Physical Medicine, Chiropractor Orlando FL

Auto Injury  and Whiplash Injury Treatment

Suffering an auto injury can really affect your life even in a minor car accident. If you have suffered an auto injury in Ocoee, Winter Garden, Windermere or Orlando or been involved in a recent auto accident it is very important that you get checked immediately. Dr. Harrison is a doctor trained and experienced in the evaluation, rehab and treatment of auto injuries.

We often see people years after what they considered to be a minor impact, come in with neck or back pain due to arthritis secondary to there “minor” auto injury. Don’t let this happen to you. Get checked within the first few days, even if you have no significant symptoms or what you consider to be minor auto injuries. This is the best time to detect even minor injuries to the muscle and ligaments in the neck, back and any other joints injured in the accident. Even if you consider it to be minor, here is the explanation as to why it is so important to rehabilitate these injuries properly.

In addition to getting rid of your pain more quickly, there are two reasons with great benefits to rehabilitate injured muscles and ligaments in the injured joints following an auto injury. Number one is that any time you have torn a muscle or ligament, such as in a whiplash injury where you were hit from behind in a motor vehicle accident, or maybe even T-bone, the body is going to begin to repair that injured muscles or ligament with scar tissue. Scar tissue is not elastic like the original tissue and if not treated will just be laid down like patchwork. If we apply adjustments and physiotherapy it helps to minimize the amount of scar tissue you need to repair the damaged tissue and also helps it heal more in alignment with the original tissue. This will help avoid pain due to the “old injury” down the road. Number two, if we lose mobility in the joints involved, this is what leads to arthritic change in the joint over time. This is the patient that comes in and tells us they just had a minor injury years ago, but never had it checked.

Dr. Harrison has over 20 years of experience in treating auto injuries and has post graduate education in cervical (neck) acceleration/deceleration trauma as well as whiplash related temporomandibular joint disorders.

Don’t delay treatment! It’s very important to treat these injuries promptly and properly to not only eliminate your pain, but to insure the minimization of scar tissue, restore normal joint mobility and to prevent future arthritis in the affected joints. Healing time for these tissues is 90-180 days so time is crucial to minimize damage.

Call the office now for your comprehensive automobile injury evaluation at 407-522-5858 .

In the state of Florida you MUST be evaluated and have injuries documented within fourteen days of the date of your accident. If not, you may forfeit all benefits available to you for treatment under your auto insurance policy.

Dr. Steven Harrison

Whiplash treatment explained: Whiplash is a layman’s term. It describes the way someone’s neck or back can be thrown forward and backward as the result of a trauma.

It is very commonly used to describe auto injury patient’s neck injuries. It can also relate to any injury to the neck or back in which they were shaken violently.

Whiplash Injuries - Neck and Head

When this occurs the patient actually suffers a sprain/strain to the muscles and ligaments of the neck or back. A sprain / strain is actually a microscopic tearing of muscle and ligament tissue. The body then will respond by laying down scar tissue to repair these tears. This is good and bad. It is good because the tissues need to be repaired. It is bad because without proper treatment, the body will just throw down the scar tissue like patch work or quilt work. Scar tissue is not elastic or as flexible as the original tissue. This can lead to areas of hypersensitivity down the road. I am sure you know someone who has complained about an old injury acting up. This is their scar tissue talking. If we apply proper therapy and chiropractic adjustments to the involved areas we can minimize the amount of scar tissue needed to repair the tears. It will also help the scar tissue heal more in alignment with the original tissue. This will help maintain some elasticity.

Mobility in the neck and back are another important consideration. If we lose normal mobility to the injured areas the patient is much more likely to develop arthritis in those areas down the road. This is why I focus on minimizing scar tissue formation and restoring mobility following these injuries in my office.

Proper whiplash treatment is essential to have a good recovery. Chiropractic and physiotherapy with medical oversight has provided our patients with the best care possible in reducing pain, minimizing scar tissue, restoring joint mobility and reducing the risk of future arthritis in the involved joints.

