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postconcussionsyndromeMuch is known about the injury mechanisms of concussion injuries in the acute phase, but there is little evidence to support many of the theories regarding postconcussion syndrome (PCS).  A potential, and very treatable, cause of this chronic condition is cervical spine dysfunction due to co-existing whiplash-type injury.  Based on previously established tissue injury thresholds, acceleration/deceleration of the head and neck sufficient to cause traumatic brain injury is also likely to cause  injury to the joints and soft tissues of the neck. It has also been well established that injury and/or dysfunction of the cervical spine can result in numerous signs and symptoms synonymous with concussion, including headaches, dizziness, cognitive as well as visual dysfunction.  Given our current level of evidence, skilled, manual therapy-related assessment and rehabilitation of cervical spine dysfunction should be considered for chronic symptoms following concussion injuries.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26138797

 

Episode

Peter McCarthy, PhD

Dr. Peter McCarthy and I discuss his varied research in the profession from spine function to dysfunction and multidisciplinary teamwork. Professor Peter McCarthy PhD (Full Professor of clinical technology, University of South Wales, UK) has been involved in the education of chiropractors for 30 years. He obtained his PhD in neurophysiology from the University of St Andrews (1986) and worked in various institutes around the world. He first joined the AECC in 1989, moving in 1998 to the University of Glamorgan to help Susan King create and consolidate the first University based chiropractic course in the UK: later becoming the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic. Holding a couple of patents, Peter has been awarded honorary fellowships, from the BCA, RCC and EAC, and research awards from the National Back Pain Association and British Association for Sport and Exercise Medicine, amongst others; even being part of a team that won a National design award. He has successfully supervised PhD students from a wide range of professions across medicine, including 4 chiropractors. Although his research publication profile appears eclectic, it is tied together by his overarching interest in sensory neurophysiology. He has studied the innervation of spinal structures, factors that affect cervical spine function and also performed RCTs of therapies on chronic back pain. More recently, he has been looking at measuring the sensory factors that can help predict relative discomfort when sitting or lying as well as developing a multidisciplinary team interested in studying neck function changes in sport and developing ways of reducing the impact these changes can have.

A link to Dr. McCarthy’s researchgate profile is found here.

How to cite this episode:
Smith DL. Chiropractic Science: From Spine Function to Dysfunction and Multidisciplinary Teamwork With Dr. Peter McCarthy [internet]. Eaton, Ohio; Aug 1, 2018. Podcast: 59:14. Available from: https://chiropracticscience.com/podcast/drpetermccarthy/

Below is a list of some of the articles we discuss in this interview.

1. A pilot study assessing patient-centred care in patients with chronic health conditions attending chiropractic practice.
Stuber KJ, Langweiler M, Mior S, McCarthy PW.
Complement Ther Med. 2018 Aug;39:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.05.006. Epub 2018 May 18.
PMID: 30012379 [PubMed – in process]
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2. Modelling the effect of electrode displacement on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
Ramaraju S, Roula MA, McCarthy PW.
J Neural Eng. 2018 Feb;15(1):016019. doi: 10.1088/1741-2552/aa8d8a.
PMID: 28925375 [PubMed – in process]
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3. Effect of Anodal-tDCS on Event-Related Potentials: A Controlled Study.
Izzidien A, Ramaraju S, Roula MA, McCarthy PW.
Biomed Res Int. 2016;2016:1584947. Epub 2016 Nov 10.
PMID: 27957487 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE] Free PMC Article
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4. The factors and motivations behind United Kingdom chiropractic professional association membership: a survey of the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic Alumni.
Wotherspoon SE, McCarthy PW.
Chiropr Man Therap. 2016 Sep 12;24(1):35. doi: 10.1186/s12998-016-0115-x. eCollection 2016.
PMID: 27621800 [PubMed] Free PMC Article
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5. Assessing patient-centered care in patients with chronic health conditions attending chiropractic practice: protocol for a mixed-methods study.
Stuber KJ, Langweiler M, Mior S, McCarthy PW.
Chiropr Man Therap. 2016 May 9;24:15. doi: 10.1186/s12998-016-0095-x. eCollection 2016.
PMID: 27162609 [PubMed] Free PMC Article
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6. Wearing American Football helmets increases cervicocephalic kinaesthetic awareness in “elite” American Football players but not controls.
McCarthy PW, Hume PJ, Heusch AI, Lark SD.
Chiropr Man Therap. 2015 Nov 16;23:32. doi: 10.1186/s12998-015-0077-4. eCollection 2015.
PMID: 26576266 [PubMed] Free PMC Article
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7. Survey based investigation into general practitioner referral patterns for spinal manipulative therapy.
Kier A, George M, McCarthy PW.
Chiropr Man Therap. 2013 May 29;21:16. doi: 10.1186/2045-709X-21-16. eCollection 2013.
PMID: 23718217 [PubMed] Free PMC Article
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