Whiplash and trauma resulting from motor vehicle collisions
http://www.aspenforhealth.com/archive/articles/8/1/Whiplash-and-trauma-resulting-from-motor-vehicle-collisions/Page1.html
Dr. Kimberly Queen
Kimberly Queen, BS,DC Chiropractic physician
Dr. Kimberly Queen is the founder and co-owner of Aspen Chiropractic Clinic. She pioneered complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the city of Portland when she established Aspen as the first health care facility dedicated entirely to CAM practices. Kimberly Queen created Aspen as a healing environment that offers sanctuary to the body, mind and spirit. In recognition of her contribution to the community, Kimberly Queen received the nomination in 2003 for The Business Journal's Women in Business Award: Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.
Kimberly Queen earned her Doctor of Chiropractic (1997) and Bachelor of Science in Human Biology (1998) from Western States Chiropractic College (OR). She completed her undergraduate curriculum at San Francisco City College (CA) and California State University-Hayward. Kimberly Queen transitioned from a business career to medicine when she left Chevron Corporation in the mid-1980's to study massage therapy at the McKinnon Institute (CA). For 6 years, she managed a successful massage therapy practice in San Francisco and her greatest fulfillment came through her work with HIV/AIDS clients. This experience inspired her undergraduate dissertation, "A guideline for the assessment and management of HIV/AIDS patients." In 2006, Kimberly Queen participated on the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners Delphi Panel; she developed practice recommendations for evidence-based chiropractic. She is recognized nationally as a Certified Medical Examiner (2006) and she is certified as an Independent Medical Examiner for the Oregon Workers Compensation Division (2007). Kimberly Queen is currently enrolled in the post-graduate Diplomate Program in Chiropractic Forensic Science through the University of Bridgeport (CT).
Kimberly Queen is an accomplished athlete and coach. She competed in basketball and softball in high school and college. She received numerous honors for her athletic achievements including the prestigious Coca Cola® Award for Best High School Athlete (1981). Kimberly Queen is a Brown Belt in Kenpo Karate and rigorously studied the Kajukembo mixed martial art. She was appointed Coach, Women's Junior Varsity Basketball at Castro Valley High School (CA) and Instructor, Kenpo Karate at Women's Kenpo Karate School in San Francisco (CA). She was honored in 1992 for her athletic accomplishments as Sports Woman of the Year at the San Francisco Cable Car Awards.
Kimberly Queen's personal motto is "docere, sanare". The Latin translation is "to teach, to heal." This personal maxim informs her practice on a daily basis. She strives to help each patient understand their health issues and take an active role in the healing process. Kimberly Queen also extends her compassion and expertise to the Portland community as an educator to organizations and public and private schools: Columbia River Sew'ers Association, Everest Institute-Tigard, Jackson Middle School Basketball, Nursing Mother's Council, Parkinson's Support Group. In 2002, Kimberly Queen was appointed Adjunct Faculty, Department of Clinics at Western States Chiropractic College (OR).
Kimberly Queen maintains a popular and highly respected family and sports medicine practice. She treats patients of all ages who suffer from acute and chronic illness and she works with Olympic athletes and other athletes involved in a range of professional and recreational sports: basketball, cycling, distance running, rock climbing, softball, waterskiing. For more than a decade Kimberly Queen has volunteered her professional services to AA Sports Limited events in Oregon and in 2004, she served as Medical Staff for the Bridge to Bridge Run, Hood to Coast Relay, Race for the Roses, ADA Summit to Surf and TYR Women's Triathlon.
Kimberly Queen is a member of the American Chiropractic Association and the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs.
By Dr. Kimberly Queen
Published on 05/24/2007
In June of 2006, I attended the International Whiplash Trauma Congress presented by the Spinal Injury Foundation, and co-sponsored by Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine’s Center for Health Communities and, my alma mater, Western States Chiropractic College. The speakers were a prestigious multidisciplinary faculty from biomechanics, chiropractic, engineering, epidemiology, medicine and neurophysiology. I am very impressed by the commitment of the international community to study whiplash and other motor vehicle crash- related injuries, and to share the trauma research and the latest developments in diagnosis and treatment.
Whiplash and trauma resulting from motor vehicle collisions
2007 VOL 1, NO 3
In June of 2006, I attended the International Whiplash Trauma Congress presented by the Spinal Injury Foundation, and co-sponsored by Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine's Center for Health Communities and, my alma mater, Western States Chiropractic College. The speakers were a prestigious multidisciplinary faculty from biomechanics, chiropractic, engineering, epidemiology, medicine and neurophysiology. I am very impressed by the commitment of the international community to study whiplash and other motor vehicle crash- related injuries, and to share the trauma research and the latest developments in diagnosis and treatment.
The presentations addressed innovative issues, such as, the effects of head restraint types and injury complaints in low impact collisions and why some patients do not recover after a whiplash injury. I was very interested in the issues of posttraumatic stress disorder following whiplash injury, health outcomes following whiplash-associated disorders and the clinical and biomechanical aspects of rear impact induced trauma, because I routinely address these issues with my trauma patients and with personal injury attorneys who request my professional opinion.
