David Perna, D.C.

Many people seek chiropractic care when their back goes out or their neck tightens up. But how does this form of care actually work? What are the benefits of receiving chiropractic care for nerve dysfunction compared with other healthcare options? Let’s take a look!First, let’s discuss how the nervous system “works.” We have three divisions [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by a whole body, widespread pain that affects millions of people and continues to be a challenge for both doctors and patients to manage. This is probably because there is no one cause that can be clearly identified with the onset of FM. The “best” approach to managing FM requires a [..]

When we hear the term “whiplash,” we usually envision a rear-end motor vehicle collision that results in the head being thrown to and fro, in a “crack-the-whip” manner resulting in a neck injury. What we DON’T usually think about is “how to prevent whiplash,” which is this month’s topic. Let’s take a look! According to [..]

Low back pain (LBP) occurs all over the world. Between 2004 and 2008, an estimated 2.06 million EPISODES of LBP occurred in the United States (US) alone! Each year, LBP accounts for 3.15% of all emergency visits with 65% of LB injuries occurring at home. According to estimates, two-thirds of all Americans will experience at [..]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) belongs to a group of disorders referred to as “cumulative trauma disorders,” or CTDs. The word “cumulative” refers to the cause being repetitive motion, usually fast and prolonged. Over time, the wear and tear on the upper extremities accumulates and symptoms begin to occur and possibly worsen. This can result in [..]

We all know what it feels like to have limited neck motion, as most of us have had neck pain at some point in time. It makes doing simple things like backing up a car, rolling over in bed, reading, and watching TV difficult-to-impossible. The goal of this article is to review some of the [..]

Four Recent Studies, Using Unique Assessment Approaches, Assess the Safety of Spinal Manipulation for the Treatment of Musculoskeletal ConditionsBACKGROUNDWilliam H. Kirkaldy-Willis, MD, (1914-2006) was a pioneer in the understanding and treatment of spinal problems. In his life, he published 73 articles that are in the United States National Library of Medicine, and he authored four [..]

Whiplash is a slang term for an injury to the neck that's typically associated with a motor vehicle collision (MVC). A better term for “whiplash” is “whiplash associated disorder” (WAD) as it includes specific history and exam findings. There are usually two phases to an MVC: 1) an acceleration phase that is followed by 2) [..]

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common ailments that chiropractors treat. That’s probably because MOST of us will suffer from low back pain that requires outside help at some point in our lives! Posture has long been studied as a potential cause of low back pain, and this month’s topic will take [..]

Pain in the jaw joint, or temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), is a common complaint for many people. In fact, a 2009 publication reported that TMD affects between 20-30% of the adult population, typically between 20 and 40 years old, and is more common in females than males. TMD is also the second most frequent cause [..]

Chiropractors are often asked, “Why does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) bother me so much during the night?” Let’s take a look! The carpal tunnel is made up of eight small carpal bones that bridge the forearm to the hand. Without these eight little bones, the motion at the wrist would be very restricted and limited [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease that results in generalized pain spread out over the body and affects over 5 million people in the United States alone. Because no one has yet determined the cause of FM, both the diagnosis as well as the treatment poses a big challenge because it’s basically a trial and [..]