If you have any complaints that have been going on for more then four weeks or consistently pop up every few months then it would be wise to have a spinal examination by a chiropractor trained to identify and correct spinal joint problems.

If you have any questions, visit our website and send us email or give us a call at 317-585-9111. We would be happy to answer your questions or setup a complimentary consultation with one of our doctors to assess your conditions.

Article: Reprinted from the US Chiropractic Directory (www.USChiroDirectory.com)

How do you know when you’re overdoing it while exercising? Use this simple “Talk Test”: Say the Pledge of Allegiance out loud. If it’s difficult to voice those familiar words, you’re probably pushing yourself too hard.

In a study, researchers tested this technique on 16 healthy participants using two types of exercise equipment — a treadmill and a cycle ergometer. The subjects, who were moderately active, recited the Pledge of Allegiance during progressively more difficult stages of exercise. Following the speech, researchers asked participants if they could speak comfortably and recorded their answers.

Participants’ exercise intensity levels were also measured by established markers — heart rate, perceived exertion and ventilatory threshold. This threshold is the point where breathing increases disproportionate to the increase of workload. In other words, it indicates when an exerciser is approaching his intensity limit.

When results from specialized and accepted tests were compared with the “Talk Test,” researchers found that they were comparable. They concluded that the “Talk Test” is an acceptable form of monitoring exertion. In fact, they recommend it as a practical and easy tool to keep intensity levels in check.

Dr. Ferris’s comments:

This test can be used for any age or fitness level.  The goal is to push your intensity level up to where it is difficult to carry on a conversation with someone.  Once you reach this level, you should back off slightly. This is your optimum training level. With this test you do not need an expensive heart rate monitor. Don’t forget that after exercising, it is best to cool down with some general back and leg stretches. Happy exercising!

I like this article because it is a good reminder that chiropractic is not just for those in pain. Most professional sports’ have a team chiropractor to keep their athletes performing at their peak. Also, many people who do see a chiropractor initially for a particular symptom often choose to return periodically to maintain spinal alignment and proper joint function even when they have little to no symptoms.

Chiropractic used by all 32 NFL teams

The Professional Football Chiropractic Society (PFCS) takes pride in announcing that all 32 teams in the National Football League offer their players and personnel chiropractic physician services as part of the triage in managing and preventing injuries. According to the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, this distinction is a benchmark for the profession and documents the important role that chiropractic care plays in optimizing athletic performance.

“The robust need for chiropractic care in the NFL has been deeply driven by the players’ desire for peak physical conditioning and not simply for injuries,” states Spencer H. Baron, D.C., DACBSP, immediate past President of the PFCS and Miami Dolphins team chiropractor for the past 14 years. “From the earliest years of full contact football, their bodies are subject to structural stress that doctors of chiropractic (DCs) are specially trained to care for. ”

Saints 2006 first round pick, Reggie Bush, has been receiving regular chiropractic care since playing football in high school and during his collegiate years. “I look at chiropractic care as important to keeping me healthy and at the top of my game.”

In fact, many professional athletes are outspoken about their experiences with chiropractic care. Most notably, 2010 NFL Hall Of Fame inductee Jerry Rice, who is a spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating the public of the many benefits associated with chiropractic care.

“I did a lot of things to stay in the game, but regular visits to my chiropractor made all the difference,” Rice asserts.

To see the full article click here… http://newsblaze.com/story/2010021607372200001.bw/topstory.html

Seated Posture tips:

• Proper chair height should allow for both feet to be flat on the ground with a 90 degree angle formed between the lower legs and the thigh/pelvis. If you have to have your chair up higher to accommodate desk height then you may want to use one or more old phone books under your feet to maintain the angle described.
• If working at a computer, the middle of the monitor should be at eye-level height when one is sitting with their back straight up from pelvis.
• To reduce neck pain/strain, periodically make sure you are not leaning forward or bending your neck down toward the keyboard/mouse or forward towards the screen. Hint…if you were to look at yourself from the side, your ear should be directly over your shoulder.
• To reduce low back pain/strain, make sure you are not in a slouched position for long periods. To help out with this, make sure that you have adequate lumbar support on your chair. This means that back of the chair should have a hump just above the seat that will support the normal lumbar curve of one’s spine.

