If you do any driving in a big or medium size city such as Bellevue WA, which is were I practice, you know that seeing a car accident on the highway is almost a daily norm. This is kind of scary when you consider the impact that a car accident has on your body. As a matter of fact a whiplash injury to the neck causes wide spread consequences to your health. “Whiplash injuries not only increase the incidence of chronic neck and shoulder pain, it also significantly increases the incidence of other systemic ill health effects. In other words,whiplash injuries cause more than neck pain and headache, it hurts the health of the entire body.”(Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 2001)

If you have been in a car accident of any kind in Bellevue you need to be seeing a Bellevue Chiropractor. Car accidents can, and usually do cause injury to the neck and even the low back that, if left untreated can lead to worse problems in the future and even degeneration of the spine.

“It is estimated that 15-40% of those who are injured in a motor vehicle collision will suffer from ongoing chronic pain.”(Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 2007)

Recent research suggests that even low impact (or fender benders of even 5MPH) can cause damage to the spine, and especially the bones of the neck. It has been documented in both medical and scientific studies that the damage to your vehicle is not related to the whiplash injuries suffered by you, the passenger of the vehicle.

A Bellevue Chiropractor will evaluate your spine by doing specific tests as well as take x-rays to look for any damage to the bones and motion x-rays to look for any damage to the ligaments (the things holding the bones together), and joints.

“Chiropractic spinal adjusting can essentially fix 81% of disabled patients suffering from chronic low back and leg pain, even when other treatment approaches had failed.” (Canadian Family Physician, 1985)

“93% of patients with chronic whiplash pain who have failed medical and physical therapy care improve significantly with chiropractic adjustments.” (Injury, 1996)

If you have been in a recent car accident in Bellevue call us today. The sooner you can catch a problem the easier it is to fix!

“Loss of cervical curve stretches the spinal cord 5-7 cm and causes disease”- Dr. Alf Breig, Neurosurgeon

What Can I Do To Reduce My Risk For Low Back Pain?

Low back pain (LBP) can have many causes such as genetics, acquired abuses, body type (especially obesity – body mass index or BMI >30), gender, as well as cultural aspects that predispose one to acquire low back trouble. So, the question remains, “what can I do to reduce my risk for developing low back pain?”

The answer, like the cause is – you guessed it – multifactorial. Since we can’t change our genetics, we’ll have to accept that one. But, we can change our BMI by keeping our weight to a reasonable amount. In an April 2010 study from Norway, 60,000 men and women provided BMI information and 20.9% of the men and 26.3% of the women indicated they had chronic low back pain. The authors found a direct relationship to a high BMI and an increased prevalence of LBP. Similar results attributing obesity to LBP were also reported in a meta-analysis published in January 2010 in the American Journal of Epidemiology (2010; 171(2):135-154).

So, what is, “…a reasonable amount of weight?” When using the BMI, a BMI of 18.5 to 25 is considered “normal,” while 25-30 is described as overweight and >30 represents obesity. We should also mention anything LESS than 18.5 is considered underweight and that’s not good either as many nutritional needs of the body are compromised and too little weight can negatively affect bone health leading to osteoporosis and a myriad of other problematic health issues.

You may be wondering what a body mass index or BMI is, as its quite important and is quickly gaining respect in the medical world. In fact, it has been suggested to include the BMI along with the other “vital signs” pairing it up with blood pressure (BP), pulse, breathing rate, height, weight, and temperature. The BMI is a formula of height and weight and it’s a rough calculation of our total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. However, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) it’s a little more complicated than that as people with greater muscle mass (such as a body builder) will have a higher BMI, suggesting they are overweight. At the other end of the spectrum, older individuals who have lost muscle mass may be still be overweight but their BMI will not reflect that.

The NHLBI reports 3 factors of importance when defining obesity and its many negative health effects, including the increased prevalence of LBP. The 3 factors are: 1) The BMI; 2) The waist measurement; 3) The presence of other negative health factors including: high BP, high LDL-cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood sugar, a family history of heart disease, physical inactivity and smoking cigarettes. If you have a waist size >35” for woman, >40” for men, AND 2 or more risk factors, simply put, you MUST lose weight! Even a small weight loss of 10% (such as 30# if you’re 300#), will help lower your risk of developing diseases associated with obesity such as heart disease, high cholesterol related diseases, stroke, certain types of cancers and type 2 diabetes.

We also realize you have a choice in who you choose for your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing Back in Action Chiropractic Center and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR LOW BACK PAIN!

