Treating Neck Pain with Chiropractic

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 headaches.

As a result, a lot of people come to our Arlington, WA office looking for neck pain treatment, and Dr. Ernst has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart decision, as some studies have shown that over 90% of neck pain patients get relief with chiropractic care.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Works

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

Data was gathered before treatment began and one week after the adjustments. The authors 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 individuals who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, illustrating that thinking about the entire spinal column is a critical part of restoring the body's normal function.

Yet another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 participants between the ages of 18 and 60 who were suffering with neck pain. Each man or woman 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 patients who received the thrust manipulations (the same manipulations that offered such positive results in the first report) "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 technique offers many benefits.

Help After Failed Medical Procedures

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

The patient documented 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 improved as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

It is scientific studies like these that prove the advantages of chiropractic techniques, even if you've already attempted neck surgery that didn't provide relief. So, if you are suffering with neck discomfort 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 Arlington, WA and Dr. Ernst can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (360) 659-8464.

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.