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Dr. Green works with many sciatica patients here in our Estero, Bonita Springs office, and quite a few of these patients were worried that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The most recent research indicates that many people don't require surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more successful at solving sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, researchers examined 80 individuals with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group was to receive surgical microdiscectomy and the second group received chiropractic care.

Both groups improved; however, no obvious difference in outcome was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. In addition, about sixty percent of the participating subjects who could not find pain relief from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Simply put, chiropractic provided the same positive benefits as surgery without having to go through the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often affiliated with that type of treatment method. Plus, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery ought to be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Estero, Bonita Springs and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Green a call today at (239) 495-1166. We'll help determine the start of your pain and work hard to get you relief.

References

• McMorland, G et al. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(8):576-584.
• Solberg TK, Nygaard OP, Sjaavik K, Hofoss D, Ingebrigtsen T. The risk of "getting worse" after lumbar microdiscectomy. European Spine Journal 2005;14(1):49-54.
  

While many women automatically assume that pregnancy and back pain go hand in hand, they are often pleasantly surprised when they learn that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, chiropractic care can often help relieve persistant back pain for pregnant women by as much as 85 percent.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Pregnancy

In our busy Estero, Bonita Springs chiropractic office, it isn't uncommon for pregnant women to reach out to Dr. Green for help relieving their back pain.

A research study published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies involved 115 women who were pregnant (most of which were in their third trimester) and presented with pain in their low back, pelvic area, or both. Data was gathered prior to the study, as well as one week, one month, three months, and one year after treatment commenced. At each follow-up, the participants were asked to rate their level of pain based on a 7-point scale to determine whether it was better, worse, or stayed the same. The results?

52% reported that their pain was better after one week of chiropractic treatment. After one month, that amount jumped up to 70 percent, climbing even more to 85 percent showing improvement at the three month mark. Improvement was still reported at six months post-treatment, which was generally after delivery, and continued to the final data collection one year after treatment commenced.

There are also many additional advantages of chiropractic care during pregnancy. Not only does it efficiently ease back pain, but it does it in a completely natural and non-invasive way. This means that you don't have to worry about taking any drugs or undergoing any type of treatment that could potentially harm your unborn child.

Dr. Green Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Back Pain During Pregnancy

Furthermore, it makes your time spent carrying your baby more pleasant. When you're not sidetracked with pain, you can enjoy the experience even more as you prepare your home and your life for all of the fun and exciting changes that lie ahead.

We're here in Estero, Bonita Springs to help you have a healthy, pain-free pregnancy. Give us a call today at (239) 495-1166 to make an appointment.

Peterson CK, Muhlemann D, & Humphreys BK. Outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment: a prospective cohort study with short term, medium term and 1 year follow-up. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2014;22(15):doi:10.1186/2045-709X-22-15.

According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, more Americans suffer with chronic pain than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. In addition, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by back pain and headache.

Not surprisingly, many patients come to our Estero, Bonita Springs office seeking neck pain care, and Dr. Green has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart choice, as some research indicates that over 90% of neck pain patients get relief with chiropractic.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic's Positive Effects

A report published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy involved 64 people who were suffering with neck problems. Around half were placed in an experimental group and the other half were designated to a comparison group. Both received chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as a home exercise plan, whereas the experimental group also received thoracic spine adjustments.

Information was gathered before treatment began and one week after the adjustments. Researchers found that 94 percent of the experimental group reported "significantly greater improvements" in regard to pain and disability in their neck symptoms. Just 35% of the patients who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, illustrating that evaluating the entire spine is a critical part of restoring the body's normal function.

One more study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 adults who reported suffering with neck pain. Each person was randomly allocated to one of two groups--thoracic spine thrust manipulation or non-thrust manipulation--with examinations occurring two and four days after the adjustments.

The investigators discovered that the study participants who received the thrust manipulations (the same adjustments that provided such positive results in the first study) "experienced greater reductions in disability" than the group that received the non-thrust adjustments. Their pain was lower as well, which shows that this type of approach offers many benefits.

