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 pain and headache.

Not surprisingly, a lot of patients come to our Henderson, NV office seeking neck pain treatment, and Dr. Russell and Dr. Janda has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart decision, as some studies have shown that over 90 percent of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic's Positive Effects

A report published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy included 64 people who were suffering with neck pain. Around half were placed in an experimental group and the other half were assigned to a comparison group. Both were given chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as a home exercise program, whereas 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 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, showing that evaluating the entire spine is an important part of restoring the body's normal function.

Yet another study posted in Physiotherapy involved 60 participants between the ages of 18 and 60 who were dealing with neck pain. Each person was randomly assigned to one of two groups--thoracic spine thrust manipulation or non-thrust manipulation--with follow-up exams occurring two and four days after the adjustments.

Researchers found that the study patients who received the thrust manipulations (the same manipulations that offered 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 technique offers many benefits.

Help After Failed Medical Procedures

One study found the same sort of positive outcomes after thoracic adjustments in a patient who had a failed neck surgical procedure. This specific case involved a 46-year-old woman who had recently had neck surgery but still reported neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The woman reported decreased pain in her neck and lower headache intensity, right 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 reduced as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

It is scientific studies like these that substantiate the advantages of chiropractic adjustments, even if you've already attempted neck surgery that didn't provide relief. So, if you are dealing with neck problems 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 Henderson, NV and Dr. Russell and Dr. Janda can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (702) 990-2225.

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 Physiotherapy 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. Physiotherapy 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 Physiotherapy 2014;44(6):440-449.