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"I'll Get Around To It Someday"

6/2/2015

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When I was 8 years old my Dad was given this little round piece of wood that had the word "TUIT" engraved on it by a salesman. The joke is that you no longer have the excuse of "I'll get around to it someday", because I just gave you "a round TUIT". Its a corney sales joke, but that little piece of wood really struck me as powerful. It made me think (as philosophical as an 8 year old can get) that excuses are, for the most part, just in our heads. If we really put our minds to it we can make just about anything happen.

This especially is the case if you have been in a car accident in Seattle or Bellevue. The excuse "I'll get around to it at some point" can potentially really harm your health. In essence, you can not afford, for any reason to wait for your "ROUND TUIT".  Time and again I have patients walk through my door dealing with terrible neck and back pain, and as we start talking it was revealed that they had been in a car accident at some point and never received any care. 

One of the largest studies ever done on whiplash injuries confirms this truth. It found that 55% of whiplash patients were still in the original pain from their accident 17 years later. My experience shows that the reason for these people still being in pain all those years later is that they either never took the time to take care of them selves or they received bad advise from someone who knows very little to nothing about whiplash injuries. 

If you have been in a car accident, please take the time to go and get checked. It may save you a lot of heart ache and pain down the road. Don't wait for your "round TOIT", give us a call at Bellevue Whiplash Center at Back in Action Chiropractic to receive a check up.
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"Why Do I Have A Headache After My Car Accident?"

3/30/2015

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This is a very common question from my patients following any type of trauma, but especially with car accident's The whiplash and trauma that happen during a car accident create damage to the neck, and this damage can create what is called "radiating pain". If your neck was damaged following a car accident and it is creating radiating headaches, this is referred to as a "cervicogenic headache". Cervicogenic headaches are headaches where the pain originates in the neck and cervical spine. It is medically defined as pain which is present in the head but originates in cervical spine region. Neck pain and headache often occur together.

There are nearly 20 muscles in the neck which, if hurt, can refer pain to the head. The neck is one of the most vulnerable parts of human body, and if any of these 20 muscles in the neck are strained, the throbbing sensations can reach up to the head causing severe headaches.

Cervicogenic headaches are often accompanied by other symptoms like nausea, throbbing pain, pain behind the eyes, photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light), phonophobia (sensitivity to sounds) etc. The pain can vary from mild to severe in different people. The headache can get worse by frequent and abrupt neck and head movements.

Treating Cervicogenic Headaches:

Lets talk about  a few methods of treating and getting rid of cervicogenic headaches so that the problem no longer bothers us and we can get back to our normal life as quickly as possible.

1. Medication - Seeing your primary care physician can be a good idea no matter what when you are in a car accident, but especially if you are having a cervicogenic headache. Your doc can give you some medications that can dull and even take away the pain for a short time.

2.  Massage - Gentle stretching exercises and neck massage can be really helpful in alleviating the pain caused by cervicogenic headaches. The muscles near the base of the skull may be strained and massage can help in soothing these muscles. Massage therapy can provide you the greatest relief in short period of time, allowing you to return to your work quickly.

3. Posture improvement - Maintaining a poor posture for a long period of time can lead to cervical joint stiffness, which in turn can lead to cervicogenic headaches. Whiplash injuries primary area of insult is to the overall structure and alignment of the neck, and this is why chiropractic is so important following these types of injuries as this is what chiropractors treat. It is important to correct your posture.

Apart from the above mentioned treatment methods, you need to take sufficient rest. There are also several exercises to strengthen neck muscles that your chiropractor will give you to create long lasting relief. Doing such exercises regularly can be beneficial in getting rid of cervicogenic headaches as well as preventing them from re-occurring in future.

If you have been in a car accident and are suffering from headaches please consult the advise of your chiropractor as they will be able to help guide you out of pain.

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Bellevue Car Accident Tip Of The Day 3/25/15

3/25/2015

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Did you know that 20% of car accidents occur in parking lots? This should not surprise me, because if you have ever been to Costco on a Saturday, that parking lot is a zoo! This is a really good video on how to avoid a parking lot car crash, and if you are in one, what to do.
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"I Was In A Car Accident Yesterday And Now My Back Hurts And I Have Pain Shooting Down My Leg"

3/25/2015

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This is a very common thing for me to hear from a patient who was injured in a car accident. Pain down the leg can possibly be something called sciatica.

Sciatica is a term referring to severe pain in the leg. It is often accompanied by numbness, weakness and tingling sensation originating in the lower back and traveling downwards through the buttock. These sensations travel through the large sciatic nerve present in the back of the leg.

