Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

I posted this in my personal blog yesterday. I thought it might be of interest to ET readers. Do you sit at a desk…read thisIf you sit at a desk or spend as much time on planes as I do you’ve probably got chronic back issues. I do. Nothing bad. Certainly not debilitating by any means but enough where daily maintenance is necessary. I stretch, exercise, and perform special exercises just to keep
 
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If this were true, I would be in the hospital already. I am a “crack” addict. Neck, back, knuckles, ankles, knees . . .

Chad Williams - 28 August 2008 12:07 PM

If this were true, I would be in the hospital already. I am a “crack” addict. Neck, back, knuckles, ankles, knees . . .

I’m a crack addict too and that was my initial impression to the headline in the article but it says that cervical manipulations only raise the odds slightly.

I think the problem comes into play mostly with high velocity rotation combined with significant cervical extension… more extension and higher velocity than people usually do themselves.  This is not fact, just my impression as I have heard of chiros stroking people but never someone doing it to themselves.

Crack at your own risk BUT this hits home HARD. Anyone who can witness a young stroke victim immediately before and immediately after would probably err on the safe side.

This past weekend the Chief Operations Officer of my family’s business had a stroke. He’s 46.  He, my father, and I discussed details of a project involving a worldwide manufacturer of power generation equipment. Our company specializes in lifting and transporting this equipment. We discussed detailed, critical components of our contract. Twenty-four hours later he could not make a complete sentence and had no feeling in the right side of his body. His wife found him after she heard him fall out of bed. Six days later he can make fleeting complete thoughts and and has some lower body feeling on his right side. He was my mentor, a second father, a great leader and an aggressive businessman. Hopefully he can rehab close to his old self but he still talks nonsense half of the time. His stroke was not related to cervical manipulation as far as I know yet the affects of the stroke have definitely made me think twice about having this manipulation done. It does not look worth it to me.

My dad died from his second stroke in 2005 (He was 58). After his first stroke he was initially paralyzed on the right side of his body but after a few weeks his speech had only a slight slur to it and he had regained much of his feeling on his right side. I hope your friend heals quickly.

In relation to the article, I stopped cracking my neck a few years ago when I realized that if I didn’t it ended up feeling worse. I worked through the stiffness for a week or two since it went away I’ve never needed to crack it again. The first time I saw a chiro crack someones neck like that I thought they were going for the kill! I couldn’t believe how violent it sounded.

mortac8 - 28 August 2008 09:26 PM

I think the problem comes into play mostly with high velocity rotation combined with significant cervical extension… more extension and higher velocity than people usually do themselves.  This is not fact, just my impression as I have heard of chiros stroking people but never someone doing it to themselves.

Interesting. Was this ever addressed in your ART courses since many ART practitioners are chiros?

Mike Young - 29 August 2008 01:16 AM

mortac8 - 28 August 2008 09:26 PM

I think the problem comes into play mostly with high velocity rotation combined with significant cervical extension… more extension and higher velocity than people usually do themselves.  This is not fact, just my impression as I have heard of chiros stroking people but never someone doing it to themselves.

Interesting. Was this ever addressed in your ART courses since many ART practitioners are chiros?

They have a protocol called the Vertebral Artery Tension Test (VATT).  This is used to make sure the artery isn’t ‘stuck’ to any of the surrounding muscles.  That could result in a cervical manipulation putting all of the stress on a small portion of the artery (where it’s stuck/immobile) possibly causing damage or a tear in the artery.  This is more for the chiro’s own benefit as straight ART has no chiropractic/manipulation maneuvers.

It’s funny thought as no one ever mentions the term stroke and if you ask around it’s deny,deny,deny from the chrios.  Kinda like the answer you would get if you ask Marion if she was on roidz.