Vince E. Hassel, D.C.

Exercise for the neck is very important since weak muscles are related to many painful conditions of the neck and can contribute to fatigue, irritability, headache, sleep loss, and more. When done correctly (performed slowly, staying within "reasonable" pain boundaries), they can increase your range of motion, reduce stiffness/tightness, and strengthen your neck muscles.The exercises [..]

Exercise for the neck is very important since weak muscles are related to many painful conditions of the neck and can contribute to fatigue, irritability, headache, sleep loss, and more. When done correctly (performed slowly, staying within "reasonable" pain boundaries), they can increase your range of motion, reduce stiffness/tightness, and strengthen your neck muscles.The exercises [..]

Have you ever considered how important your hamstrings muscles are in relationship to your lower back? Most people do not think about those tight muscles on the back of the upper leg / thigh as having much to do with low back pain (LBP); however, it is one of the most important muscles groups to [..]

  In a series of recent human volunteer crash tests of low speed rear impact collisions, it was reported that the threshold for cervical spine soft tissue injury was 5 mph (delta V) (1 ref). Other reports have shown that crashed cars can often withstand collision speeds of 10 mph or more without sustaining damage [..]

Because carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a "cumulative trauma" condition where repetitive motion results in overuse and subsequent injury to multiple areas in the upper extremities, there are many exercise options for patients with CTS. Most exercises address the forearm, wrist, and hand as well as the neck, shoulder, and elbow, depending on the extent [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex condition that includes widespread muscle and joint pain, where everything seems to ache and is associated with severe exhaustion and fatigue. It affects up to 4% of the population (woman > men), with no known cause and no known cure. With these facts, it’s not surprising that many sufferers have [..]

In 1935, Swedish physiologist Ulf von Euler isolated a biologically active compound from seminal fluid. He named the compound “prostaglandin” because he believed it was derived from the prostate gland. It is now known that prostaglandins are made in tissues throughout the body. [As an interesting side-note, von Euler (and colleagues) was awarded the Nobel Prize in [..]

Do you hurt all over, frequently feel exhausted, can’t seem to ever feel "rested" after a night’s sleep, don’t respond to any of the recommended medications from your family physician, and no test seems to uncover anything specific? If this sounds like you, it is possible that you are suffering from fibromyalgia (FM). FM is a chronic/long-term condition [..]

We know that many people, about 80% of the population, will hurt their back at some point in life. In a survey conducted by Consumer Reports (CR) (see the May 2009 issue), over 14,000 subscribers had low back pain (LBP) but no surgery to treat it in 2008. More than half reported severe daily activity [..]

Many people suffer from CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) and unfortunately, often ignore the initial symptoms of numbness or tingling in the hand(s). These early symptoms are typically not too alarming and hence, they often do not raise the level of concern until more intense symptoms occur, such as waking up from sleep due to numbness; [..]

Neck pain and headaches can be very disabling and can significantly alter a person’s normal pattern of living. Simple things like reading the newspaper, cooking, driving a car, and/or looking down when feeding a baby can become almost intolerable. Canceling plans for the day or saying "no" to vacations can be very disheartening and often [..]

There are many different reasons why injuries sustained in car crashes result in chronic or long-term pain. First, there are several types of tissues in the neck that can give rise to pain. The most intense pain comes from the tissues with the greatest density of nerve fibers, such as the joint capsules and the ligaments [..]