David Perna, D.C.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition usually associated with repetitive strain from jobs that require a fast, constant movement of the arms and hands (such as working on an assembly line). Up to 9% of adult women develop CTS and the rate of incidence increases after age 50. A common medical treatment approach [..]

Exercise therapies have been identified as one of the most effective forms of treatment for Fibromyalgia (FM). Unfortunately, in a study of 121 newly diagnosed FM patient files, less than half included an exercise recommendation. This statistic is alarming! This month’s article will focus on FM studies that support the benefits of exercise.One study looked [..]

It’s safe to say that if one hasn't had neck and/or shoulder pain, they probably will at some point in the future. Like lower back pain, once someone has had neck pain, the chances for a future episode are significantly higher. A 2012 study reported that over a 12-month period, 16-18% of participants complained of [..]

Low back pain (LBP) has been a challenge to treat for centuries and evidence exists that back pain has been a concern since the origins of man. Chiropractic offers one of the most patient satisfying and fastest treatment approaches available. But, when you go to a chiropractor, there seems to be a lot of different [..]

Massage is the mechanical working of muscles and connective tissues to enhance function, and to improve upon the quality and timing of the healing process. Because massage also promotes relaxation and well-being, it also has pleasurable connotations.Myotherapy is often used synonymously for massage therapy. Myotherapy is the terminology used by many healthcare professionals because it [..]

Whiplash commonly occurs as a result of a motor vehicle collision when (typically) there is a sudden stop or deceleration that occurs so fast a person cannot adequately brace himself or herself, even when aware of an impending collision. This is because the "whiplash" effect is over in about 500 msec and we cannot voluntarily [..]

Neck pain is one of the most common complaints for which patients present to chiropractic offices. Headaches are also another very common problem and often go hand-in-hand with the presence of neck pain. So, the question that is frequently asked is, "…why do headaches and neck pain often occur together?" There are many types of [..]

In many cases, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) results strictly from overuse activities though, as we have discussed previously, other conditions such as hypothyroid, taking birth control pills, pregnancy, diabetes, obesity, and certain types of arthritis can also be involved as a contributor and / or the sole cause. When these conditions are present, they must [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a very common cause of chronic pain and fatigue. It’s plagued by the combination of not knowing what causes it (in many cases) and the fact that very few treatments seem to work. Also, patients often relay information about a "bad experience" with a doctor who down plays the diagnosis or worse, [..]

Low back pain (LBP) can have many causes. The primary goal of the chiropractic physician is to identify the main pain generator(s) and manage the patient accordingly. When first presenting for care, the patient tells us (the doctor of chiropractic) about their complaint in the history portion of our evaluation. Here, we not only ask [..]

Whiplash commonly occurs as a result of a motor vehicle collision when, typically, there is hyper-motion in one direction followed by motion in the opposite direction in a "crack the whip"-like manner. The direction of the strike typically dictates the direction of movement of the head so in a rear end collision, the strike is [..]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a very common problem. The American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) reported that in 2007, there were 330,000 carpal tunnel release surgeries performed. The main reason to have the surgery is to "open up" the tunnel. That is, the transverse carpal ligament or "floor" of the tunnel is released so [..]