Question
I am hoping you can help me.  I was assaulted 4 days ago.  As a result of
being grabbed from behind and having my hair yanked back while being
slapped to the ground I have swelling around C3/4.  The x-ray is fine except
for the 'loss of normal cervical lordosis.

Is it possible that this is a result of the assault or is it more likely from a fall
down stairs about 9 yrs ago which resulted in a slight fracture of C4?

I look forward to your response, and thank you :)

Answer
Dear Britt,

Yes it is possible that the assault could have resulted in the loss of lordosis, but more likely the fall you had previously was the main problem.  The mechanism of having your head pulled backward by the hair may feel very violent, but probably does not have enough force to change the curve in the neck...however, if you were being pushed forward in the back while this occurred, then a shearing effect can occur in the spine which has been shown in clinical research to cause loss of lordosis. (like a rear-impact care crash)

Either way though the loss is there and the magnitude should be determined.  If the loss of the curve is less than 10% this is not that big of a deal.  However, if the loss of the curve is more than 25% then this issue should be addressed.  The best thing I could suggest is that you try to find a chiropractic physician in Australia who has completed training in structural remodeling of the spine.  I know that there are chiropractors in Australia who have been trained and certified in this technique. To find one go to www.idealspine.com and click on the "find a chiropractor" tab o the left side of the main page...it will take you to a map of the US...and will have other countries listed as well fro you to search.

Hope this helps Britt.

Respectfully,
Dr. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net