Spinal Decompression" therapy offered using the DRX9000 "space age device."  It has been advertised everywhere, and has created a lot of "Buzz" in the Boulder Colorado community. 

?Is it Safe?   Yes and No.  Most doctors are very careful when they examine a patient, and go through an extensive checklist to make sure the patient is considered a "good candidate" for the treatment.  "Good Candidate" means that you would have a strong likelihood of getting some improvement in your back pain, and very little chance you could get hurt or have your condition worsened.  A small percentage of lumbar disc patients need to be decompressed while lying on their stomach...to be treated on their back would chance further disc injury and more pain.  The DRX9000 is not able to treat patients on their stomachs, Period.  Yet, stories are told in the medical community of patients being made worse with treatment.  Is it possible the doctor tried to fit the square peg into the round hole instead of telling the patient they were NOT a good candidate?  Yes.  I have personally had 2 disc problems, and been significantly aggravated by a well-intentioned Doctor using a DRX9000.  I was put into the machine by a technician, and the "start" button was pressed with the poundage of decompression based only on my body weight.  In a few minutes, the pain was unbearable, and I felt like my muscles were being torn, so I made the tech turn the machine off, reset the decompression tension to half of the prescribed setting, and then had an OK experience.  I am a doctor, and was shocked by the sense of "auto pilot" that the people use with the DRX9000 (in my experience only).  A good practitioner will always start slow and low, and stay with you for as long as it takes to get the right settings worked out.

How many visits will it take?  Nobody knows for sure, but most patients need at least 10 and up to 25 treatments to get good results.  This is normal, since the treatment is speeding up the healing of a very deep tissue, the disc.  As you know, a bad ankle sprain can take up to 8 weeks to heal.  The disc is no different:  it takes time.

What should I look for in a good spinal decompression Doctor or clinic?  Here is a brief checklist of things the spinal decompression doctor should do:

• Complete History and Physical exam, including x-ray and MRI review.
• Functional movement exam:  which movements make the pain better and which make it worse.  Is the pelvic ring (Sacroiliac joints and pubis) intact and strong?  Would a trochanter belt help or hinder your movements?
• Are there any genetic factors, nutritional deficiency, birth defects, that may be important?
• Is the spine stable?  Is the vertebra sliding back and forth with flexion or extension?  If so, you may be injured if you get spinal decompression...everything moves more and the nerves can be damaged.
• Is there a movement disorder?  Is the pain reproduced each and every time you do a specific movement (and is that really stressing the disc or some other pain-sensitive structure)?  If we find a movement disorder, we ALWAYS correct it first...and sometimes that solves the whole pain complex.
• Are they clear about the fees, the expectations, and the outcomes?   Are you being promised the "best thing since sliced bread"?    Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it just might be.

I have studied and been certified in Advanced Spinal Decompression techniques by Jay Kennedy DC.  "The Kennedy Method" is considered to be the highest level of training for spinal decompression, and if you get your care from a Kennedy Method doctor, you can be sure the above criteria will be met.

For more info on this subject go to:  Spinal Decompression

 Dr Douglas Kennedy (no relationship to Dr Jay Kennedy)