 | Dr. Jennifer Peterson graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City. She was awarded the prestigious Clinic Service Award in recognition of dedicated commitment and service to patients at the Cleveland Chiropractic Health Clinic. Dr. Peterson has done post-graduate work and been certified in Meridian Therapy (Acupuncture) and Cox Flexion-Distraction technique. Dr. Peterson is originally from Winfield, KS. She graduated from Winfield High School and then attended the University of Kansas. After graduating with a degree in Spanish from KU, she moved to Kansas City to attend Cleveland Chiropractic College. Dr. Peterson worked as an associate doctor for a year in Jackson, Mississippi before returning to Kansas to be closer to family and open her own clinic. Dr. Peterson enjoys walking, rollerblading and spending time with her infant niece, Alivia. You may e-mail her petersonchiropractic@birch.net, or call her at Peterson Chiropractic at (316) 448-0398. |
Chiropractic Care
2004-10-01 15:07:00
Can chiropractic help whiplash?
ANSWER: When a person is involved in a motor vehicle accident they often suffer from a strain/sprain injury. Many people feel that they are not really "hurt" because they didn't hit their head, break any bones and because they don't have any scrapes or bruises. What people often do not realize is that even those low-speed crashes can be damaging to the muscles, bones and joints. This is where chiropractic can help! A whiplash injury or a sprained/strained back can be difficult to treat because there is often bruising and swelling around the joints that cannot be seen on the surface. It is important to address the swelling while addressing the joint fixations that can occur when the muscles and ligaments are suddenly stretched and pulled as in a car crash. We address the swelling through the use of ice packs (just as one would use with swelling and bruising with an ankle sprain) and through a therapy known as interferential current. Interferential current is a non-invasive therapy using electrode pads surrounding the area of pain. Patients often describe it as a tingling sensation and it has been shown to not only push the swelling out of the area but also to help decrease the pain. Unfortunately, if we only resolve the pain and swelling, the joint fixations are still present and can actually progress to more serious conditions, such as torticollis, numbness and tingling in the hands or legs, or even degenerative disc disease. Proper motion in the spine helps to prevent these conditions from occurring. Chiropractors correct problems with motion and alignment of the spine through the use of manual or instrument adjusting. In many chiropractic clinics, the doctor uses his or her hands to manually apply pressure and then a quick force to the joint which moves it back into proper position and restores proper movement. In traditional medical treatments, a patient is often prescribed a medication that they are to take a certain number of times per day for a certain number of days. Similarly, the chiropractic adjustments are prescribed a certain number of times per week for a certain number of weeks. The amount of care varies from person to person and depends on many factors including age, health status, severity of injury and occupation, just to name a few. Consult your doctor of chiropractic to find out if a course of manipulation and interferential current might be helpful for your condition.
