According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, more Americans suffer with chronic pain than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. On top of that, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by back problems and headache.
Of course, many patients come to our State College, PA office looking for neck pain care, and Drs. Matt & Annie Reyes has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart choice, as some research indicates that over 90% of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic.
A study published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy included 64 men and women who were suffering with neck problems. 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, while the experimental group also received adjustments of the thoracic spine.
Information was collected before treatment began and one week after the adjustments. Researchers found that 94 percent 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, showing that looking at the entire spinal column is an important part of restoring the body's normal function.
One more study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 adults 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 examinations occurring two and four days after the treatments.
The investigators found that the study patients who received the thrust manipulations (the same adjustments that offered such positive results in the first report) "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.
One study found the same kind 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 reported neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.
The woman reported decreased pain in her neck and reduced 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 studies like these that demonstrate the advantages of chiropractic adjustments, even if you've already attempted medical procedures that didn't provide relief. So, if you are suffering with neck pain 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.
Our office is in State College, PA and Drs. Matt & Annie Reyes can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (814) 308-9352.
References