Dr. Glenn Hyman’s Blog

Whiplash: How These Injuries Can Cause Chronic Pain

Whiplash: How These Injuries Can Cause Chronic Pain

Bottom Line:

Whiplash injuries used to be considered “no big deal’, but times have changed. Doctors now know that whiplash can cause lifelong pain and disability if not treated properly. During a car accident, the head often suddenly moves forward and backward with a tremendous amount of force. Even low-speed collisions can generate enough force to injure the delicate ligaments in your neck that support your head.

Why it Matters:

When you experience a whiplash injury, your head and neck extend beyond their normal range of motion. This can create partial tears or other damage to the muscles and ligaments around your spine and injure the spinal disc, nerves, or muscles. A few key indicators that you may have suffered a whiplash injury include neck pain and stiffness, headaches, dizziness, pain into your arms/shoulders, or limited range of motion.

  • It’s estimated that over 80% of people involved in a car accident will sustain whiplash injuries.
  • Whiplash injuries are now considered severe, and often permanent injuries to the ligaments of the neck occur after the rapid back and forth motion experienced during an accident.
  • What’s more, nearly 50% of people with neck pain or whiplash following a car accident will continue to have pain one year after their initial injury.

Next Steps:

Receiving the proper diagnosis and care after a car accident can help reduce your likelihood of struggling with a lifetime of chronic neck pain. Our practice is focused on accurately assessing, documenting, and treating people who have been involved in a car accident. We’d ready to help you regain your quality of life as quickly and safely as possible! Just call 303.300.0424

Science Source(s): 

The Association Between a Lifetime History of a Neck Injury in a Motor Vehicle Collision and Future Neck Pain. European Spine Journal. 2010.

Our Denver Chiropractor (s) share: How to Survive Working From Home

A recent comment on our Facebook page prompted us to make this video. Here’s the comment: “Given so many people are currently working from home, with non-ergonomic work station set ups … would love to learn your recommendations on how to counteract that!”

Denver Chiropractor shares: Banded Side Plank Clamshells

Here’s another new video on strengthening the hips (and core and shoulders) with a banded side plank / clamshell. The band is from Insonder and can be found at various online retailers. As always use common sense, make sure this is right for you and check with a doctor first.. Click on the image below to watch it on our vimeo page

We are open for all of our patients and are looking forward to seeing you. We continue to follow all CDC / State of Colorado guidelines for safety and social distancing, including wearing masks and gloves. The City of Denver does now require that everyone wear masks in public places.

Please call Ellie at 303.300.0424 to make an appointment to come see us. We look forward to seeing you soon.

This week’s 1-Page Health News

Wellness/Prevention: Protect Yourself from the Sun to Prevent Skin Cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology reports that many Americans don’t take proper precautions to protect themselves from the sun. To reduce the risk for skin cancer, the academy recommends the following: seek shade when the sun’s rays are the strongest, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; wear sun-protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses; use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher on all skin not covered by clothing. American Academy of Dermatology, April 2020

Exercise: Walking Offers Many Health Benefits. Walking is a great weight-bearing exercise associated with the following benefits: increased cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness; reduced risk of heart disease and stroke; improved management of conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes; stronger bones; improved balance; increased muscle strength and endurance, and reduced body fat. Department of Health & Human Services (Australia), May 2020

Chiropractic: Conservative Care Can Reduce Need for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery. Among a group of 150 patients on a waiting list for carpal tunnel release surgery, researchers observed that participants who performed tendon gliding exercises for six weeks were about 25% more likely to cancel their procedure within the following six months. Doctors of chiropractic often incorporate tendon gliding exercises in their treatment recommendations for carpal tunnel syndrome patients in addition to nutritional recommendations and manual therapies to relieve pressure on the median nerve at the wrist and elsewhere along its course. Journal of Physiotherapy, April 2020

Our Denver Chiropractors discuss: Shoulder Pain & Where to Start

Dr. Samantha Leger and Dr. Glenn Hyman walk you through what you can do when you injure your shoulder. Dr. Samantha evaluates Dr. Glenn’s shoulder injury from a mountain bike crash and shows you how you can tell if you need immediate medical attention. The doctors also show you which rehab exercises you can start right after the injury. As always this is not a substitute for medical advice. Make sure this is right for you and use common sense.

