Chris Smith, D.C.

In addition to persistent pain, individuals with chronic low back pain often exhibit impaired postural control, which is linked to core muscle atrophy, weakness, and dysfunctional motor control. One effective method for addressing these deficits is dynamic stabilization exercises—a functional approach based on developmental movement patterns modeled after infant motor learning. This strategy aims to [..]

Years Lived with Disability (YLD) is a public health metric that estimates the number of years individuals live with a disease or health condition, adjusted for the severity of the disability. According to the 2021 Global Burden of Disease Study, headaches account for 5.2% of global YLDs, ranking just behind low back pain and depression. [..]

A Media Story On June 9, 2025, a headline in the People Magazine feed stated: “Chiropractor Tears Woman’s Artery While Cracking Her Neck” •••• Sensational headlines exist because they grab the public’s interest and their attention. Yet, such headlines and the accompanied article may be unfair, incomplete, biased, or even flat out incorrect. Investigations into [..]

The sudden acceleration and deceleration of the head and neck during a whiplash injury commonly damages soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. However, among the most frequently injured structures are the facet joints. In fact, research suggests that approximately half of neck pain cases—including those unrelated to whiplash—involve the facet joints. Why are [..]

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a chronic medical condition in which the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries is consistently too high. Over time, this sustained pressure places excessive strain on the cardiovascular system, significantly increasing the risk of complications such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney disease. [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition that occurs when the median nerve is compressed as it passes through the wrist. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage in the wrist that also contains several tendons and blood vessels. Any factor that reduces the cross-sectional area of the tunnel or increases the volume of its [..]

Shoulder injuries are a common complaint, affecting approximately 40 out of every 1,000 people each year. While the causes of shoulder pain and dysfunction vary, they all share one frustrating trait: they tend to heal slowly. In fact, many clinical guidelines published around the world recommend longer treatment durations for shoulder complaints compared to other [..]

While findings vary across studies, research generally agrees that some degree of spine pain is common in school-aged children—from elementary school through middle and high school. Multiple factors can contribute to spine pain in students, and one that routinely appears in the literature is backpack use. The issue is not necessarily backpack use itself, but [..]

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a condition that affects the jaw joint and surrounding muscles, often causing pain, stiffness, clicking, and difficulty moving the jaw. It’s estimated that between 50% and 66% of adults will experience at least one short-lived episode of TMD in their lifetime that resolves on its own. However, approximately 5–12% may go [..]

Altered Biomechanics and Altered GaitFuture Joint Degeneration and Future Back Pain Following the discovery of x-rays in 1895 (by German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen), x-rays of the spine began to appear in healthcare research and literature. In 1916, Harvard Orthopedic Surgeon Robert W. Lovett, MD, published the third edition of his book Lateral Curvature of [..]

Cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) are a broad diagnostic category characterized by musculoskeletal injuries that develop gradually due to microtraumas that cannot fully heal because of repeated stress, force, or awkward postures over time. Since many occupations and hobbies involve repetitive motions, CTDs commonly affect the arms and hands. Examples include: Carpal tunnel syndrome results from [..]

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a strong band of connective tissue inside the knee joint that connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone). Its primary role is to help stabilize the knee by preventing excessive forward movement and rotation of the tibia. Unlike muscles, ligaments like the ACL are not designed [..]