David Perna, D.C.

While it is hard prevent someone from crashing their car into yours, there are some things you can do to minimize you risk for a serious whiplash injury if and when a collision occurs.The first preventive measure is making sure your seat is upright and the head rest touches the top of your head. If [..]

Perhaps the most authoritative book written pertaining to the spine is Schmorl’s and Junghanns’ The Human Spine in Health and Disease. Georg Schmorl (1861-1932) was a German physician and pathologist. Herbert Junghanns (1902-1986) was the Chief of the Occupational Accident Hospital, Surgical Clinic, and Head of the Institute for Spinal Column Research, in Frankfurt, Germany. The [..]

Most chiropractic patients with low back pain have x-rays taken of their lumbar spine following a comprehensive examination. Since x-rays do carry a very small risk of tissue damage, this risk needs to be outweighed by the benefits that could be gained by taking such films. So, how are x-rays used in a chiropractic office? [..]

In many cases, the body can naturally recover from disease and injury. Although doctors have their place, it is really the wisdom of the body that does the heavy lifting. Chiropractic doctors especially recognize this healing capacity: the body needs no help, just no interference. Scientists commonly call this homeostasis and when diseases heal over [..]

Fibromyalgia is a complex disease that requires a comprehensive approach. Often, the spine is neglected and chiropractic care is, therefore, underutilized. This seems surprising since so many patients have spinal pain and chiropractic care is one of the most proven treatments for this condition. Chiropractic care for the fibromyalgia patient may also incorporate a structured [..]

Adults may experience many different kinds of headaches. A primary headache is a headache that is not a part of another disease process. Secondary headaches can come from a poor eyeglass prescription, diabetes, the flu, or even a brain tumor. The most common primary headaches are tension-type, migraine, and cervicogenic (from the neck). Tension type [..]

The nervous system is the master control network for your body, directing virtually every function and action from monitoring your life needs to precisely responding to threats to your health. Each system—from your cardiovascular system to your digestive and immune systems—is directed through nerve impulses originating in your brain or spinal cord that travel through [..]

aThis month it’s time for us to discuss the remarkably common nature of cervical spine degenerative joint disease in the general population. In a book titled Painful Cervical Trauma, John Hopkins University School of Medicine neurosurgeon John Aryanpur, MD, states:“Degenerative spondylosis, or osteoarthritis, of the cervical spine is common in all individuals over 50 years of [..]

Back problems can cause a good deal of worry and for good reason. Any problem that doesn't go away on its own in a reasonable period of time should be a cause for concern. Rarely, severe back pain can be caused by tumors and other destructive processes, so it's important to have these serious conditions [..]

As with most problems of the body, there are a multitude of causes and treatments and rarely is there a magic bullet for anything, including carpal tunnel syndrome. When this condition is suspected, a doctor of chiropractic will look at how the wrist and neck are aligned to see if there is an irritation or [..]

How can a spinal problem possibly contribute to fibromyalgia symptoms such as chronic musculoskeletal  pain? In many disorders involving musculoskeletal pain, the nervous system is involved in some degree and the nervous system itself can get affected by structural changes in the spinal column. When viewing the neck from the side, there should be a [..]

We certainly hope not. Unless you have a brain tumor, surgery is rarely an option considered by people with benign headaches. When we say benign, we mean not caused by cancer or some other serious medical disorder. Benign headaches can, in fact, be quite disabling and can completely disrupt a person's quality of life. Although [..]