The most common cause of sciatica and back pain following a car accident is the sheer force that the seat belt places on the lower back and the associated nerves. When involved in a car crash, your seat belt anchors your hips down to your seat, and the forces of being hit cause the area directly above the seat belt to move forward. This creates a sheering force across the fifth and last bone in the back and all of the nerves associated with it. On top of this sheering force the resultant injury causes the body to spasm and this pinches all of the nerves around the spasm in the muscles

Sciatic pain can be very severe and can be felt in the lower back region, buttocks, and various parts of leg and foot. People suffering from sciatica will find it difficult to walk, or even get up from bed.

Some of the common symptoms of sciatica are:

1. Tingling or burning sensation in the leg

2. Weakness in the leg or foot, difficulty in movements

3. Sharp pain that may make it difficult to get up or walk

4. Pain in one side of the buttock or in one leg

There are 2 cases though in which immediate medical attention has to be sought:

1. Progressive weakness in leg

2. Urinary or bowel incontinence

People with the above symptoms may have cauda equina syndrome and should to directly to the emergency room.
Treatment for Sciatica:

Sciatica is a symptom of an underlying problem such as herniated disc. In order to treat sciatica, the underlying problem has to be determined. There are various ways to treat sciatica. Surgery is only required in severe cases, otherwise this problem can be treated with non-surgical treatment methods. 

Chiropractic care has been shown to be extremely helpful with sciatic pain. In fact it is one of the things that we specialize in here at Bellevue Whiplash Center at Back in Action Chiropractic. Back exercises, stretching exercises, healthy diet, and massage can also be extremely helpful in eliminating sciatica. There are numerous natural and home remedies to ease the suffering. Here are a few things you can try:

1. Taking  turmeric daily can help in reducing some of the nagging pain because of the anti-inflammatory agents in tumeric.

2. You can apply winter green oil to the affected leg for relieving the muscle pain.

3. You should not be still for extended periods of time. You have to keep moving, but not too fast to aggravate the pain. When you sit or lie down for a long time, the muscles will tighten, thus increasing the pain.

If you are suffering with sciatica since your car accident, please give us a call at 425-635-0495. We would love to see if you are a candidate for the type of care that we deliver for car accident victims.

photo credit: 004 via photopin (license)
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Bellevue Car Accident Tip Of The Day 3/24/15

3/24/2015

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As you might have read from some of our blog posts about what to do after being involved in a car accident, one of the first steps to take is to call 911 to let them know that there was an accident. If you have never been involved in a car accident though calling 911 for this reason may be completely foreign. Below is an excellent video that was done by a 911 operator explaining exactly how that call will probably go. 
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Car Accident Infographic

3/20/2015

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Car accidents are becoming an avoidable epidemic. This infographic shows the effects that these accidents can have.
Bellevue Car Accident Infographic
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"Can A Chiropractor Help Me After My Car Accident?"

3/12/2015

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All too often the thing we think about first after an auto accident is our car, but the damage to your body may be far worse. 

Many of my patients are surprised to find themselves in pain days, weeks or even months after having had a car accident.. Obviously, if you have been in a major accident, go directly to the E.R. so you can be treated for cuts, organ damage, broken bones or other serious trauma's. After any life-threatening emergencies have been treated, it is a good idea to visit a chiropractor.

As a Chiropractor I am skilled in addressing the dysfunctions in the musculoskeletal system that so often happen after being involved in an car accident, especially any misaligned bones. The injury suffered in the neck following a crash can be quite bad, even resulting in postconcussion syndrome and what we call TBI's, or traumatic brain injury's, that may keep you from fully healing. An auto accident can pinch nerves and cause damage to your bones, tendons and ligaments supporting the spine.

The most common condition that I treat as a chiropractor following a car accident is what is called cervical acceleration/deceleration injury's, more commonly known as whiplash. Whiplash from being rear-ended can cause a great amount of chronic, ongoing pain. Though the introduction of seat belts has helped save lives, it can contribute to these types of whiplash injury's. When hit from behind, the seat belt keeps your body from being hurled forward, though, there is no such restraint on your head. What first happens is that your chest, while being supported by the back of your seat, jolts forward, but your unsupported head and neck snaps back. This can cause the neck to go too far back, well beyond its normal capacity, tearing the muscles and ligaments in the front of your neck. Then when your car stops moving your body is flung forward, restrained by your safety belt, but there is nothing to keep your head and neck from being sent forward, injuring the muscles and ligaments in the back of your neck and head. 