Call the office today for your whiplash evaluation with Dr. Steven Harrison at 407-522-5858.

We have great success in treating neck pain in the office. Neck pain is usually caused by one of the following conditions:

• Decreased joint mobility  (restricted motion or stiffness in the joints of the neck). This is diagnosed visually during my examination.
• Subluxation  (A shift in the normal position of one or more of the neck bones or vertebrae but less than a dislocation). This is usually accompanied by number one above. This can be diagnosed visually upon my exam but also may be verified by x-ray examination.
• Arthritis.   This is diagnosed by x-ray and appears in the form of calcium deposits, bone spurs, or degeneration of the disc space (disc degeneration). This is many times accompanied by numbers one and two above.
• A disc problem   such as a disc herniation or disc bulge. A disc problem can be confirmed only by MRI or CT examination which I will order if I suspect a disc problem and feels it is warranted.

Call the office now for your free consultation and let me help you find relief as I have with thousands of others in the greater Orlando area! 407-522-5858

Dr. Steven Harrison

We have great success in treating back pain in the office.

Back pain is usually caused by one of the following conditions:

Decreased joint mobility (restricted motion or stiffness in the joints of the back). This is diagnosed visually during my examination.

Subluxation (A shift in the normal position of one or more of the neck bones or vertebrae but less than a dislocation). This is usually accompanied by number one above. This can be diagnosed visually during my exam but also may be verified by x-ray examination.

Arthritis. This is diagnosed by x-ray and appears in the form of calcium deposits, bone spurs, or degeneration of the disc space (disc degeneration). This is many times accompanied by numbers one and two above.

A disc problem such as a disc herniation or disc bulge. A disc problem can be confirmed only by MRI or CT examination which I will order if I suspect a disc problem and feels it is warranted.

Call the office now for your free consultation and let me help you find relief as I have with thousands of others in the greater Orlando area! 407-522-5858

Dr. Steven Harrison

Ninety percent of headaches fall into the category of muscle tension or muscle contraction. They can be triggered by anything leading to tight muscles in the neck, shoulders and upper back. Stress, injuries such as whiplash or a sprain strain to the neck and upper back are common causes and chiropractic treatment for headaches can help.

Chiropractic treatment for headaches works wonders for this condition. Gentle adjustments to relieve muscle tension in the neck along with light stretching are the key. Almost all of these patients see dramatic changes in their severity and frequency with only a handful of treatments. In fact most completely resolve.   In severe cases we may need to use heat, ice or electrical muscle stimulation in addition to chiropractic adjustments in order to obtain relief.

The remaining ten percent of fall into Migraine, Cluster or Sinus headaches. These can be more difficult to treat, but most of our patients still see significant decreases in their intensity and frequency with treatment here in the office. Migraine type headaches can be severe with sharp or throbbing pain that can last for hours. Migraines are many times accompanied by nausea or vomiting and preceded by an aura alerting the person that the migraine may be coming. Cluster headaches are headaches that come and go in groups. An individual may go weeks with no problem and then experience a group or cluster (anywhere from one to three per day), usually affecting one eye causing tearing. This type of headache also happens to be seasonal with the patient experiencing their cluster headaches at the same time of year each year. These can be intense headaches and in some cases more severe than migraines.

Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches - Types of headaches

Call the office now for a free consultation to determine which type of headache you have and the best approach to help you! 407-522-5858

Dr. Steven Harrison

TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) disorders can develop secondary to a motor vehicle accident involving whiplash to the neck (cervical spine auto injuries), or any other trauma or blow to the jaw. TMJ disorders can present in many different ways. Some patients present with neck pain, headaches or dizziness and have no jaw pain. Others have significant jaw pain. A well trained doctor knows what to look for.