Denver Chiropractic Center article / video of the week: Is There a Perfect Posture?

Is There a Perfect Posture?

Bottom Line:

“Sit up straight and stop slouching!”You’ve likely heard this since childhood, but is there such a thing as perfect posture? The answer is a bit complicated. The latest research shows that it may be more important to think about a “balanced” or “dynamic” posture than perfect posture, and we’re also discovering that our ability to change positions and move may be more critical than our static position while standing or sitting.

Why it Matters:

Your posture is made up of a dynamic pattern of responses, reflexes, and habits,not a single position. Gravity, your work environment, and your anatomy all play a role. For instance, sitting for hours on end staring at a computer screen is a perfect example of an imbalanced and challenged posture as a result of ergonomics. Over time,this imbalance can lead to forward head posture, which can cause pain andeven degenerative changes inyour joints. Forward head posture affects millions of people who spend their days using computers. It places stress on the neck and shouldersand weakensthe supporting muscles.

  • Forward head posture affects millions and results in neck pain for up to 75% of people.
  • Neck pain, tension, stiffness, and tenderness are all signs of chronic forward head posture.
  • Trapezius strengthening has been shown to provide clinically significant relief for those struggling with neck pain as a result of forward head posture.

Next Steps:

Strength and flexibility play a significant role in your posture. Having good core strength and balancing that strength with flexibility can help you dynamically adapt to your environment. While “perfect” posture may not exist, each one of us has an opportunity to improve our strength, flexibility, and ergonomics to reduce our likelihood of experiencing pain.

If you spend your days looking at a computer, let us know. We’ll be happy to recommend a care plan to help you balance the effects of all that screen time.

Science Source(s):Effects of Lower Trapezius Strengthening Exercises on Pain, Dysfunction, Posture Alignment, Muscle Thickness, and Contraction Rate in Patients with Neck Pain; Randomized Controlled Trial. Medical Science Monitor 2020

Our Denver Chiropractic office is open and here to help you.

Today Meredith and I cover the plank walk out. It’s a great way to work the core, shoulders, back and arms. Make sure it’s right for you & check with a doctor first.

Our Denver Chiropractic office is open as of April 27, 2020.

While there may not currently be a cure for “the virus,” certain simple steps can help.

Our Denver Chiropractor specializes in getting people out of pain.

The Opioid Crisis: How Did We End Up Here?

Bottom Line: About 30 years ago, medicine changed how it looked at chronic pain. The number of people with chronic pain rose, and options to address the pain weren’t adequate.

Why it Matters

As doctors paid more attention to assessing pain, they also paid more attention to treating pain. They prescribed opioid pain meds more often- frequently for chronic low back or neck pain. Up until then, doctors used opioids only for severe pain after surgery or in advanced-stage cancer. But, in the early 1990s, that all changed.

Opioid manufacturers promoted new formulas that they described as less addictive. Physicians prescribed these drugs far more liberally than before. Prescribing these drugs very quickly led to a variety of problems. First, patients rapidly adapted to the drugs, requiring larger and larger doses to achieve the same effect over time. Second, these drugs weren’t very effective at addressing chronic pain.

They provided short term relief, but as time went on, they seemed to become less useful for a lot of people. Finally, these drugs provided a euphoric feeling that quickly led to addiction. -Starting in the 1990’s, doctors were encouraged to prescribed opioids for chronic pain.-It’s estimated that 59% of opioids users report having experienced back pain.-In the US alone, there is an average of 130 deaths per day due to opioids.

Next Steps

Now 30 years later, we are consumed with the opioid crisis. Over 130 people die each day from opioids, and over 40% of those deaths are from prescribed opioids. If there is a silver lining to this crisis, it’s that we now realize that the answers and treatment of chronic pain is rarely found in a bottle. Many leading healthcare organizations now recommend non-pharmacological approaches to treatment of chronic pain, including chiropractic.