Duration of Sitting:

• Take short and frequent breaks to walk around and get some movement into joints of the hips and spine to help reduce low back pain/strain.
• To reduce neck pain/strain, periodically get some movement to the joints of the neck by slowly moving the head into full flexion (towards chest), extension (up and back), right ear to right shoulder, left ear to left shoulder, rotate/turn head all the way to right, then left. Try and hold each position at the full stretch position for at least 5 to 10 seconds.

When my son was only a few weeks old, he had a real difficult night…and so did his parents. He was having trouble getting to sleep and then staying asleep. By 2am, my wife was completely exhausted and sleep deprived…so she tagged me and said it’s your turn. After a few hours of doing all the things that normally put him asleep, I thought to myself, “something just doesn’t seem right.” I remembered back to my grad school classes  of pediatric chiropractic and the topic of colic. The instructors related their clinical experience with babies with colic to small kinks or misalignments in the baby’s neck that was causing neck discomfort and the resulting baby’s only line of defense…uneasiness and crying.

With that thought in mind…and my own sense of fatigue and passionate desire for sleep, I decided to check the joints of my son’s neck. Sure enough, one side was more restricted and seemed to be irritated when turning that direction. With an extremely gentle adjustment, the joint restriction was relieved and my son was asleep in less then five minutes…and he slept the rest of the night without waking. Needless to say, that was one instance where I was extremely thankful to be a chiropractor. As I joke with my wife, sleep is one of my favorite things to do.

Many people think that back and neck problems are only for adults, but children and even babies can have joints that get irritated and jammed up. For infants, one common cause of this joint misalignment is sustained periods of poor neck posture that commonly occurs when they sleep in their car seat with their neck twisted to one side.

With two children now, I have found out first hand that one of the most common reasons for colic is literally a “kink” in the neck.

Article Highlights:

“Research is revealing that minor disturbances to spinal alignment and function may be a factor in a number of disorders. These disturbances lead to nerve interference and can result in a host of disorders such as colic, constipation and sleep disorders” stated Dr. Sean Batte the author of the study. Other chiropractic researchers have reported on similar results and reviews of the scientific research reveal numerous other studies that have shown a similar connection.

“It makes a lot of sense when you think about it” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study, “If you damage or compress the neurological structures in the spine this can have far reaching implications on the functioning of the body… correcting the misalignments or abnormal motion associated with these spinal problems reduces the nerve compression and people improve. In this study it was an infant suffering from colic, constipation, sleep disturbance and excessive crying.”

History and examination of the child revealed that he had a difficult birth, cried regularly, was not sleeping during the day, and if he wasn’t eating or sleeping, he was crying. At night, his sleep was sporadic and irregular and his parents were not able to sleep or catch up on sleep during the day as he wasn’t napping at all. The mother’s general practitioner recommended anti-depressants and tranquilizers for the child. The infant was evaluated and cared for using chiropractic protocols to reduce vertebral subluxations in the child’s spine. Within five visits his mother reported his bowel movements had started to become more regular, he was belching normally after meals, started to sleep better and the crying abated.

To read the full article, click here…

http://www.chiroeco.com/chiropractic/news/9003/861/Journal:-Chiropractic-helpful-in-common-infant-complaints/

Diagnostic Results: The following link is a copy of the stress x-ray digital analysis produced by a 3rd party independent evaluation according to AMA guidelines.