Help After Failed Medical Procedures

One study also found the same kind of positive outcomes after thoracic adjustments in a woman who had a failed neck surgery. This particular case involved a 46-year-old woman who had recently had neck surgery but still endured neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The patient reported decreased pain in her neck and reduced headache intensity, immediately after the first chiropractic treatment session. After six weeks of care, which involved chiropractic, exercise, and patient education, the patient still rated her pain at a zero on a scale of 1 to 10. Her neck disability reduced as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

It is studies like these that substantiate the advantages of chiropractic care, even if you've already attempted neck surgery that didn't provide relief. So, if you are dealing with neck discomfort and would like to find a remedy that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the help you're looking for.

Our office is in Estero, Bonita Springs and Dr. Green can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (239) 495-1166.

References

• AAPM facts and figures on pain. The American Academy of Pain Medicine.
• Masaracchio M, Cleland JA, Hellman M, Hagins M. Short-term combined effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation in individuals with mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2013;43(3):118-127.
• Cleland JA, Glynn P, Whitman JM, Eberhart SL, MacDonald C, Childs JD. Short-term effects of thrust versus nonthrust mobilization/manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Physical Therapy 2007;87(4):431-440.
• Salvatori R, Rowe RH, Osborne R, Beneciuk JM. Use of thoracic spine thrust manipulation for neck pain and headache in a patient following multiple-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a case report. The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2014;44(6):440-449.
  

With the Migraine Research Foundation reporting that migraine headaches affect 38 million adults and children in the United States (more than diabetes and asthma put together), it's no surprise that Dr. Green sees a lot of headache patients in our Estero, Bonita Springs office. Although some folks try to relieve migraine pain with medications, chiropractic is a terrific, all-natural approach that often produces positive results.

Research Supports Chiropractic Care Helps With Migraines

For example, one report published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics involved 127 people ranging in age from 10 to 70-years-old who suffered with regular (at least monthly) migraines. Each subject engaged in up to 16 chiropractic sessions. The patients noted that their headache frequency, duration, and disability two months before the treatments began, during the duration of the sessions (which was two months), and two months post-treatment.

What the authors discovered is that chiropractic reduced the frequency, duration, and disability of the migraine pain when compared with the control patients who didn't receive chiropractic. In addition, this enabled them to take less medication for the pain, offering them an all-natural solution for a chronic condition.

Another study found that a combination of chiropractic and neck massage reduced migraine headaches almost 68%.

If you have migraine headache pain and are looking for relief, call Dr. Green today and request an appointment in our Estero, Bonita Springs chiropractic office. We'll do what we can to help you become pain-free!

Research Papers

Migraine Fact Sheet. Migraine Research Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.migraineresearchfoundation.org/fact-sheet.html on November 2, 2015
Noudeh Y et al. (2012). Reduction of current migraine headache pain following neck massage and spinal manipulation. International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork;5(1):5-13
Tuchin P et al. (2000, February). A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;23(2):91-5

Therapeutic massage has been used for many thousands of years as a natural pain relief approach. We use massage therapy in our Estero, Bonita Springs office, as it works great in conjunction with the chiropractic care that Dr. Green provides. Massage treatment does much more than just feel good. It also offers many health benefits as well. Some are physical and others are psychological, and here are some of the proven benefits:

• Pain reduction (back, neck, shoulder, legs, arm, and headache pain)
• Increased range of motion and flexibility
• Improved cardiovascular function
• Improved immune system function
• Enhanced sports performance
• Decreased depression and anxiety
• Increased levels of energy
• Decreased levels of fatigue
• Improved sleep
• Easier labor and delivery for expecting mothers
• Reduced stretch marks
• Less scar tissue

We Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Neck Pain and Headaches with Massage Therapy

Advantages such as these have been discovered to be extremely helpful for individuals who suffer with chronic conditions such as arthritis and asthma. Massage has also proven advantageous for burn injury patients, people with higher than healthy blood pressure, and women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome. Even preterm infants have shown benefits with massage therapy as they have improved levels of weight gain.

To learn more about the massage therapy services we offer in Estero, Bonita Springs, give our office a call today at (239) 495-1166.