Our practice is always focused on helping you overcome pain without the use of drugs. It’s time to get your life back naturally!

Science Source(s): Understanding the Epidemic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2018

Our Denver Chiropractor is available for necessary treatments

NOTE- We are currently available for necessary treatments. This means treatment for an injury or painful problem, or to keep your problem from getting worse.

Denver Chiropractic offices have been declared essential / critical businesses by the City of Denver, State of Colorado, and Department of Homeland security.

We will require that each patient attest to all of the following at each visit. This is to protect our patients and our staff.

____I have not had any fever, cough, shortness of breath or other symptoms of the current viral threat in the last 2 weeks.

____I have not been in close proximity to anyone who has tested positive for current viral threat in the last 2 weeks.

____In the last 2 weeks. I have not traveled to New York, China, Europe or the Colorado mountains – Summit, Eagle, Pitkin, San Miguel counties, etc.

____I understand that my doctor, Glenn D. Hyman, will follow all CDC prevention guidelines before and during my visit but he cannot guarantee that I will not contract the virus known as Covid-19. I understand and accept this risk.

____I assert that my visit today is for a specific problem (ie, back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc) and is not a routine or “maintenance” visit.

We are constantly monitoring this situation. We continue to take all CDC mandated precautions, and to ensure that patients who come in do not encounter any other patients.

As we stay open we are implementing a few procedural changes to practice social distancing within our office. In order to do that we will:

  • Limit the number of daily appointment spots available
  • Bring patients into treatment rooms and out of the waiting room as quickly was we can
  • Continue thoroughly disinfecting each treatment room after each patient

We ask of you:

  • If you are sick, have a cough or have a fever please don’t come in (please stay home entirely).
  • If you have been exposed to anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19, please don’t come in (again you should self-quarantine)
  • Please try to come as close to your appointment time as you can (we want to avoid having several people in our waiting rooms).

We still fully intend to operate our normal schedule. As I said last week, we have always taken steps to prevent spread of viruses: flu virus, norovirus, various other stomach viruses, and cold virus (which is also a coronoa virus).

These things are almost always circulating in some form or fashion. We will continue to take steps to prevent the spread of this new virus. These steps include hand sanitizing after each patient visit, table disenfecting, and so forth. We do have gloves in the office and if you would prefer that Dr. Samantha or myself wear them during your treatment, just ask.

We will continue to follow all advisories and directives from the state and Federal governments.

Please make sure to stay home if you are sick, wash your hands, and avoid large crowds. Move away from heavy sneezers and coughers. Use hand sanitzer and good hygeine practices.

With some common sense and persistence we will all get through this together.

If you need us, call us 303.300.0424

DISREGARD-This Denver Chiropractor still open March 26 2020 update

We are still open under the statewide shutdown order issued by Governor Polis effective today March 26 through April 14. We are still considered an essential business under this order. This means you are allowed to leave your home to come to our office.

Having said this, we are dramatically condensing our schedule over the next 2 weeks. We are in today (3/26) and tomorrow (3/27). Then starting next week we will open just Monday and Thursday.

We will require that each patient attest to all of the following at each visit. This is to protect our patients and our staff.

____I have not had any fever, cough, shortness of breath or other symptoms of the Covid-19 virus the last 2 weeks.

____I have not been in close proximity to anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 2 weeks.

____In the last 2 weeks. I have not traveled to New York, China, Europe or the Colorado mountains – Summit, Eagle, Pitkin, San Miguel counties, etc.

____I understand that my doctor, Glenn D. Hyman, will follow all CDC prevention guidelines before and during my visit but he cannot guarantee that I will not contract the virus known as Covid-19. I understand and accept this risk.

____I assert that my visit today is for a specific problem (ie, back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc) and is not a routine or “maintenance” visit.

We are constantly monitoring this situation to see if we should close. We continue to take all CDC mandated precautions, and to ensure that patients who come in do not encounter any other patients.

Like the rest of you, we are hopeful that this situation will improve in April.

Thanks and please take care,