MVA- 7yr old 1st page of ligament injury diagnosis report

Upon finding that the boy in fact did have ligamentous injury and spinal joint dysfunction, I began treating him with conservative chiropractic care for the subluxations or spinal misalignments that were causing the spinal joint dysfunction. Within a few treatments the mother noticed positive behavioral changes. Specifically, he was less irritable and moody and he was able to concentrate and focus more at home and with school work. As she thought back, she reported that his irritability and difficulties were not present before the accident, but that she never thought that those symptoms were the result of spinal joint injury from the accident. The mother fought back tears as she thanked me and thought of those injuries becoming permanent damages for her son.

This specific case illustrates that the nervous system is very complex and can manifest symptoms in many different ways and in differing levels of intensity for different individuals. As I tell my patients, pain is not the only indicator of injury or dysfunction. For this reason, I believe that it is so important to correct spinal subluxations or misalignments to allow for proper joint function and the least amount of nerve system interference. Not only is this one of the most conservative treatment options, but it routinely gets to the root cause of  the problem so that other more invasive and costly treatments can be avoided.

– Matthew C. Ferris is a chiropractic physician and clinical accident director at Health Connections in Fishers, Indiana. Dr. Ferris has a Diplomat with the American Academy of Medical Legal Professionals and has also completed certification in Whiplash and Brain Traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego.

An important point to make about proper injury diagnosis is illustrated by a common  misleading belief that is made in the article below. It said that “present technology does not permit precise identification of deranged soft tissues.” This is incorrect. There are actually many clinical options to identify such injuries. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), computer aided mensuration analysis of stress radiographs can be used to objectively measure alteration of motion segment integrity and compare with guidelines to determine impairment ratings. In plain English, this means that properly taken x-rays that are properly measured can identify ligament damage, otherwise worded in the article below as “deranged soft tissues.” Other tests that can objectively measure soft tissue injuries include dynamic surface electromyography and MRI.

* Formatting changes in the article below including, bold, underline, and comments in brackets “[ ]” were made by Dr. Ferris to highlight important points. The following article can be found and referenced by clicking on the following…http://www.chiroweb.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=40251

Injury with Low-Speed Collisions

By Jeffrey Tucker, DC, DACRB

Can pain and dysfunction develop from a low-velocity collision without attendant injury? “Low-speed” impact refers to 1-2 miles per hour and goes up to 20-25 mph. “Moderate speeds” are 25-40 mph and “high speeds” are 40 mph and over. Jackson¹⁶ and States¹³ estimate that 85 percent of all neck injuries seen clinically result from automobile crashes, and of those due to such collisions, 85 percent result from rear-end impacts. Morris reported that rear-end impacts of as little as five mph can give rise to significant symptoms.
Emori and Horiguchi state: “Whiplash, in some cases, persists for years but usually no obvious symptoms show up with radiological or other quantitative diagnostic techniques.”⁹ Our present technology does not permit precise identification of deranged soft tissues [misleading...see my comments above].
Kenna and Murtaghsay state: “It is wrong to assume that maximum neck injury occurs in a high-speed collision; it is the slow or moderate collision that causes maximum hyperextension of the cervical spine. High-speed collisions often break the back of the seat, thus minimizing the force of hyperextension.”²¹

A major dilemma exists for the auto manufacturer, insurance companies, and the consumer of autos. Each would like the vehicle to provide the maximum protection for the occupant with the minimum material damage to the vehicles during a collision. Stiffer cars with spring-like rear bumpers that increase the rebound have less damage costs, however the occupant experiences an increased neck snap and the potential for greater injury. When a car gets struck from the rear by another auto, the very first thing that happens is the struck car is accelerated. The occupant of the struck care experiences higher speeds as it attempts to “catch up” with the car. Navin and Romilly state: “This relative movement of the head to the shoulder during the rebound is the likely cause of neck injuries as this is the point at which dynamic loading of the neck will be maximum.”⁸ They conclude: “Of major concern to researchers is the lack of structural damage [to the car] present below impact speeds of 15 kmh. This indicates that the bumper system is the predominant system of energy absorption between the impact and the occupant [ie. the car takes more of the impact so the passenger's body has less energy to contribute to whiplash]. It was also observed that deflection of the seatback tends to pitch the occupant forward, with the shoulder displacement leading the head. This relative head to shoulder motion is the likely source of whiplash injury.”

