Lance Kjendalen, D.C.

Last month, we discussed whiplash injury prevention by focusing on the physical characteristics of crashes. This included information about head restraints, collision speed, seat back position, body size differences, air bags, and more. This month, we'll focus on the MOST important aspect of whiplash prevention: driver distraction! According to a survey of 6,000 drivers conducted [..]

Some studies have suggested that 85% of all whiplash injuries occur from rear-end collisions. So, what are some different ways that we might be able to avoid injury if such an event occurs? HEADREST: It's important that your headrest is high enough so that your head and neck doesn't roll over it in a collision, [..]

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is also becoming a “hot topic” as it relates to motor vehicle collisions (MVC). The question is: how often is TBI missed? The simple answer is: FREQUENTLY! This is due to the fact that attention is often drawn toward other injuries such as a neck injury or a limb injury. One [..]

The terms “whiplash” and “neck strain” are often used interchangeably, though there's debate about whether this is appropriate. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between these two common descriptions of neck pain... The term “strain” technically means a stretch injury to a muscle and/or the tendon that attaches muscle to bone. The terms [..]

Researchers have observed a phenomenon called “central sensitization” (CS) that is common in patients who have long-term, chronic pain following trauma such as whiplash. With CS, the patient's ability to feel pain is abnormally high or hypersensitive, so when pain from pressure, temperature, electrical, or other sources is applied to the skin, they feel it [..]

Most sprains and strains typically take six weeks to recover, provided the patient receives proper care, which may include self-management strategies. However, something is different about a whiplash associated disorders (WAD) injury in that many patients do not recover. At the Whiplash 2017 Symposium held in Australia, Dr. Michele Sterling stated, “Whiplash associated disorders are [..]

Whiplash typically involves an injury to the neck, but it can often include symptoms outside of the cervical region, which is why the term “whiplash associated disorder” (WAD) may be a more appropriate description for the condition. WAD is most commonly associated with car accidents, but other forms of trauma, such as a slip and [..]

As previously discussed, many patients with a whiplash injury also experience some degree of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can prolong the recovery process. A 2012 study involving patients with severe TBI found the rate of favorable recovery increased 25% in participants who took a vitamin D supplement as part of their treatment plan. Why [..]

In a 2010 study, researchers examined MRIs taken from 1,200 patients (600 whiplash and 600 non-whiplash neck pain patients) and noted that those who had sustained whiplash were more likely to have a brain injury than non-whiplash neck pain patients. The specific type of brain injury found is a form of herniation called Chiari malformation, [..]

Posture assessment is a key component of the chiropractic examination, and the posture of the head and neck is especially important for a patient recovering from a whiplash injury. Forward head carriage describes a state in which the head sits more forward on the shoulders than it should. In order for the muscles in the [..]