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. In addition, neck pain is the third most reported type of pain, beat out only by back pain and headache.
Not surprisingly, many patients come to our Aloha / Beaverton, OR office seeking neck pain treatment, and Oregon Medical Centers PC has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart choice, as some studies have shown that over 90 percent of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic.
A report published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy included 64 individuals 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 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 gathered before treatment began and one week post-treatment. The authors found that 94% of the experimental group reported "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 spine 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 reported dealing with neck pain. Each individual 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 found that the study participants who received the thrust manipulations (the same manipulations that provided 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.
Another study found the same type of positive results after thoracic adjustments in a patient who had a failed neck surgical procedure. This particular 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 documented reduced 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 rated 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 effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments, even if you've already attempted medical procedures that didn't provide relief. So, if you are dealing with neck pain and would like to find a solution that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the help you're looking for.
Our office is in Aloha / Beaverton, OR and Oregon Medical Centers PC can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (503) 642-2845.
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