Knee pain is a common issue for people in our Estero, Bonita Springs chiropractic office, and Dr. Green has happily provided many of these folks relief. This is mostly because chiropractic care has been found to help with many types of knee pain.

For instance, some individuals encounter pain in and around the knee area due to osteoarthritis. Research has shown that this condition responds very well to chiropractic--and rather quickly, too. In fact, one paper published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that individuals with osteoarthritis in their knees felt considerable pain relief and improved function after just two weeks of chiropractic care.

If your knee pain is caused by a medial meniscus sprain, chiropractic could likely help with that as well. One case found that combining chiropractic with soft tissue therapy, rest, ice, and compression on the affected knee helped lower the intensity of the pain.

Of course, sometimes a knee replacement surgery is required in order to rectify the issue, and if that's the case, chiropractic care can also help improve the outcome. How?

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Knee Injuries

Research has shown that patients with low back pain often have less positive results after knee surgery. Therefore, dealing with your back pain through chiropractic prior to having a total knee arthroplasty can assist with your post-surgery recovery.

No matter what your knee issue, Dr. Green can likely help. Call our Estero, Bonita Springs practice today and find out what we can do for you!

Resources

• Pollard H et al. (2008, December). The effect of a manual therapy knee protocol on osteoarthritic knee pain: a randomised controlled trial. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association;52(4):229-42
  Boyle J et al. (2014, March). Influence of low back pain on total knee arthroplasty outcome. Knee;21(2):410-4
• Jarosz B & Ames R. (2010, December). Chiropractic management of a medial meniscus tear in a patient with tibiofemoral degeneration: a case report. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine;9(4):200-8

We see a considerable number of people with headaches in our Estero, Bonita Springs office, and Dr. Green has been able to assist many of them. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that one half of all adults deal with some manner of headache problem, so this certainly isn’t shocking. One of the most prevalent kinds of headaches that our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can usually help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from a problem in the cervical spine. It can be because of a condition with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be brought on by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine produces constriction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can generate headache pain.

How can you find out if the headache you are enduring is a cervicogenic headache? Other than obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is sometimes accompanied by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches

Because cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is initiating them is remedied, it is important to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that can provide a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists looked at 80 people who had frequent cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent received chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was discovered that chiropractic offered the optimum outcomes.

In particular, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments offered patients enhanced pain relief and lowered the number of headaches that occurred. In addition to that, it also diminished the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Green can do for you and your headache pain, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you deserve!

References

• Haas M, Schneider M, Vavrek D. Illustrating risk difference and number needed to treat from a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010 18(9).
• World Health Organization. (2012, October). Headache disorders. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/

We see quite a few patients in our Estero, Bonita Springs office with ankle sprains but Dr. Green has had a lot of success helping them recover more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can chiropractic care help?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), approximately 25,000 men and women in the US sprain their ankles every day. As a matter of fact, these injuries make up almost half of all sports injuries, causing people to spend time away from the activities they enjoy most.

Like any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most common is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can occur due to one forceful movement, or it can develop over time, and activities that increase the risk for this type of ankle sprain include running and jumping. You're also at risk if you have pre-existing ankle injuries, poor posture or balance, weak muscles, and reduced range of motion.

How Can Chiropractic Treatments and Dr. Green Help?

A paper published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to identify chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. Researchers recruited 33 men and women between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a history of ankle inversion sprains, who were reporting tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the ankle in the previous six weeks.

18 of the participants were assigned to participate in rehabilitation and the remaining 15 patients received chiropractic in addition to rehabilitation. Each individual had five full weeks of treatments, with the rehab group receiving treatment seven days a week and the rehab plus chiropractic group receiving care six out of the seven days.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Ankle Sprains

The authors found that the people who participated in both rehab and chiropractic fared the best at the 4-week mark when it came to pain and joint restriction. In addition, no negative effects were reported, showing that chiropractic is safe.

If you're near our location in Estero, Bonita Springs and you're suffering from an ankle injury, give us a call. We'll do what we can to keep you up and running... literally!