Research has shown that high impact forces are transmitted directly to the occupant in low-speed impacts and that the vehicle does not begin to crush until impact speed exceeds 15 or 20 mph.^1,13 Severy¹ demonstrated a 10 mph impact produced total collapse of only 2 1/2 inches in the rear structures of the impacted vehicles. Therefore, minor property damage does not necessarily equate to minor injury. The most important question is not, “What is the damage to the vehicle?” but, “What was the acceleration to the vehicle that you were in?” Injury will occur because of the acceleration differences between the different inertial parts of the occupant’s body, especially from the person’s head, versus trunk inertial acceleration differences.

Headrests are the best protection in rear-end collisions. However if the headrest is set too low, the head is able to roll over the top of the headrest, producing even more hyperextension.²

The exact position of the head at the moment of impact is important to know. If the head is turned, the injury will be greater on the side it is turned to. When head rotation is present, the pattern of tissue injury is potentially more severe.¹⁹

A surprise collision will usually cause more injury because the ligaments will be injured more than the muscles. When a person knows they are going to be struck, they will tense up the muscles and therefore injure the muscles first. MacNab states: “In impacts up to 15 mph the right front seat passenger stands in greater danger of injury than does the driver, because the driver can brace himself to some extent by holding onto the steering wheel.”¹⁴

Common predisposing factors include degenerative joint disease [including disc degeneration] and spinal stenosis. The potential for injury is increased because the neck is less resilient.

The seatback stiffness requires investigation. The harder/stiffer the seatback the less forward acceleration and therefore the less injury. The less stiffer the seatback the more forward acceleration and therefore the risk of increased injury.

Jackson states: “The belt has very little if any deterring effect on the cervical spine as the head and neck continue forward motion. Even the addition of a shoulder harness will not relieve but will only increase the forces which must be absorbed by the head and neck, although such a harness may prevent contact injuries.”¹² Seat belts save lives by preventing occupants from going through the windshield, but they contribute to the neck injury.

The Office of the Chief Scientist (London), Department of Health and Social Security, had this comment regarding seat belts in 1985: “We predicted an increase in the case of two injuries: sprains of the neck and fractures of the sternum. Both were confirmed. The other apparent increase in a major injury which was not predicted was abdominal injuries of organs other than the kidney and bladder.”

Injuries Sustained

Myofascial structures can be stretched; asymmetric increase in muscle tension can develop, causing altered joint movement; the facets can become affected, and posture altered.

Dunn and Blazer⁷ concluded: “The most injurious head deflection in an acceleration injury is hyperextension. Even though sustained in low-velocity, rear-end collisions, this acceleration injury can produce forces significant enough to produce musculoligamentous tears with resultant hemorrhage and even disk disruption and avulsion fractures of the vertebral bodies. In addition, the integrity of the apophyseal joints may be violated.” They also conclude that in head-on collisions (flexion injuries): “In low- velocity flexion accidents, because the chin strikes the chest when the full range of physiologic flexion has been reached, minimal damage occurs.”

Matthew C. Ferris, DC, DAAMLP

317-585-9111

Health Connections, Inc. provides treatment of Auto Accident related Injuries

Fishers, Ind. – Matthew Ferris, a chiropractic physician practicing at Health Connections, accepts Diplomat with the American Academy of Medical Legal Professionals (AAMLP).  The requirements for attaining this diplomat included prior certification in Whiplash as well as passing a written test and certification process.

This certification is designed to give a doctor the training needed to help injured people not only get the treatment they need, but reduce the fears that cause them to not follow recommended treatment plans or just plain avoid finding out if they are injured.