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL US TODAY AT 425-635-0495

“The Only Proven Effective Treatment”

for Chronic Whiplash?

You may have wondered, “If I get hurt in a car accident on I-405 or I-5, who should I go to for treatment of my whiplash problem?” This can be quite a challenge as you have many choices available in the healthcare system ranging from drug-related approaches from anti-inflammatory over-the-counter types all the way to potentially addicting narcotic medications. On the other side of the fence, there are nutritional based products such as vitamins and herbs as well as “alternative” or “complementary” forms of treatment such as chiropractic, exercise, and meditation, with many others in between. Trying to figure out which approach or perhaps combined approaches would best serve your needs is truly challenging. To help answer this question, one study reported the superiority of chiropractic management for patients with chronic whiplash, as well as which type of chronic whiplash patients responded best to the care. The research paper begins with the comment from a leading orthopedic medical journal stating, “Conventional [meaning medical] treatment of patients with whiplash symptoms is disappointing.” In the study, 93 patients were divided into three groups consisting of:

Group 1: Patients with a “coat-hanger” pain distribution (neck and upper shoulders) and loss of neck range of motion (ROM), but no neurological deficits;

Group 2: Patients with neurological problems (arm/hand numbness and/or weakness) plus neck pain and ROM loss); and,

Group 3: Patients who reported severe neck pain but had normal neck ROM and no neurological losses.

The average time from injury to first treatment was 12 months and an average of 19 treatments over a 4 month time frame was utilized. The patients were graded on a 4-point scale that described their symptoms before and after treatment.

Grade A patients were pain free;

Grade B patients reported their pain as a “nuisance;”

Grade C patients had partial activity limitations due to pain; and

Grade D patients were disabled.

Here are the results:

Group 1: 72% reported improvement as follows: 24% were asymptomatic, 24% improved by 2 grades, 24% by 1 grade, and 28% reported no improvement.

Group 2: 94% reported improvement as follows: 38% were asymptomatic, 43% improved by 2 grades, 13% by 1 grade, and 6% had no improvement.

Group 3: 27% reported improvement as follows: 0% were asymptomatic, 9% improved by 2 grades, 18% by 1 grade, 64% showed no improvement, and 9% got worse.

This study is very important as it illustrates how effective chiropractic care is for patients who have sustained a motor vehicle crash with a resulting whiplash injury. It’s important to note the type of patient presentation that responded best to care had neurological complaints and associated abnormal neck range of motion. This differs from other non-chiropractic studies where it is reported that patients with neurological dysfunction responded poorly when compared to a group similar to the Group A patient here (neck/shoulder pain, reduced neck ROM, and with normal neurological function). We realize you have a choice in where you go for your health care needs and we truly appreciate your consideration in allowing us to help you through this potentially difficult process.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE AT BACK IN ACTION CHIROPRACTIC ACCIDENT AND INJURY CENTER FOR WHIPLASH!

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL US TODAY AT 425-635-0495

Low back pain is a very common problem affecting 80-90% of all of us at some point in our lifetime. Why is that you ask? There are many reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that we are 2-legged animals carrying 2/3rds of our weight above our waist. Studies have shown deterioration or arthritis occurs much sooner in us vs. our 4-legged animal counterparts. A 180 lbs man carries roughly 120 lbs above the waist. This means, every time he bends over, in order to stand upright, he needs to lift 120 lbs PLUS whatever he is lifting. Hence, the argument of, “…but I only bent over to lift a pencil and my back went out,” seems on the surface as impossible but in reality, the man in our example is lifting the pencil plus 120 lbs. Now, let’s add to that the point that a 5 pound weight equals 50 pounds when held out in front with the arms stretched out straight. Now, if that’s not bad enough, now, let’s assume all of this is happening from a bent forward position, with a twist at the waist, with out stretched arms, while lifting a 20 pound object. Get the idea? It’s amazing our back doesn’t get injured every day as we lift 2 bags of groceries into the far end of a car trunk, or, when lifting our 30 pound child in and out of a car seat, height chair, or when they are screaming and pushing away from us as we try to lift them!