Bibliography

• American College of Sports Medicine. (n.d.). Ankle sprains and the athlete. Retrieved from https://www.acsm.org/docs/current-comments/anklesprainstemp.pdf
• Lubbe, D et al. (2015, January). Manipulative therapy and rehabilitation for recurrent ankle sprain with functional instability: a short-term, assessor-blind, parallel-group randomized trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 38(1), 22-34, doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2014.10.001

If you are afflicted by fibromyalgia, you are not alone, as Dr. Green sees many patients with this particular condition in our Estero, Bonita Springs chiropractic office. As a matter of fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly two percent of all adults in the United States have fibromyalgia. Fortunately, chiropractic care is one treatment option that can provide positive results.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps Fibromyalgia

In a medical study released in mid-2015, 215 women and men with fibromyalgia were evaluated based on factors ranging from pain to quality of sleep to the levels of depression symptoms and anxiety they felt. Then they were divided into two groups with one group receiving a multi-modal therapy program for three months and the second group receiving the same approach with the addition of chiropractic adjustments (specifically, to the upper neck tissues) for the same length of time.

The individuals who received chiropractic adjustments in addition to the multi-modal treatment approach reported greater results in all areas (pain, sleep, depression, and anxiety) at 12 weeks post-treatment when compared to the study participants who received multi-modal therapy without chiropractic. In addition, those positive results were long-lasting as the patients reported continued improvement one full year later.

Fibromyalgia can greatly reduce your quality of life, both mentally and physically. If you're dealing with fibromyalgia, we might be able to help.

You don't have to suffer! To see what Dr. Green can do for your fibromyalgia pain, call our Estero, Bonita Springs chiropractic office today.

Studies

• Fibromyalgia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm on November 2, 2015.
• Moustafa I & Diab A. (2015, July). The addition of upper cervical manipulative therapy in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. Rheumatology International;35(7):1163-74.

Unfortunately, many of our Estero, Bonita Springs patients know the pain caused by a herniated disc all too well. On a positive note, Dr. Green has helped many people with disc pain, and a number of medical studies have confirmed that chiropractic can help patients recover from this kind of condition.

Research on Herniated Discs and Chiropractic

In one study, specialists from Switzerland recruited 148 patients who were dealing with pain in their lower back and legs due to a herniated disc (which was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI). Each person then received chiropractic adjustments that focused on the area of his or her disc problem.

Data was collected after the first treatment session at set intervals--namely, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year--to determine what type of short-term and long-term effects, if any, chiropractic offers when it comes to treating this particular condition. Among the data collected was the individual's self-reported changes in both back and leg pain.

The authors found that, as a whole, the study participants reported "significant improvement" for both types of pain every time the results were collected. In fact, over 90% of the individuals reported that their pain "improved" within the first three months, with 88% still citing improvement one year after their first treatment session.

Even those test subjects who were defined as "chronic" still reported an improvement in pain at a rate of 89% one year beyond when treatment first began. This is the same positive result that was found in the following case study.

Disc Herniation and Chiropractic: A Case Study

In this report, a 26-year-old male had presented with disc herniation symptoms such as pain in the low back, left leg, and left groin area, along with left foot drop and muscle weakness. He had endured these issues for more than two years after sustaining an athletic injury, and his herniated disc was confirmed via MRI.

After receiving chiropractic care, "The patient responded favorably and his multi-symptom complex resolved within 90 days of treatment." Furthermore, the patient was still experiencing relief one year after the chiropractic intervention.

Studies like these show how beneficial chiropractic can be when it comes to alleviating herniated disc pain and relieving the symptoms they cause. So, if you are suffering from back ache caused by a herniated disc and wish to find some relief, chiropractic may well be an effective solution.

Don't suffer from chronic herniated disc pain. Give our Estero, Bonita Springs office a call today at (239) 495-1166 for a consultation or appointment.

References

• Leemann S, Peterson CK, Schmid C, Anklin B, Humphreys BK. Outcomes of acute and chronic patients with magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed symptomatic lumbar disc herniations receiving high-velocity, low-amplitude, spinal manipulative therapy: a prospective observational cohort study with one-year follow-up. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2014;37(3):155-163.
• Polkinghorn BS, Colloca CJ. Treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation using activator methods chiropractic technique. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1998;21(3):187-196.