Car accidents occur in the United States with alarming regularity. Many of these accidents result in permanent injuries that can leave people suffering from chronic pain issues that cannot be addressed by traditional medical techniques.

Injuries can leave people out of work for long periods of time; creating financial struggles in addition to injury pain and discomfort. Fortunately, chiropractic care is renowned as an excellent treatment technique for many of the injuries commonly experienced following an automobile accident.

On average, there are approximately 6 million car accidents each year in the United States. This figure goes up every year in spite of new safety features being introduced into vehicles. This is largely attributed to an increased number of people entering the workforce and commuting on major roadways.

Three million people are injured in car accidents each year. Keep in mind that these are reported injuries. Many people suffer from the symptoms of whiplash and other neck/back injuries without seeking appropriate treatment.

Out of these injured people, over 2 million are reported to have experienced permanent injuries as a direct result of car accidents. These injuries can result in chronic pain issues that are often addressed unsuccessfully by medication regimens.

One of the newest trends related to automobile accidents is accidents caused by distracted driving. Distracted driving refers to texting or talking on a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. Surveys done by the Census Bureau report that as many as 69% of people who participated in the survey admitted to using the phone while driving.

Almost 33% of people surveyed also admitted to either sending or receiving text messages while driving. Many states have implemented (or are in the process of implementing) laws that prohibit the use of cell phones while driving in an attempt to reduce accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

In addition to the pain and suffering often caused following a car accident, the costs of treatment and vehicle repairs are astronomical. Vehicle crashes in the United States cost approximately $230 billion each year. That is almost $820 per person!

Although insurance (medical or automotive) often covers medical expenses for victims involved in the accident, these insurance policies often have limits that are quickly exceeded.

Chiropractic care offers a safe alternative to traditional medicine. Often, these services are covered by insurance companies and they tend to be much less expensive for patients who may not have any insurance coverage at all.

Even more important than the costs associated with treatment is the improved health that can be achieved with regular chiropractic visits. While pain medications are designed to mask the symptoms of many car accident related injuries, chiropractic care goes right to the source and has been proven as an effective way of eliminating many chronic pain symptoms.

For a long time it has been thought that women were more at risk for low back pain when wearing high heels because it would cause an increase in the curve of their low back because of their foot position. A literature review released by Russell et al.in 2009 in the Journal of Chiropractic actually showed that his has been proven over and over again as incorrect. Women were observed in high heels measuring 3 and 4 inches, and while their low back curve was increased, it was not significantly increased in one of the discussed studies. This literature reviews contradicts what has been purveyed as common knowledge in recent years. So, why do high heels tend to lead to low back pain…or do they at all?

Another recent study by A. Mika et al. published in the Journal of Manual Therapy shed light on this question. It looked at the amount of tension and firing patterns in the muscles of the low back, pelvis, and thighs in women who were wearing heels that measured 1.5 inches and 4 inches. This study found that going from flat foot wear to 1.5 inch heels did very little to affect the firing pattern of the muscles of the low back, hips, and thighs when bending forward. However, when 4 inch shoes were worn, it greatly affected the firing patterns for these muscles and created abnormal patterns. When bending forward, the muscle of the low back activated faster, and the muscles of the buttocks activated later than normal.

The study concluded that the change to the normal firing patterns of these muscles leaves the person more susceptible to low back and hip injuries. This study helps to clarify why high heels can lead to back pain in women. When we perform simple movements like walking and bending forward, our body performs a complex cascade of simultaneous muscle activities to support our joints as we move. High heels disturb the normal firing patterns of muscles that protect the joints of the low back and hips. These abnormal patterns lead to uneven loading of the spine and result in irritation or injury to the joints of the low back and hips.

References:
Mika A, Clark BC, Oleksy L. “The influence of high and low heeled shoes on EMG timing characteristics of the lumbar and hip extensor complex during trunk forward flexion and return task” Journal of Manual Therapy. 2013, Apr 27.

Russell, Brent S. “The effect of high-heeled shoes on lumbar lordosis: a narrative review and discussion of the disconnect between Internet content and peer-reviewed literature” Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 2010, December 9(4): 166–173.

Dr. Joshua McDowell
Fayetteville Accident & Injury Center

No one is a stranger to the idea that exercise or movement is better for your overall health than less. But what many people do not realize is how important posture plays a role in keeping the body healthy during movement.  Proper posture is another way of saying the body is in balance.  A body out of balance will lead to to breakdown and likely pain no matter how many times you walk around the neighborhood in fact will speed it up.So much like a car needs to have balance with equal amount of air in its tires to prevent wear, your body should have proper alignment to get out of exercise what you intend.

When we look at balance in relation to posture certain images hopefully come to mind. Attached to your spine are muscles.  When muscles get injured or are under or over used, posture is affected leading to breakdown and reduced ability for the body to thrive as you age. From the journal of Biomechanics, 2005(june), “Abnormal spinal curvatures enhance the likelihood of whiplash injury and may have long- term clinical and bimechanical implications.” And from Movement Therapy journal, Nov. 2005, “Symptomatic individuals had altered muscle recruitment patterns that persisted throughout the sustained occupational task.” This is saying if you are at the computer for long hours and your upper back and neck are painful and tight the muscles are overworked and will affect your posture.

How do you know if your posture is adequate? One test you can do is to test your balance. Simple stand straight, tuck in your pelvis and lift one leg 90 degrees to the floor. If you cannot sustain this for 30 seconds without having to put your leg down to prevent yourself from falling you may have a posture problem stemming from your pelvic area. One way to improve that would be to sit on a large inflatable exercise ball on its center, tuck in top part of your pelvis causing the ball to role back a little and breath out, then move it forward  breathing in. Do this slowly 5 times to begin with daily.

So to sum up, proper posture means you are in balance. Proper balance means you are moving the way life intended leading slowing the joint breakdown and aging process. for more questions or exercises and posture analysis consult with a chiropractor.