According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, more people in the US suffer with chronic pain than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. On top of that, neck pain is the third most reported type of pain, beat out only by back problems and headaches.
As a result, a lot of people come to our Noblesville office looking for neck pain treatment, and Dr. Dahlager has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart decision, as some research shows that over 90 percent of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic.
A study published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy involved 64 men and women who were suffering with neck pain. 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 program, while the experimental group also received thoracic spine adjustments.
Information 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 patients who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, illustrating that looking at the entire spinal column is a critical part of restoring the body's normal function.
Yet another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who reported dealing with neck pain. Each man or woman 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 treatments.
Researchers found that the study participants who received the thrust manipulations (the same adjustments that offered such positive results in the first study) "experienced greater reductions in disability" than the patients who received the non-thrust adjustments. Their pain was lower as well, which shows that this type of approach offers many benefits.
One study even found the same kind of positive results 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 experienced neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.
The woman documented reduced pain in her neck and lower headache intensity, right after the first chiropractic adjustments. 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 studies like these that substantiate 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 discomfort and would like to find a remedy that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the relief you're looking for.
We're located in Noblesville and Dr. Dahlager can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (317) 214-7218.
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