In order to further appreciate why the low back is so vulnerable to injury, some basic understanding of anatomy is needed. When we’re born, the back is made up of 33 segments of which 5 fuse by the time we’re about 18 years old to make up the sacrum (bottom of the spine) and 4 fuse to make up the coccyx (tail bone), leaving 5 lumbar (low back), 12 thoracic (mid-back) and 7 cervical (neck) vertebra. These are stacked up on top of each other like building blocks and are connected to each other by a shock absorbing disk in the front and two smaller facet joints in the back, acting like a tripod. In the low back, we’re supposed to bear about 80% of our weight in the front and 20% in the back but, if our abdominal muscles are a bit out of shape and the pelvis rotates forwards, the curve in the low back increases and overloads the back of the vertebra (facets) making them vulnerable to injury. The disk becomes injured when we bend/lift/twist. This can tear the outer tough fibers of the disk, allowing the central more liquid-like material to leak out. If this happens, the leaking or “herniated” disk can put pressure on the nerve that exits the spine and travels down our leg. If the pain pattern includes the back of the leg, it’s commonly referred to as “sciatica.”

OK, enough about anatomy. What can we do to reduce the chances of having periodic low back pain? Obviously, staying in shape is very important. Certain muscles of the body must be tight to keep us upright or standing. These muscles need to be stretched on a regular basis. For example: the hamstring muscle. We’ve all had to perform hurdler types of exercises and remember how tight they feel!

We realize that you have a choice in where you choose for your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we at Back in Action Chiropractic sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

DO YOU HAVE BACK PAIN? DO YOU LIVE IN THE BELLEVUE AREA?

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR LOW BACK PAIN! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 425-635-0495

Bellevue Chiropractor, Dr. Michael Weir talks about your pain

Whiplash occurs when the neck is suddenly and forcefully jerked, and is typically associated with car crashes. The speed at which the neck is forced upon impact is faster than we can contract our muscles in attempt to stop the forceful movement. This results in muscle, tendon, and/or ligament over-stretching, even tearing. Symptoms include stiff and painful neck movements, weakness or, the head “feels heavy” making it challenging to “hold up” as well as headache, and sometimes dizziness, ear noises, TMJ or jaw pain, and “mental fog.” What should be done if a whiplash injury occurs?

The amount or degree of damage to the soft tissues – that is, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and disks of the neck — will be the deciding factors as to how much rest vs. activity should be initially performed. If there are no fractures, dislocations or other injuries resulting in an unstable cervical spine (neck), studies have shown rest and a soft collar is actually harmful when compared to early return to activity and exercises. Chiropractic treatment, which essentially exercises the joints of the neck, has been shown to speed recovery when performed sooner rather than later after a whiplash injury. A handy way to classify the injury includes four categories: 1) Pain with no significant abnormal clinical findings; 2) Pain with mild clinical findings and range of motion loss; 3) Pain with neurological injury (resulting in radiating arm pain); and 4) Pain associated with fracture and/or dislocation. Those suffering with category 1 or 2 injuries should minimize rest, collar use, proceed with life’s activities and not be afraid to do desired activities. More aggressive exercise and, utilizing chiropractic adjustments as soon as possible is very effective in the first two categories of injury. Category 4 (fractures and dislocations) injuries require the use of a rigid collar usually for 4-6 weeks as rest/protection is imperative. Category 3 demands careful monitoring by your chiropractor as neurological problems like arm pain and numbness, muscle strength weakness, must be watched during the healing process. The use of ice is helpful with all four categories of injury and exercise training is important and can be started sooner in the first two categories of injury.

What can you do if you sustain a whiplash injury? The first order of self-help is the use of ice. This is a much better choice over the use of heat as ice reduces swelling and pain while heat can increase swelling because it brings in more blood flow into an already swollen area. The heat may feel good during its use but most patients report the pain either returns shortly thereafter or feels worse. Ice and heat can be alternated but ice should be emphasized by using ice for 10 minutes, heat 5 minutes, and repeat the ice / heat / ice approach starting and ending with ice. One session usually equals 40 minutes (ice/heat/ice/heat/ice for 10+5+10+5+10, respectively, = 40 min.), and several sessions can be repeated each day. The old adage of “ice for 24 hours followed by heat” does NOT apply here as ice or “contrast therapy” of ice/heat/ice/heat/ice can be performed for as long as there is pain or, for several weeks or longer. The good news is that you will never hurt yourself by using ice but, you can make it hurt worse by using heat too soon so, when in doubt, use ice! The next, very important, recommendation is to utilize exercises to stretch and strengthen the neck and upper back region. The “general rule” of exercise is slow repetitions staying within “reasonable” boundaries of pain. That is, a good, stretch type of pain is encouraged while avoiding sharp pain. We have discussed several very practical neck stretches and strengthening exercises previously and we will again address this in the future. Posture correction of chin tucks, keeping your head back over your shoulders is very helpful as well. We realize that you have a choice in where you choose for your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member lives in the Bellevue area and requires care for whiplash, chiropractic care is a logical first choice and we would be honored to offer our services to you.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR WHIPLASH! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 425-635-0495

