How to Recover Faster from Low-Back Pain: Stay Active!

Low back pain patients who remain active are better off than those who are less active.

Researchers evaluated how patients recovered from low back pain in relation to their activity levels. Some patients were advised to “stay active” despite the pain while others were told to adjust their levels of activity based on their pain.Those who remained active ended up recovering more quickly and feeling less depressed. On the other hand, patients who adjusted their activity levels felt more depressed and were less mobile.

Researchers suggest that back pain patients remain active and continue their daily activities when possible. This will likely promote a positive outlook and increase your physical mobility to put you on the path towards recovery. Consult with a doctor in your area to learn more about how you can stay active even with back pain.

Olaya-Contreras, Patricia. Biopsychosocial analyses of acute and chronic pain, especially in the spine: The effect of distress on pain intensity and disability. Institute of Clinical Sciences at the Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg. 2011. 

Written by: Michael Melton on February 17, 2015.

Years ago the remedy for lower back pain was bed rest.  More recently, we have learned that inactivity not only lengthens the disability but also increases the likelihood that degenerative changes will occur.  This is why post-op orthopedic patients are out of bed and walking within hours of their procedures.  More esoteric is the fact that movement helps us forget about how bad we feel and makes us feel better emotionally.  Nothing worse than sitting around doing nothing, thinking about how bad we feel and depressed about missing work (income).  This is why I stress stretching, modest activity and maintaining as much of your Daily routine as your status allows.  Oh and of course Chiropractic care!!

Dr. David J. Marcon

9 Reasons Why You Need to See a Chiropractor

Over the last few decades, more and more research has been done showing the effectiveness of chiropractic for many different health conditions. Here’s an overview of the studies and their findings:

1. Back Pain. The research is pretty clear that chiropractic is the best way to recover from and prevent back pain. In fact, even the AMA recommends chiropractic over surgery!
2. Headache. Whether you suffer from tension headache, migraines, or a headache after an auto injury, chiropractic gets to the root of the problem to relieve your pain.
3. Sciatica. Studies show that chiropractic is safer and more effective than drugs for sciatica pain. Chiropractic gets to the root of the problem and fixes the actual source of your pain.
4. Auto Injuries. Patients have been recovering from whiplash injury for years by seeing chiropractors. One study found that over 90% of whiplash patients improve with chiropractic.
5. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If you suffer from carpal tunnel pain, chiropractic is a great way to get relief.
6. Disc Herniations. New research shows that chiropractic can help reduce disc herniations in the neck and back.
7. Frozen Shoulder. A 2012 study found that chiropractic patients experienced dramatic improvement from frozen shoulder syndrome.
8. Lowers Stress. A Japanese study from 2011 found that after a chiropractic adjustment, patients had reduced cortisol in their blood, showing direct evidence of reduced stress from chiropractic.
9. Boosts Immunity. Medical studies have shown that people experience a boost in immune function after receiving an adjustment. suggesting that chiropractic has many more benefits beyond musculoskeletal pain relief.

The evidence is clear: if you want to get out of pain and improve your health in general, chiropractic is the safe, effective, and less expensive way to do it!

Surprising Number of Preteens Have Chronic Headache

Preteens may experience headaches and neck pain far more often than their parents would expect. A Swedish study of 131 students ages 10-13 years old compared the spinal health of students with and without pain. A surprising finding was that parents significantly underreported their child’s experience of pain.

The study found a wide discrepancy between what the children and parents reported regarding the child’s health. Children rated their experience and frequency of pain on surveys, prior to the assessment. Parents were asked separately to answer the same questions on behalf of their children.
Nearly a third of of children reported that they “often” had neck pain and/or headaches yet only 6% of parents thought their kids frequently had headache. Similarly, 61% of children reported trauma to the head and/or neck region but only 20% of the parents said that their children had experienced such trauma.

Overall, 40% of students ages 10-13 reported some type of neck pain or headache. Long periods of reading or using the computer tended to make headache worse.
To address the prevalence of headaches, chiropractors can:

• Educate adult patients about the high levels of neck pain and headaches among youth
• Encourage parents to talk with their children about neck pain and/or headaches and its origins
• Teach families techniques to prevent headaches following computer or reading time

Chiropractors who continue to educate themselves on the latest findings and techniques in pediatric chiropractic are best equipped to protect the development of children’s spines.
References

Weber Hellstenius S A, Recurrent Neck Pain and Headaches in Preadolescents Associated with Mechanical Dysfunction of the Cervical Spine: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study With 131 Students. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, October 2009. (32)8:625-634.

Written by: Marissa Luck on September 17, 2014.on September 15, 2014.

 

David Marcon, DC
463 Ohio Pike, Suite 104
Cincinnati,Ohio 45255
513-474-1111
www.marconchiropractic.com

 

Study Reveals Chiropractic Offers an “Economic Advantage”

Have you ever postponed getting medical care because you needed to wait for a “just a little more cash” or “just a little more time”? Well, you don’t have to wait and neglect your health any longer. A recent study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed that manual therapies like chiropractic care are more cost-effective than standard medical treatments for back, neck, and shoulder pain.

Researcher Alexander Tsertsvadze, M.D., joined efforts with five other top medical professionals who studied more than half-a-dozen publications to determine which treatment regimens were the most cost effective. They looked at manual therapy techniques (osteopathic, physiotherapy, and chiropractic manipulation) and compared them to other health care remedies, such as seeing a general practitioner, to see which ones saved patients the most money. Chiropractic won hands down.

All of the manual therapy techniques were deemed more cost effective than care under a medical doctor for low back pain as well as pain in the shoulder area, and chiropractic took top honors in regard to obtaining relief of neck pain at a lower cost. This was even after the researchers took into consideration additional free “perks” offered by general practitioners, such as encouragement to exercise, to rest the affected area, and other treatment-based advice.

So, how much more cost effective was chiropractic?

In a study from the Archives of Internal Medicine included in the review found a 12% decrease in annual medical costs, which they equated to roughly $208 per person. Another study cited in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found a range much higher than that, stating savings of $291 to $1,722 over a two-year time period.

What Does This Mean?

First and foremost, this study shows that if you’re going to seek treatment for back, neck, or shoulder pain, seeing a chiropractor as opposed to a medical doctor will likely save you money. This economic advantage means more cash in your wallet to cover your necessities and less going out in medical care for you and your loved ones.

Perhaps law makers and insurance companies will begin to take note and offer more chiropractic coverage to the very people they are there to protect. When all of the other medical costs seem to be rising, this is definitely good news; for you and the health care industry.

References

Tsertsvadze A, et al. Cost-effectiveness of manual therapy for the management of musculoskeletal conditions: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of evidence from randomized controlled trials. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2014.

Legorreta A, et al. Comparative analysis of individuals with and without chiropractic coverage: patient characteristics, utilization, and costs. Archives of Internal Medicine 2004.

Stano M. Further analysis of health care costs for chiropractic and medical patients. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.1994 Sep;17(7):442-6.

Written by: Christina DeBusk on July 9, 2014.