In cases associated with severe pain and joint lock, TMJ usually presents two different ways:

1. The patient has a hard time opening the mouth.   The patient cannot open wide and or the jaw seems stuck closed. This is usually due to anterior displacement of the disc in relation to the condyle.
2. The patient’s jaw is stuck open and they cannot close the jaw.   This is usually due to posterior displacement of the disc in relation to the condyle.

You need someone with training in craniopathy and more specifically with the TMJ, which I have had both, in order to handle your TMJ problem. Let me put my expertise to work for you.

Call the office now at 407-522-5858 so that I can sit and explain how I can help you with your TMJ problem.

Dr. Steven Harrison

Since the shoulder has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body, it’s not uncommon for people to suffer from shoulder injuries, or other degenerative issues that can affect this area of the body. There are three major bones within the shoulder region including the humerus, clavicle and scapula.

Shoulder injuries can manifest themselves as either chronic or acute pain. Some of the most common shoulder injuries are:

• Rotator Cuff Tear – There are four rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder that can become injured from overexertion. Rotator cuff tears are common in many athletes including pitchers and tennis players because they place a great deal of stress on their shoulders. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are a variety of different treatment options recommended for this type of injury. Depending upon the severity of the tear; rest, ice and physical therapy can be useful remedies. But, steroid injections may be ordered if these treatments aren’t effectual against the pain. Physical therapy is another promising treatment to help restore flexibility and strength to the shoulder. Yet, there are some instances when surgical repair may be needed (labral tears).


• Dislocated Shoulder – Another ordinary shoulder injury that typically occurs as the result of a significant fall, or injury from contact sports. This injury happens when the upper arm bone pops out of the cup-shaped socket that’s part of your shoulder blade. Some symptoms of a dislocated shoulder are intense pain, swelling, bruising, and loss of movement. This injury can be treated via closed reduction, surgery, immobilization, medication and rehabilitation. You can take several steps in an effort to prevent a dislocated shoulder including regular exercise, avoiding falls and wearing protective shoulder gear during contact sports.


• Frozen Shoulder – If you are suffering from stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint, then it could be due to a condition known as adhesive capsulitis. Those people who may be recovering from medical conditions that restrict arm movement are at a higher risk of developing a frozen shoulder. Acupuncture, an alternative medical procedure that involves inserting extremely fine needles in the skin at specific points on the body, has shown encouraging results in regard to treating a variety of conditions like this.


• Shoulder Tendonitis – The most common cause of shoulder pain that I see in the office is tendonitis. This is easily diagnosed during history and examination with the patient. In most cases there has been repetitive stress to one or more of the tendons of the rotator cuff. Left untreated shoulder tendonitis can progress to bursitis and then capsulitis. Capsulitis almost always requires surgical intervention so don’t delay treatment. If you treat the tendonitis soon after it begins, it usually resolves quickly in just a few short treatments. In the event the shoulder pain doesn’t resolve within a two to three week period, I usually order an MRI to determine if any tendon has been torn or if there is a labral tear that may require surgical repair. If so, we know some great orthopedic doctors locally that we can refer you to.

The most common cause of shoulder pain that I see in the office is tendonitis. This is easily diagnosed during history and examination with the patient. In most cases there has been repetitive stress to one or more of the tendons of the rotator cuff. Left untreated shoulder tendonitis can progress to bursitis and then capsulitis. Capsulitis almost always requires surgical intervention so don’t delay treatment.

If you treat the tendonitis soon after it begins, it usually resolves quickly in just a few short treatments.

In the event the shoulder pain doesn’t resolve within a two to three week period, I usually order an MRI to determine if any tendon has been torn or if there is a labral tear that may require surgical repair. If so, we know some great orthopedic doctors locally that we can refer you to.

Call now for your free consultation so we can discuss how to best help you find relief from your shoulder pain! 407-522-5858

Dr. Steven Harrison

Hip pain can be very debilitating and is often times confusing to patients. Many times patients will actually have a sacroiliac joint problem and confuse this as being a hip problem. Hip pain and sacroiliac pain are two completely different conditions which are easily diagnosed with physical examination, plain film x-ray and MRI.