Headaches are one of the most common complaints for which my patients seek chiropractic care here at Back in Action. Chiropractic is especially helpful in the treatment of headaches because the three nerves that exit the top of the spine (upper neck) are often the cause of or directly related to headaches. These three nerves travel into the head and have to pass through a very thick group of muscles in the upper part of the neck near where these muscles attach to the base of the skull. This is why when you have headaches and rub the back of the neck, the muscles may feel tight and or tender. In fact, if enough pressure is applied over one of these three nerves, pain will radiate into the head following the course of the nerve, sometimes all the way into the eyes. When chiropractic treatment is applied in the upper neck region, a reduction of the headache and neck pain occurs because the muscle tension is decreased and joint motion is restored.

The International Headache Society (IHS) has classified headaches into two main categories, primary and secondary. Primary headaches occur for no known reason and there are four groups of these: 1) migraine, 2) tension-type, 3) cluster, and 4) “other” primary headaches. Secondary headaches are those with a specific cause such as sinus/allergy headaches, those associated with eye strain, a known medical condition or those due to cold or flu. Both migraine and cluster headaches are “vascular” (related to the blood vessels expanding inside the head) resulting in a unique set of symptoms that includes nausea, vomiting, pounding/throbbing and can be quite debilitating.

The most common type is the tension-type of headache. A thorough history is necessary because there is no specific diagnostic test (lab or blood test) for tension-type headaches. Hence, the concept is to make sure the headache is not related to some other condition that is diagnosable by a blood or lab test and if present, having that condition properly managed. So, assuming all the tests come back “normal” and all other causes have been eliminated or “ruled out,” the most common type of tension-type headache is “episodic” or, occurs off and on, lasting minutes to days. The pain is usually described as, “…my whole head hurts.” There is typically tightness or tension (NOT throbbing) described in the neck muscles and the intensity ranges from mild to moderate, not usually severe, where laying down is needed. Physical activity does not usually make it worse and there is no sickness to the stomach (nausea/vomiting), and no intense reaction to bright lights or noise (like there is with migraine & cluster types of headaches). There are sub-types of tension headaches that can occur simultaneous with migraines headaches, but the classic “aura” (a before the headache warning associated with migraine headaches) is usually not present.

Chiropractic treatment typically includes gentle mobilization of the neck, and muscle release techniques to take the pressure off of the nerves, as well as exercise, stress and diet/nutritional management.

If you, a family member or a friend live in or near Bellevue and require care, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our service. We are proud that chiropractic care has consistently scored the highest level of satisfaction when compared to other forms of health care provision and we look forward in serving you and your family presently and in the future.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR YOUR HEADACHES! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION WITH DR. WEIR CALL 425-635-0495

“Doctor, is it normal for people after a whiplash injury to notice problems with memory. I can’t seem to remember things I just recently did since my car accident?”

This is a common complaint occurring as a result of a whiplash injury, but it’s not commonly known, leaving those who are suffering wondering, “…what’s wrong with me?” Whiplash is an injury that classically occurs as a result of a car crash at any speed, even at low speed! This is because at low speed, there is little to no damage to the car, and the forces from the crash are not absorbed by the crushing metal. As a result, those forces are transferred to the contents inside the car – that is, the passengers. This sometimes results in a significantly greater injury compared to crashes that occur at twice the speed because the latter results in crushing metal. The actual injury that occurs in whiplash is caused by the sudden, rapid movement of the head resulting in varying degrees of injury to the neck, as well as to the contents inside the skull – that is, the brain. The brain literally “bangs” into the inside walls of the skull when the head is rapidly accelerated during a car crash. The resulting injury is a concussion. What’s interesting is that most patients injured in a car crash often don’t mention a concussion nor is it usually asked about at the doctor’s office as other, more obvious injuries are dwelt with. The condition is usually referred to by one of two names: post-concussive syndrome or mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI).

“Doctor, when I’m reading a book or magazine, sometimes I have to re-read the passage several times before it sinks in. It’s as though I lose my concentration and I can’t focus on what I just read. The other day, I was talking to a group of co-workers and I lost my place in the middle of the discussion and had to ask, ‘…now where was I?’ I notice this is happening a lot since the car accident.”

