Hypothetical Case

Single –Incident Trauma, while not as common a culprit as accumulated micro-trauma, does exist.  Whether produced in a micro-second in a single-incident trauma or slowly from postural creep, the results are the same.  Let's consider the following hypothetical scenario:  A young woman, aged 28 was sitting at a stoplight when her car was hit in the rear by another driver.  The next morning she has a stiff and sore neck.  Lets assume that the damage done by this whiplash injury is not severe enough to cause an instability, but has stretched the long ligaments of the neck sufficient to cause hypermobility of one of her neck joints.  She seeks medical help from one of the following practitioners. 


Chiropractor

Medical Doctor

Physical Therapist

Treatment

Manipulation

Medications:
Anti-
inflammatories
Muscle relaxers
Analgesics

Moist heat
Electric Stim
Stretching exercises

Results

better after
2 weeks

better after
2 weeks

better after
2 weeks


Which of these treatments is correct? It is the opinion at Progressive Physical Therapy that they are all wrong.  While they may treat the symptoms paliatively (they feel better for a little while), they do nothing at all to treat the underlying problem of instability.  In fact in many cases they do more harm than good and even facilitate the hastening of the downward cascade for they following reasons:
  • Chiropractors because they manipulate into an instability and thus, further exacerbate the instability.
  • Physical Therapists because they stretch into an instability and thus, further exacerbate the instability.
  • Medical Doctors because they prescribe muscle relaxers which inhibit the only supporting structures that are left and thus, further exacerbate the instability.


What happens to the young lady if she utilizes one of the above treatment methods?

She is a legal assistant.  Everything goes well for about 5 years with only intermittent bouts of neck pain that last a day or two.   Then she wakes up one morning with a stiff and sore neck.  After 2 weeks she is no better.  Over-the-counter Ibuprofen no longer is effective.   The hyermobility in her neck joint has progressed to the point where an instability has developed.   The aberrant motion borne out of this instability has further traumatized the supporting tissues of the neck and caused inflammation and pain until her neck is chronically stiff and sore.  Her posture has deteriorated in that her head has moved forward and her upper back has begun to hunch over.  What does she do?  Go back to the Chiropractor or Medical Doctor or Physical Therapist?  No.  No.  No and Yes.  Not the Chiropractor, not the MD, and not your average physical therapist, but to Progressive Physical Therapy where we understand and treat the source of problem, not just the symptoms.

The good news is that spinal instability and its consequential problems can be treated effectively so long as it has not cascaded down too far.  In most cases, we at Progressive can reverse the process or at least stop its progression.  Like any treatable progressive disease, the earlier the process is identified and treated, the better.

At Progressive Physical Therapy we will treat the young lady using The Fitch - O'Reilly Protocol, and we'll get her long-term results.