Chiropractic: Great for Neck Pain Recovery

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

As a result, a lot of people come to our Estero, Bonita Springs office looking for neck pain treatment, and Dr. Green has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart choice, as some studies have shown that over 90% of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic care.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Works

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

Information was gathered before treatment began and one week after the adjustments. Researchers found that 94% of the experimental group claimed "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, showing that evaluating the entire spinal column is an important part of restoring the body's normal function.

Another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 adults who were dealing with neck pain. Each individual 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 treatments.

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

Help After Failed Neck Surgery

One study found the same sort of positive results after thoracic adjustments in a patient who had a failed neck surgical procedure. This particular case involved a 46-year-old patient 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 lower headache intensity, immediately after the first chiropractic treatment session. After six weeks of care, which involved chiropractic, exercise, and patient education, the patient still placed her pain at a zero on a scale of 1 to 10. Her neck disability improved as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

It is studies like these that prove the advantages of chiropractic adjustments, even if you've already attempted medical procedures that didn't provide relief. So, if you are dealing with neck pain and would like to find a solution that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the relief 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.