This can be very embarrassing, frustrating, and scary for patients suffering with MTBI. Other symptoms associated with this include difficulty in focusing (blurred vision), headaches, having difficulty in pronouncing certain words (“tongue twisted”), having difficulty in understanding what was said, difficulty remembering numbers or groups of numbers like phone numbers, addresses, birthdates, and so on. These symptoms can range from mild to severe and can be very disruptive, making work and everyday tasks challenging.

How long does it last? MTBI can completely clear up in 2 to 6 months without problems or, it can hang on for 2 years or longer, and may even become a permanent residual from the car crash. In one study, continued problems after a 2 year time frame were reported in close to 20% of those injured 2 years earlier. This study suggests that about 1 out of 5 may continue to suffer with MTBI and the associated brain-related problems for at least 2 years following a car crash. However, another study reported the long term “higher cognitive function” (such as the ability to communicate through written or spoken language) is usually not affected by whiplash injuries. However, they preface that with by reporting that a more commonly injured group with more mild brain problems was found.

As a chiropractor, I am trained to do a thorough history, orthopedic and neurological examination, and ask specific questions about mild traumatic brain injury. It is important to discuss this information with those suffering from whiplash injuries as frequently, MTBI patients think something is “…seriously wrong” and harbor unnecessary anxiety.

We realize that you have a choice in where you choose for your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, chiropractic care is a logical first choice and we would be honored to offer our services to you.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR WHIPLASH! IF YOU LIVE IN THE BELLEVUE AREA CALL US TODAY FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION. 425-635-0495

“I was digging a hole in my garden and hit a rock with the shovel. After clearing the dirt from around the rock, I bent over and reached into the hole. I couldn’t get a good grip on the rock and had to twist my body to get my arm under it. As I started to move the rock, I felt something ‘give out’ in my low back and felt immediate low back pain, but it wasn’t terrible. Like a fool, I gave it another try but this time, the pain in my back was really sharp when I twisted to reach under it. Then, it felt like a knife stabbing me when I tried to stand up. Since then, I can’t stand up straight and pain is shooting down my left leg.”

The intervertebral disk is like a shock-absorber located between each vertebra in our spine extending from the tail bone to the upper neck. When healthy, your disks truly do function as shock absorbers. There are two parts to the disk – the inner part (called the nucleus) which is the liquid-like center and the outer part (the annulus), which is tough, laminated and rubber-like whose job is to hold the nucleus in the center of the disk. The annulus has concentric rings which look similar to the rings of an oak tree trunk and the strength of these laminated rings is due to the fibers crisscrossing, creating a self-sealing, secure border for the nucleus center. In spite of this great anatomical structure, our disks degenerate and can crack or tear allowing the more liquid-like nucleus to leak out of the annulus creating the classic “slipped disk” (technically referred to as a herniated or ruptured disk). When the herniated disk presses into the nerve that goes down the leg, pain is felt along its course and can radiate all the way to the foot. There are five vertebrae and disks with a pair of nerves that go into each leg and depending which disk ruptures, pain will follow a different course down the leg, which is why we ask you if you feel the pain more in the back or in the front of the leg. When the disk tears prior to both disk herniation and leg pain, low back pain occurs because the nerve fibers that are normally only located in the outer third of the disk grow into the central portion of the disk, making it generate more pain.

So now for the important question, “…what can I do for it?” When you visit Back in Action Chiropractic here in Bellevue, WA, we will ask you about how you injured your back. Often, the cause of a herniated disk can be the accumulation of multiple events over time. It certainly can happen after one major event, like our example of lifting a rock out of a hole, but that is usually the “straw that breaks the camel’s back” and not the sole cause. Many researchers have reported it is rare for a healthy disk to herniate. Rather, disk degeneration with tears already present sets up the situation where a bend plus a twist, “…finishes the job.” The orthopedic and neurological examination will usually clearly identify the level of herniation. Chiropractic treatment often includes traction types of techniques, some form of spinal manipulation or mobilization, extension exercises, and ice therapy. Core / trunk strengthening and posture management are also commonly applied and, proper bending/lifting/pulling/pushing techniques are taught. We realize that you have a choice in where you choose for your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we at Back in Action sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR LOW BACK PAIN! IF YOU LIVE IN BELLVUE CALL FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION 425-635-0495