Cassidy Boelk, D.C.

Here it is: carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in a nutshell! WHAT: CTS is caused by an injury to the median nerve (MN) as it travels through the wrist. WHERE: The eight small carpal bones and a ligament form a tunnel in which tendons and nerves pass through to reach the hand. HOW: The MN gets [..]

Due to bipedal locomotion (walking around on two legs), foot and ankle problems have the potential to affect EVERYTHING above the feet—even the knees! When analyzing the way we walk (also known as our gait), we find when the heel strike takes place, the heel and foot motion causes “supination” or the rolling OUT of [..]

In a 2010 study, researchers examined MRIs taken from 1,200 patients (600 whiplash and 600 non-whiplash neck pain patients) and noted that those who had sustained whiplash were more likely to have a brain injury than non-whiplash neck pain patients. The specific type of brain injury found is a form of herniation called Chiari malformation, [..]

Since ancient times, as far back as the days of Hippocrates (the father of medicine), people have taken cold baths in the belief it could both treat serious illness and maintain one's good health. In a 2016 study conducted by a team of Dutch researchers, a group of roughly 2,800 participants were split into four [..]

And Specific Spinal Manipulation Kim was 19 years old, athletic, physically fit, and had never suffered from a neck injury or an episode of prior neck pain; her past history was completely unremarkable.While showering earlier that morning, she turned to reach for a bar of soap. She immediately experienced a sharp zap of left–sided neck [..]

In 2008, a study published in the journal Spine sought to identify EARLY PREDICTORS in an effort to reduce the number of low back pain (LBP) patients who go on to experience long-term disability. Researchers followed 1,885 low back injury claimants for a year and then later reviewed data collected during the first three weeks [..]

Let’s first look at the anatomy of the neck in order to better understand the structures of the cervical spine that can generate pain. Starting at the back of the spine, the facet joints allow us to move our neck and head in all directions, and each facet joint is surrounded by a joint capsule [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition caused when pressure is applied to the median nerve as it passes through the wrist. When playing a musical instrument, especially for hours at a time for several days in a row, the fast repetitive movements of the fingers can cause the tendons—all nine of them—that travel through [..]

One of the structures that is frequently blamed for hip pain is called the labrum—the rubbery tissue that surrounds the socket helping to stabilize the hip joint. This tissue often wears and tears with age, but it can also be torn as a result of a trauma or sports-related injury. The clinical significance of a [..]

Posture assessment is a key component of the chiropractic examination, and the posture of the head and neck is especially important for a patient recovering from a whiplash injury. Forward head carriage describes a state in which the head sits more forward on the shoulders than it should. In order for the muscles in the [..]