You may not feel much immediately after a car accident, but do not let that fool you that you have not been injured. This is most likely because your body's natural pain-killing endorphins, like adrenalin, are released when you are injured, masking any pain.  You may later experience neck pain, headaches, dizziness or pain radiating into the shoulder and down into your arms or hands.

Many of my patients have experienced relief and stability after an caraccident from headaches, lower back pain, neck pain and even jaw pain. A study in the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine found that 93% of people suffering from pain and symptoms of chronic whiplash experienced improvement under chiropractic care. Chiropractic has been shown to be extremely effective in helping with pain after a car accident and lowering the likelihood of it becoming a long term problem.
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An In-depth Look At Car Accident Injury's

3/10/2015

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Car accidents can lead to a host of injury's to the human body. Our current understanding of car accident injury's is that the ligaments of the spine are most damaged during these collisions. Monohar Panjabi is one of the foremost authorities on these types of injury's and what they do to the human body. Below is an article he wrote on this subject. This understanding of the car accident injury, also validates why chiropractic patients respond so favorably following a car accident.
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Steps To Take Following A Bellevue Car Accident (STEP 1)

3/3/2015

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Driving here on the Eastside can sometimes be a dangerous activity. No one WANTS to get into an accident, but with the amount of traffic, distracted drivers, and irresponsible drivers (drunk drivers, aggressive drivers, road rage, etc...) they do happen. Here is the first step to follow if you are in an car accident here in Bellevue.

1. Make sure to be prepared.

Being prepared for an accident before an accident ever happens is one of if not the most important step to take. It is my experience working with auto injury patients for the last 12 years that the people who are well prepared before they ever get into an accident have a far less traumatic experience. The best example I have of this is if you have ever been pulled over by a police officer. The times that I have put all of my relevant information, licence, title, etc... into one envelope that I hand the police officer, my experience has been very low stress. Its the time that my tittle is buried in the glove compartment and I cant find anything that I am the most stressed. So what does it mean to be prepared?

First off, preparation starts when you are buying your auto insurance policy. Know exactly what you are buying and that you have enough insurance to protect for the worst case scenario. Do your research and make sure you are protecting your health, your family and your car.

Secondly, it means having all of the tangible things you need following an accident at arms length. Have all of your insurance information available, company, policy number, and any phone numbers in your glove compartment and in your wallet in case the glove compartment is damaged. Also, if your cell phone does not have a good camera it is good practice to have a disposable camera to take pictures of the scene and your cars. And lastly, a pen and paper to take down all of the other drivers information.

If you are in a car accident in Bellevue, make sure you are prepared for the worst. In our next blog post we will continue this series on the steps to take following a motor vehicle accident.


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"Why Do I Still Have Pain Years After My Car Accident?"

2/5/2015

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You may or you may not know this, but our human bodies are absolutely amazing! This last week I had the opportunity to discuss with one of my patients just how adaptable the human body is to stress. I tell all of my patients, this is a good thing cause if we didn't adapt to stress we would probably be dead! In neurology we call this process of adaptability "plasticity". This is your body's ability to change, for the good and the bad. This is why, when you sit at the computer all day, you have a stiff neck at night. Your body literally changes, like a piece of plastic, to the position that you are sitting in.

One thing we have to remember is that these changes do not happen over night. Some take years and years to happen, but I can assure you, if the bones of the spine loose their normal alignment or mobility this will cause problems. Headaches, stiff and painful neck, sinus pain, jaw pain, etc... can all be the result of plasticity. The good news is that the ability of the body to change can be a good thing too! I work with plasticity of the human body every single day with every single patient that I see. As I am helping my patients regain the normal alignment of their spines, we are making changes in a positive direction.

Has the process of plasticity taken place in your body? Odds are, if you work in Bellevue at a computer you have developed what I call Bellevue Neck. If you have headaches, neck pain or stiffness by the end of the day, then you most likely have developed plasticity in your system and need to find a Bellevue chiropractor. As a chiropractor I can help you to reverse the changes that has taken place in your body and help you regain the normal alignment and motion of your body.

The other sure indicator that this process had occurred is if you have ever been in an automobile accident. Car accidents stretch the structures of the body too far making them more susceptible to this happening. Again if you have ever been in a car accident call me today and we can set up a consultation to assess if you are a candidate for care.

Do not let the process of plasticity create disease in your body. Call me today to reverse the changes that have taken place and find ways to prevent it in the future.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5009716
Below is an article I wrote 5 years ago for ezinearticles.com. Thought I would pull it out of the archives and share. Enjoy...
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    Dr. Michael Weir is the clinic director at Bellevue Whiplash Center at Back in Action Chiropractic. We will also be hosting a variety of relevant guest bloggers to help you understand your injuries better.

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