True hip problems usually are driven by degenerative (arthritic) changes to the hip joint due to the fact it is a weight bearing joint and over time suffers wear and tear. In some cases along with those degenerative changes we will see tendonitis or bursitis and accompanied decrease in range of motion.

One diagnosis to what out for is avascular necrosis of the head of the femur where blood circulation is lost and the bone begins to die. This always ends in a hip replacement and can be easily diagnosed on MRI.

The good news is that most hip pain responds very well to range of motion exercises, stretching and light joint mobilization.

Don’t procrastinate and continue to suffer. Hip problems if treated early respond very well.

Call the office now at 407-522-5858 to set your free consultation with so we can determine the best approach to take control of your hip pain.

Dr. Steven Harrison

Arm and Leg pain or numbness and tingling have many causes.

The most common would be nerve irritation. This can happen a couple of different ways. The most common would be secondary to inflammation such as after a sprain/strain to the neck or back. Possibly even a contusion or impact to the neck or back. Swelling occurs around the nerve and you develop symptoms of pain or numbness and tingling in the arms or legs.

The second most common would be arthritis in the neck or back joints. Many times degenerative discs lead to nerve compression, or even a bone spur developing may begin to irritate a nerve. This obviously is a little more serious and proper care is critical.

Last would be some sort of disc condition. These are split into three categories 1) bulge 2) herniation/protrusion 3) extrusion or prolapse. A bulging disc may put pressure on a nerve root causing pain in the spine, and or pain numbness and tingling down the arms or legs. Adjustments or traction work well to help heal this problem and we have great success with these in the office. Disc herniation’s are a little more serious. In this condition fibers in the disc have torn and the nucleus has started to migrate towards the nerve root applying pressure. Water content in the disc is usually beginning to be lost. The pump mechanism has failed (see disc herniation’s or disc conditions). Adjustments and traction still work well for disc herniation’s. Last an extruded disc is where the nucleus of the disc has pushed all of the way through the annular fibers and is now out in the canal. Nerve irritation is almost guaranteed and adjustments and traction are less likely to be an option.

Proper evaluation and diagnosis is essential to determine the cause of your arm and leg pain or numbness and tingling. If it is one of the above excluding disc extrusion, I can help you.

A proper neurological evaluation is essential as some arm or leg pain can referred from a joint or muscle group that doesn’t follow typical nerve root patterns. This is called sclerotogenous pain which can many times be very vague or poorly defined.

Each of the above is treated differently so proper diagnosis is key.

Call the office now at 407-522-5858 for your free consultation so that we can discuss the best course of action in handling your arm pain, leg pain or numbness and tingling.

Dr. Steven Harrison

Knee pain usually develops due to a trauma to the knee or develops gradually over time in the form of arthritis due to the fact it is a weight bearing joint.

If there has been a trauma to the knee a thorough examination by me or my physical therapist is the first step to recovery. If it is determined that there is an instability then an MRI may be warranted before initiating any therapy to determine whether or not any ligaments or cartilage have been torn that need to be surgically repaired.

In severe cases of wear and tear (osteoarthritis), knee replacement may be indicated and the proper referral will be made.

If there is no tear and we have determined that this pain is due to either a sprain strain or due to mild to moderate degenerative changes (arthritis), we will recommend an appropriate treatment plan to help the knee heal and stabilize.

Most treatment plans involve improving range of motion and strengthening the supporting musculature.

Call the office now at 407-522-5858 to schedule your free consultation so we can discuss the best possible approach in providing relief for your knee pain.

