David Perna, D.C.

Doctors of chiropractic offer a non-surgical, treatment protocol for both acute and chronic low back pain (LBP), as do several other healthcare delivery systems. However, due to patient preference and a rising concern for potentially harmful side-effects, many LBP patients seek management strategies that offer a natural, non-pharmaceutical approach, of which chiropractic is the most [..]

Individuals with neck pain may find it difficult for get a night of restful, restorative sleep due to pain keeping them awake or interrupting their slumber. Not only can a restless night make it more difficult to complete tasks related to everyday living or make neck pain worse, but poor sleep habits over time can [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common “peripheral neuropathy” (pinched nerves in the arms or legs) and is known to be caused by prolonged repetitive, forceful grip-related tasks involving the hands. The condition occurs when pressure is placed on the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel, either from inflammation, mechanical injury, [..]

While chiropractic care commonly focuses on improving function in the spine to reduce neck pain and back pain, in many cases achieving a successful outcome is only possible when treatment addresses conditions elsewhere in the body. For example, ANY painful condition of the knee can alter one’s gait pattern, which can result in abnormal movement [..]

When we hear the term “whiplash injury,” we likely think of car crashes, though whiplash can result from other causes, like a fall or sports collision. Though whiplash is associated with a variety of symptoms, neck pain with lower pain thresholds (called central sensitization) is one of the most common. Neck pain can also occur [..]

There is a plethora of research supporting the benefits of chiropractic care for many musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints including low back pain, neck pain, headaches, and more. However, less research is available for non-MSK complaints like gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. So, what can chiropractic offer patients with GERD, and why is this important? Normally, when [..]

Health science professors and clinicians often note that the most important aspect of healthcare education is anatomy. Anatomy holds the integration of pathology, complaint, and eventually treatment.Diagnostic ConceptsBiology We May Not Know / Biology We May Have Forgotten(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)Compression on nerve roots and/or peripheral nerves does not cause pain. Rather, compression [..]

Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a very common gynecological disorder affecting 84.1% of women during childbearing age. The most common symptoms of PD include lower abdominal pain that can radiate to both thighs and/or to the low back. Other symptoms include tiredness, headache, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. The condition precedes menstruation (in the absence of any [..]

Subacromial impingement (SAI) is a common injury in sporting activities that require overhead motions, especially among pitchers, quarterbacks, and swimmers. Not everyone responds to treatment to the same degree, and a new study that reviewed two specific cases may offer a possible reason: the neck. One of the two cases involved a high school football [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs when pressure is placed on the median nerve as it passes through bones and ligaments of the wrist in order to innervate a portion of the hand. This pressure can be cause by compression of the carpal tunnel due to mechanical injury or when other tissues near the median nerve [..]

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a pathological hip condition found in 17% of the population, and it’s caused by abnormal contact between the ball of hip and the socket. To be more precise, it’s the head-neck junction that impinges against the rim of the acetabulum. There are three types of FAI: cam, pincer, or a combination [..]

Abnormal postures of the neck—straight and reversed (kyphotic) curves, for example—are commonly encountered after an individual has experienced a motor vehicle collision (MVC). Many studies discuss the mechanism of injury during a rear-impact MVC that result in a straight or kyphotic curve, but few have considered the importance of this abnormal posture being present BEFORE [..]