Spinal joint and ligament injury are common in auto related accidents. Each year 500,000 people will have chronic problems and up to 300,000 will have some degree of disability due to an auto accident.

“Many patients have expressed to us just how thankful they are to have a doctor that they can trust to get them the care they need. I am pleased to have the training and confidence to put these patients at ease,” says Dr. Matthew Ferris.

– Matthew C. Ferris, DC, DAAMLP is the clinical accident director at Health Connections. He has completed certification in Whiplash and Brain Traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego.

–Founded in 2004, Hoosier Chiropractor (DBA Health Connections) was started by two brothers, Dr. Jeremy and Matthew Ferris, who were raised in Hamilton County. Health Connections services include: chiropractic, whiplash treatment, golf related performance and injury treatment, massage therapy, and disc decompression therapy.

For more information visit www.hcfishers.com.

Accident Quick Facts…

• Drive your car to side of road or out of traffic if it is safe to do so.
• Remain inside vehicle until you are certain it is safe.
• Use your cell phone to dial 911 for police or emergency aid, as necessary.
• If it is necessary to exit the car make sure you are careful of traffic.
• Assist injured persons until emergency help arrives.
• Follow advice of emergency personnel.
• Contact your auto insurance agent to notify them about the accident for help with your claim.
• Find a doctor trained in the diagnosis and treatment of auto injuries (srisd.com).

After A Traffic Collision

Many crash victims feel shaken, but otherwise uninjured at the time of the crash. However, 24-72 hours later, they may become symptomatic, experiencing headache, neck pain, or other symptoms.

If the collision was the fault of the other driver, his or her insurance policy will pay for any medical or chiropractic treatment you should require. If the other motorist was uninsured or if the collision was your fault, your own insurance policy will usually provide for your treatment. The most important thing is to maintain consistent treatment in order to achieve the most complete and speedy recovery.

Protecting Yourself From Liability

There is always the possibility that you may be cited for causing the collision, even if you were not at fault. It is also possible that other persons may file a lawsuit alleging your responsibility. If there are any witnesses to the collision, collect their name, phone number, address, and a brief statement from them.

If you have a camera, taking photos of the crash scene, skid marks, vehicle damage, and involved vehicles is a good idea. If there is ever a question that some part or safety system on your vehicle was defective, such as tires, brakes, airbag, or restraint systems, you should maintain custody of the vehicle. Do not let it get sold or demolished.

– Matthew C. Ferris is a chiropractic physician and clinical accident director at Health Connections in Fishers, Indiana. Dr. Ferris has a Diplomat with the American Academy of Medical Legal Professionals and has also completed certification in Whiplash and Brain Traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. If you have a question or would like a no charge consultation in relation to an auto accident, you can call 317-585-9111 or visit www.hcfishers.com.

• Never blatantly give false testimony. It will do much more damage down the road then admitting to any fact you think may be unfavorable.
• Make sure to choose your words wisely.
• If you are unsure then you should say just that, “I am unsure.”
• Keep your comments short and concise focusing on specific facts rather then what you think was happening.
• If you have no symptoms: Say that you “have not experienced any unusual symptoms up until the present time,” this is actually  the most truthful and appropriate answer because you really do not know what has happened on the inside of your body that may at some time in the future become symptomatic.
• Never admit that you were not injured! Most accidents do involve some degree of permanent injury that if not symptomatic goes undetected only to show up months or years down the road in chronic degenerative spinal conditions that are symptomatic and more complicated then if they had been discovered soon after the accident.

– Matthew C. Ferris is a chiropractic physician and clinical accident director at Health Connections in Fishers, Indiana. Dr. Ferris has a Diplomat with the American Academy of Medical Legal Professionals and has also completed certification in Whiplash and Brain Traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. If you have a question or would like a no charge consultation in relation to an auto accident, you can call 317-585-9111 or visit www.hcfishers.com.