Also On Wellness
Posts by Dr. Brent Baldasare
What Is It? Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissues in the neck including ligaments, joint capsules, muscles and their tendons, and intervertebral disks. It can also involve the nervous system tissues in more severe cases, resulting in radiating arm pain. How does it happen? During a car crash, most commonly a rear-end collision. The sudden jolt occurs so fast we cannot brace ourselves adequately...
11/22/2009 5:50:05 AM
Last week while driving to work, you're stopped at a red light and glance in the rearview mirror and notice that a car is approaching from behind way too fast. The next thing you remember is the squeal of the tires and a loud crash with an accompanied sudden jolt as your car is propelled forward by the impact. Your initial reaction is one of shock, wondering is anyone hurt? How bad is my car damaged?...
11/22/2009 5:48:43 AM
There are many different reasons why injuries sustained in car crashes result in chronic or long term pain. First, there are several types of tissues in the neck that can give rise to pain. The most intense pain comes from the tissues with the greatest density of nerve fibers, such as the joint capsules and the ligaments holding the bones of the neck together. There are many ligaments in the neck that...
11/22/2009 5:48:03 AM
While most of us have a look in the mirror at least once a day, few of us look at our appearance from a different angle, such as from the side. But, the view from the side can be quite revealing if you suffer from chronic neck pain. First, note the position of your head in relation to you shoulders. Is it right above the shoulders or does it lean forward from your chest? If it does, this would be called...
11/22/2009 5:47:00 AM
The neck is the most flexible part of your spine and just like any other area of the body, movement exercises and good posture are important to maintain its health. Neck pains can be brought on or aggravated by how you treat this vital structure. We often neglect our neck when it comes to exercises, focusing instead on our legs or heart. So try these helpful hints and incorporate them into your daily...
11/22/2009 5:45:51 AM
Torticollis is a condition where a joint or disk is injured and you can't move your neck. Sometimes the head is bent or turned a little to one side. And sometimes you're straight but can barely move in any direction. This type of problem is usually caused by a disk injury. Whiplash can cause this condition or it can come on by sleeping in an awkward way. The spine is meant to move a lot, especially...
11/22/2009 5:45:22 AM
Whiplash involves the stretching of nerves, muscles, and ligaments. The forces are so great during even low speed collisions, that the muscles cannot resist the forces. The injury of whiplash produces inflammation to repair the damaged tissues. During this time, fast movements of your head and neck will result in pain, so most patients become overly cautious and move their neck very little. Unfortunately...
11/22/2009 5:44:52 AM
Carpal tunnel syndrome patients often complain of neck pain. The same nerves that go through the wrist tunnel, emerge from the neck and can be compressed or irritated at the neck joints. If the nerve is pinched in these two areas, it has been referred to as a "double crush." Because of this irritation at the neck, focusing only on the wrist for treatment may not be a comprehensive solution to this...
11/22/2009 5:44:13 AM
Neck pain and headaches can be very disabling and can significantly alter a person's normal pattern of living. Simple things like reading the newspaper, cooking, driving a car, and/or looking down when feeding a baby, can become almost intolerable. Canceling plans for the day or saying "no" to vacations can be very disheartening and often occurs because of severe neck pain and/or headache making these...
11/22/2009 5:43:20 AM
There are many people who frequently suffer from headaches, even on a daily basis. Many feel this is "normal." In fact, when they come in for treatment, they may not even bring it up and only after asking if they have headaches, do they then discuss it, acting as if everyone has headaches. Others are completely debilitated and can't go to work, drive a car, or even leave the house due to the intense...
11/22/2009 5:42:35 AM