David Perna, D.C.

Neck pain is a very common complaint for which patients seek chiropractic care, though there are several possible causes... Two common causes of neck pain are poor posture (such as a forward head carriage) and repetitive strain (such as long static holding of awkward positions). These two causes are very similar as the head weighs [..]

Whiplash is caused by a sudden movement of the head, usually during a motor vehicle collision (MVC) but it can also occur during sports-related activities and from slip and fall injuries. The combination of the weight of the head (approximately 15 lbs or 7.8 kg) and the length and strength of the neck predisposes the [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is one of the most common conditions associated with chronic pain affecting up to 5% of the population. It is characterized by pain in the muscles and joints and is associated with generalized, whole body muscle stiffness, body aches, sleep disruption, and headaches. Stress is often a component of FM. Women are 2-3 [..]

Headaches are a common complaint in patients presenting for professional care, including chiropractic management. Patients with headaches seek chiropractic care because they find manipulation or adjustments applied to the cervical spine and upper back region are highly effective in reducing the intensity, frequency, and duration of their headache pain. This is because the cervical spine / [..]

If chiropractic care helps patients get better faster and costs the patient and/or insurance company less, shouldn’t EVERY low back pain (LBP) patient FIRST see a chiropractor before any other type of doctor? That is in fact, what should be done, based on a 2009 report! On October 20, 2009, a report was delivered on the impact [..]

WHAT? Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most common of the peripheral nerve conditions and occurs when the median nerve is compressed or pinched at the wrist. The resulting symptoms include numbness/pain in the wrist, fingers (index, third, and forth), multiple sleep interruptions due to hand/finger numbness requiring frequent shaking and flicking, difficulty in gripping [..]

The term "whiplash" refers to an injury to the neck muscles, the muscle attachments (tendons), ligaments, and sometimes the disks that lie between the vertebral bodies of the spine. In a rear-end collision, the cause of whiplash occurs from a sudden, rapid acceleration of the body and neck as the car is pushed forward. In [..]

A Comparison With Other DisciplinesFor Satisfaction, Costs, and EffectivenessConsumer Reports is a monthly consumer advocacy magazine with a circulation of about 4,000,000 subscribers. Its first issue appeared in January 1936.Consumer Reports publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. Its annual testing budget is approximately $21 [..]

Abigail was competing in a gymnastics tournament last year and during one of her floor routines, noticed a sharp pain in her low back after performing a series of back hand springs. She said she landed crooked on the last one which resulted in immediate pain in the middle of the low back at the [..]

So often we hear, "…well if it’s so good, show me the proof!" Even though the chiropractic case management of CTS has been well-established for many years, we still hear skepticism from patients, MDs, insurers, employers, and others about its efficacy. Let’s take a look at the evidence that supports the benefits of chiropractic for [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is one of the most commonly diagnosed soft tissue conditions in most branches of healthcare, including chiropractic. A paper was published in 2009 with the primary purpose to review the existing literature / published research to determine what aspects of chiropractic treatment are the most commonly used to treat FM patients and to [..]

A 42-year-old female patient presented with neck pain that had been present for two months. The pain came on gradually and without a specific cause. Her vocation is answering the phone for a busy mail order shoe store. She works 40 hours a week, 5 days per week. Her neck pain worsens with work, especially [..]