David Perna, D.C.

It’s estimated that up to 50% of whiplash associated disorders (WAD) patients will continue to experience long-term symptoms that interfere with their ability to carry out activities of daily living. According to experts, the economic burden associated with chronic WAD may exceed $42 billion each year. As such, many studies have sought to better understand [..]

According to a systematic review that included 201 studies, low back pain may affect between 10-67% of athletes at any given moment, with anywhere from 17-94% experiencing sports-related back pain each year. This broad range is due to the age, level of competition, and the specific sports included in each study. For example, the data [..]

Each year, surgeons perform hundreds of thousands of total hip arthroplasties (hip replacements), and the most common reason is osteoarthritis of the hip. This condition isn’t caused by an underlying disease, rather it’s due to wear and tear of the hip joint from everyday activities over time. Not only can osteoarthritis of the hip be [..]

In addition to manual therapies and other treatments provided in a chiropractic office, patients with chronic low back pain are often advised to exercise—specifically the core muscles—as part of the recovery process. Is there a protocol that’s best for engaging the core muscles? In 2018, researchers recruited 34 chronic low back pain patients and assigned [..]

Evolving Models  A large recent review of the chiropractic profession confirms that chiropractors specialize in the management of back and neck pain (1). The study, from the National Health Interview Survey, which is the principal and reliable source of comprehensive health care information in the United States, found that 63% of chiropractic patients presented with [..]

Lateral epicondylitis—also known as tennis elbow—is a tendinopathy of the extensor forearm muscles, which are located on the back of the hand side of the forearm. It’s estimated the condition affects up to 3% of middle-aged adults. As with many musculoskeletal conditions, treatment guidelines emphasize exhausting non-surgical options before consulting with a surgeon. In a [..]

The shoulder is a complex structure that consists of four joints that work together to allow for a large range of motion. Unfortunately, this flexibility results in instability and an elevated risk for injury. Perhaps the well-known shoulder injury is a rotator cuff tear, which will affect at least one-in-five persons during their lifetime. While [..]

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a common condition characterized by pain and discomfort while chewing, which is estimated to affect about 10% of adults to some degree. As with many musculoskeletal conditions that come on gradually and don’t require emergency care, treatment guidelines recommend conservative care as an initial treatment approach, of which doctors of chiropractic [..]

Whiplash associated disorders (WAD) encompass a cluster of symptoms—dizziness, mental fog, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and/or comprehending, light/noise sensitivity, memory loss, nervousness/irritability, sleep disturbance, anxiety/depression, and more—that result from a sudden acceleration and deceleration that injures the soft tissues of the head and neck. While each case is unique and can require a tailored treatment plan [..]

While musculoskeletal conditions that affect the body are often thought of in terms of pain and disability, it’s not uncommon for psychological factors to be present, which can complicate matters and prolong the patient’s suffering. For example, in a 2019 study that included 252 patients with chronic low back pain, researchers observed that those with [..]

In a chiropractor’s ideal world, people would do everything possible to reduce their risk for a condition like low back pain, and in the event a low back injury occurs, they’d seek care right away. Barring any red flags that necessitate a referral to a specialist or a trip to the emergency room, the patient [..]

Chiropractors have a public and health care (scientific) perception as the “go to” provider for low back pain and neck pain. This was confirmed in a large recent review of the chiropractic profession. It was published in the journal Spine in December 2017, and titled (1): The Prevalence, Patterns, and Predictors of Chiropractic Use Among [..]