Dr. Steven Harrison

Herniated Disc

A herniated disc or disc protrusion is different from a bulging disc. A disc herniation is more severe and involves the tearing of annular fibers (the outer portion of the disc which is a fibrocartilage) which allows the nucleus (the center portion of the intervertebral disc made up mostly of waters and sugars), to begin to migrate or push through the torn fibers creating a focal protrusion or herniation of the disc.

disc herniations vs normal disc

As you can see from the picture above, disc herniations can be very painful due to the high potential for nerve root compression causing pain locally  but may even radiate down the leg or arm. Most disc herniations occur posterior and lateral irritating either the left or right nerve root (lateral recess stenosis) causing leg or arm pain on that same side. Less common is a posterior herniation which pushes directly posterior into the spinal cord (spinal stenosis or central canal stenosis) and may generate pain in the limbs bilaterally.

On MRI disc herniations generally make the disc appear black. The reason for this is when the tear of the annular fibers occur, water content in the disc is lost. The MRI displays water on the film as whitish. When the water is absent it will show up dark as shown in the picture below. herniated discs - chiropractic Orlando

Notice the discs above and below the herniated disc appear whiter in the middle. If your disc looks dark, like in the disc circled above, then your disc is in trouble. Its pump mechanism has failed and the ONLY procedure I know that corrects this problem is spinal decompression.

Call the office now at 407-522-5858 for your consultation and comprehensive examination.   You must bring your MRI films or the appointment will need to be rescheduled. The films are very important to my evaluation to see if you are a good candidate for this highly successful procedure.

Dr. Steven Harrison

Tendonitis in any area of the body typically develops due to repetitive stress but can also be caused by a trauma. The reason it is so common is because tendons in the body typically don’t have a good blood supply, so when overused they become angry due to lack of blood flow, oxygen and nutrients.

Common areas for tendonitis are in the shoulders (rotator cuff syndrome) or in the elbows (medial epicondylitis or golfers elbow, and lateral epicondylitis or tennis elbow), but can occur in the knees, hips and other joints as well.

Diagnosis is usually made clinically during history taking and physical examination.

Treatment if caught early is usually transverse friction rub to get circulation going to the involved tendons. Ultrasound to the involved muscle groups and supports for the shoulder or elbow can sometimes be helpful to reduce stress to the involved tendons.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of a tendon — any one of the thick fibrous cords that attaches muscle to bone. The condition causes pain and tenderness just outside a joint.” http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tendinitis/basics/definition/con-20020309

Tendonitis in any area of the body typically develops due to repetitive stress, but can also be caused by a trauma. The reason it is so common is because tendons in the body typically don’t have a good blood supply, so when overused they become angry due to lack of blood flow, oxygen and nutrients.

Common areas for tendonitis are in the shoulders (rotator cuff syndrome) or in the elbows (medial epicondylitis or golfers elbow, and lateral epicondylitis or tennis elbow), but can occur in the knees, hips and other joints as well.

Diagnosis is usually made clinically during history taking and physical examination.

Treatment

If caught early is usually transverse friction rub to get circulation going to the involved tendons. Ultrasound to the involved muscle groups and supports for the shoulder or elbow can sometimes be helpful to reduce stress to the involved tendons. Some other treatment options typically include:

• Pain relievers   – Taking aspirin, naproxen sodium (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) may relieve discomfort associated with tendinitis. Topical creams with anti-inflammatory medication — popular in Europe and becoming increasingly available in the United States —also may be effective in relieving pain without the potential side effects of taking anti-inflammatory medications by mouth.


• Corticosteroids   – Sometimes your doctor may inject a corticosteroid medication around a tendon to relieve tendinitis. Injections of cortisone reduce inflammation and can help ease pain. Corticosteroids are not recommended for chronic tendinitis (lasting over three months), as repeated injections may weaken a tendon and increase your risk of rupturing the tendon.


• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)   – PRP treatment involves taking a sample of your own blood and spinning the blood to separate out the platelets and healing factors. The solution is then re-injected into the area of chronic tendon irritation. Though still under investigation, PRP injection in the region of chronic tendon irritation has been shown to be beneficial for many chronic tendon conditions.


