David Perna, D.C.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition associated with tight, sore muscles with generalized, whole body pain which can dramatically affect a person’s lifestyle. However, there are ways to fight back! Last month, we discussed the benefits of water exercises and this month, we’re going to illustrate some specific exercises that can be performed in water. Remember [..]

The word "Ergonomics" is thrown around a lot when it comes to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). The term comes from the Greek ergon, meaning "work", and nomos, meaning "natural laws." By definition, ergonomics means "…the study of efficiency in working environments." Wikipedia describes it as, "…the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the [..]

Low back pain can arise from many conditions, one of which is a mouthful: spondylolisthesis. The term was coined in 1854 from the Greek words, "spondylo" for vertebrae and "olisthesis" for slip. These "slips" most commonly occur in the lower back (90% at L5 and 9% at L4). According to experts, the most common type [..]

When we hear the term headache, we don’t usually think about the neck. Rather, we focus on the head, or more specifically, the part of the head that hurts. But, during a consultation, a doctor of chiropractic will usually find some connection or correlation between the patient's headaches and their neck. The key to this [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition associated with tight, sore muscles but no one REALLY knows where FM comes from or why it picks on certain people and not others. Some feel it’s caused by lack of sleep, specifically deep sleep, eventually resulting in chronically tight muscles. Others theorize it’s the underlying stress of a person’s [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition associated with tight, sore muscles but no one REALLY knows where FM comes from or why it picks on certain people and not others. Some feel it’s caused by lack of sleep, specifically deep sleep, eventually resulting in chronically tight muscles. Others theorize it’s the underlying stress of a person’s [..]

Low back pain can emanate from many anatomical locations (as well as a combination of locations), which always makes it interesting when a patient asks, "…doc, where in my back is my pain coming from?" In context of an office visit, we take an accurate history and perform our physical exam to try to reproduce [..]

"Post concussive syndrome" (PCS) can affect up to 20-30% of patients who have a mild whiplash injury caused during a motor vehicle collision. Interestingly, eye movements have a close relationship to the function of the brain and can be an accurate measure for determining the presence of PCS, as well as a good barometer for [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition that drives many patients to chiropractic clinics asking, "…what can chiropractic do for CTS?" As an overview, the following is a list of what you might expect when you visit a Doctor of Chiropractic for a condition like CTS: A thorough history is VITALLY important as your [..]

Neck pain is one of those conditions that affect most people at some point during their lifetime.  Because of the way we are anatomically built, the neck is particularly vulnerable to injury (it has to hold up an average head weight of 15 pounds (~7 kg) which can be quite a job, especially when we [..]

When you woke up today, you thought this was like any other work day. You’re on your way to work, and traffic is flowing smoother than normal. Suddenly, someone crashes into the back end of your car and you feel your head extend back over the headrest and then rebound forwards, almost hitting the steering [..]

Recently, a doctor had a patient tell him she had a "break-through" in her fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms that she was VERY excited to share. Having known this patient for a long time, he was intrigued by her enthusiasm. She told her doctor that her family had never had an air conditioner before until late last [..]