The research evidence presented at the Congress mirrored my clinical experience; acute and, eventually, chronic pain is frequently encountered following whiplash injury, and approximately one fifth to one third of whiplash patients will experience chronic pain at 3 years. The cervical facet joints- the small joints of the neck bones- are implicated as the primary source of persistent posttraumatic pain. I received this information with mixed emotions: this outcome results for many of my patients, but I am not alone in treating these unfortunate cases. In my practice, I frequently see neck and low back ligament and disc problems caused by motor vehicle collisions. I rarely encounter neck fractures however, I see a number of mid back and low back spine fractures; these result from hyper flexion injury, whereby the spine curves violently forward (into a flexed position) that is, literally, "past the point of breaking".
Research shows that seat belts with shoulder harness restraints reduce traffic fatalities but the use of a seatbelt will predispose drivers and passengers to specific types of injuries during a motor vehicle collision. There is evidence that acute neck pain after a low-velocity or very-low-velocity rear impact may occur because of the effect of lap-and-shoulder seat belts; these devices amplify the injury potential. I actually see a multitude of injuries caused by restraints that "hold" during an impact, ranging from minor bruises and serious contusions to fractures of the collarbone, fractures of the breastbone (sternum), shoulder joint sprains and tearing of shoulder muscles. Seat belt design is "one size fits all" but this, unfortunately, leads to head, arm, knee and leg injury in people who are not optimally restrained during a collision.
Two new U.S. research studies reported on the effectiveness of chiropractic management for patients with acute and chronic neck pain, regardless of causation. In general, chiropractic treatment focuses on correcting specific joint and soft tissue dysfunction that underlies the pain and disability, and the chiropractic adjustment, which comprises specific joint manipulation and other manual procedures for joints and soft-tissues, has a central role in the treatment plan. Additional research reported that the combination of chiropractic manipulative treatment, soft-tissue release techniques and rehabilitative exercise is more effective in the management of whiplash injury than conventional physiotherapy treatment. I routinely employ this therapeutic approach in my management of neck and back pain patients, with successful outcomes. I am encouraged by the research evidence supporting my therapeutic goal-- to integrate the relief of symptoms with the restoration of normal function, and progress my patients toward functional independence.
- KD Queen, DC
In June of 2006, I attended the International Whiplash Trauma Congress presented by the Spinal Injury Foundation, and co-sponsored by Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine's Center for Health Communities and, my alma mater, Western States Chiropractic College. The speakers were a prestigious multidisciplinary faculty from biomechanics, chiropractic, engineering, epidemiology, medicine and neurophysiology. I am very impressed by the commitment of the international community to study whiplash and other motor vehicle crash- related injuries, and to share the trauma research and the latest developments in diagnosis and treatment.
The presentations addressed innovative issues, such as, the effects of head restraint types and injury complaints in low impact collisions and why some patients do not recover after a whiplash injury. I was very interested in the issues of posttraumatic stress disorder following whiplash injury, health outcomes following whiplash-associated disorders and the clinical and biomechanical aspects of rear impact induced trauma, because I routinely address these issues with my trauma patients and with personal injury attorneys who request my professional opinion.
The research evidence presented at the Congress mirrored my clinical experience; acute and, eventually, chronic pain is frequently encountered following whiplash injury, and approximately one fifth to one third of whiplash patients will experience chronic pain at 3 years. The cervical facet joints- the small joints of the neck bones- are implicated as the primary source of persistent posttraumatic pain. I received this information with mixed emotions: this outcome results for many of my patients, but I am not alone in treating these unfortunate cases. In my practice, I frequently see neck and low back ligament and disc problems caused by motor vehicle collisions. I rarely encounter neck fractures however, I see a number of mid back and low back spine fractures; these result from hyper flexion injury, whereby the spine curves violently forward (into a flexed position) that is, literally, "past the point of breaking".
Research shows that seat belts with shoulder harness restraints reduce traffic fatalities but the use of a seatbelt will predispose drivers and passengers to specific types of injuries during a motor vehicle collision. There is evidence that acute neck pain after a low-velocity or very-low-velocity rear impact may occur because of the effect of lap-and-shoulder seat belts; these devices amplify the injury potential. I actually see a multitude of injuries caused by restraints that "hold" during an impact, ranging from minor bruises and serious contusions to fractures of the collarbone, fractures of the breastbone (sternum), shoulder joint sprains and tearing of shoulder muscles. Seat belt design is "one size fits all" but this, unfortunately, leads to head, arm, knee and leg injury in people who are not optimally restrained during a collision.
Two new U.S. research studies reported on the effectiveness of chiropractic management for patients with acute and chronic neck pain, regardless of causation. In general, chiropractic treatment focuses on correcting specific joint and soft tissue dysfunction that underlies the pain and disability, and the chiropractic adjustment, which comprises specific joint manipulation and other manual procedures for joints and soft-tissues, has a central role in the treatment plan. Additional research reported that the combination of chiropractic manipulative treatment, soft-tissue release techniques and rehabilitative exercise is more effective in the management of whiplash injury than conventional physiotherapy treatment. I routinely employ this therapeutic approach in my management of neck and back pain patients, with successful outcomes. I am encouraged by the research evidence supporting my therapeutic goal-- to integrate the relief of symptoms with the restoration of normal function, and progress my patients toward functional independence.
- KD Queen, DC