• Therapy   – You might benefit from a program of specific exercise designed to stretch and strengthen the affected muscle-tendon unit. For instance, eccentric strengthening — which emphasizes contraction of a muscle while it’s lengthening — has been shown to be effective in treating chronic tendon inflammation (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tendinitis/basics/definition/con-20020309)

Although some severe cases might call for conventional medical strategies, like surgical repair, alternative medicine as used by the specialists at Total Health & Rehab can help you get to the root cause of your health problems in an effort to help you achieve total life wellness and transformation. If you are suffering from Tendinitis, or happen to be struggling with acute or chronic physical health issues, then contact us now at 407-522-5858 for a Comprehensive Health Evaluation with Dr. Harrison.

Call the office now at 407-522-5858 for your free consultation so we can discuss what we can do to help you relieve your tendonitis!

Dr. Steven Harrison

Bursitis is a condition where small fluid filled sacks which act as cushions for our bones, tendons and muscles become inflamed. Common areas for bursitis are the shoulder, elbow or hip but can also occur at the knee, heel and big toe.

Many times bursitis is preceded by tendonitis which then rubs on the bursa and causes it to inflame, so one method of treatment is to first treat the tendonitis. This can be done by applying ice, pulsed ultrasound or transverse friction rub. Tendons typically don’t have a good blood supply so increasing circulation with the transverse friction rub can really help to heal the inflamed tendon. That coupled with the pulsed ultrasound and ice to reduce inflammation can be a good start in reducing irritation the bursa.

More recently two additional therapies have become popular in the treatment of tendons and therefore bursitis and those would be 1) cold laser therapy and 2) electromagnetic pulse therapy or EMP. Both stimulate healing in the tissue and especially with the EMP you can actually feel it working deep on the injured or inflamed tissue.

Left untreated, especially in the shoulder, can lead to significant loss in range of motion or a frozen shoulder. If a referral to an orthopedic is indicated Dr. Harrison will let you know. Sometimes an injection into the bursa by a skilled orthopedic can shrink the swelling in the bursa and allow our treatment to be more effective. In severe cases can only be corrected surgically.

Don’t delay. Putting of treatment can lead to a painful frozen shoulder or hip that will require painful surgery to get them moving again. Early treatment is a must for this condition.

Call the office now at 407-522-5858 to schedule your free consultation so we can see what the best course of action is for your treatment plan.

Dr. Steven Harrison

The sciatic nerve is the largest peripheral nerve in the body and is a joining together of all the lumbar nerve roots. The sciatic nerve travels through the pelvis, down the back side of the leg all the way to the foot providing nerve innervation to muscle groups along the way. Sciatica is a condition where one or more of the lumbar nerve roots have been irritated, sending pain down the sciatic nerve or down the back of the leg.

Sciatica Treatment Orlando

Possible causes of sciatica are subluxation, disc herniation, disc bulge, disc protrusion, spinal degeneration, stenosis, bone spur formation just to name a few, which irritate one or more of the lumbar nerve roots. In rare instances the sciatic nerve passes through the pyriformis muscle which if in spasm will clamp down on the sciatic nerve causing sciatic pain.

There are instances where patients may have pain that mimics or appears to be sciatica. The most common would be decreased mobility in the sacroiliac joint. You can call it the SI joint for short. You have two sacroiliac joints. One on either side of the sacrum (your tail bone) where the sacrum meets the ileum. This is a mobile joint and as we walk the ileum bones move around the sacrum at the SI joints. There is also some slight movement at the pubic symphasis where the two ileum meet in the front. Checking the movement in these two joints is simple, but is many times overlooked. This can lead to improper treatment of sciatica type symptoms so should always be checked in th examination.

Sciatica responds well to chiropractic care in cases of minor bulging discs and subluxation. Sciatica caused by disc herniations or protrusions can be more difficult and may be better suited for spinal decompression.

Call the office now at 407-522-5858 to discuss the best possible solution for your sciatica.

Dr. Steven Harrison