Your Local Chiropractor sees many patients weekly in our busy Olympia chiropractic office who are searching for relief from the pain and agony they feel due to herniated discs. Our experience isn't unique; the medical research verifies that chiropractic care is a great way to treat herniated disc pain.

One particular research study involved 27 people, 8 male and 19 female, who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirming a disc herniation in either their neck or lower back. The subjects documented that they were experiencing pain, limited range of motion, and sensory issues bad enough to keep them off work.

Over the course of the research period, the subjects were managed using one of two common chiropractic practices: traction for herniated discs in the cervical area or flexion distraction for the men and women who had herniation issues in the lumbar area.

Each individual was seen four or five times per week for the first two weeks, then three times each week, and then as needed for the rest of the study. Based on the extent of the disc herniation, therapy ranged anywhere from six weeks to six months, with MRIs being conducted at a variety of stages to identify what effect, if any, the chiropractic care was having in regard to the disc herniation.

The authors reported that 80 percent of the participants experienced a "good clinical outcome," meaning reduced pain and a reduction in other issues, such as numbness. Furthermore, 77 percent of these men and women also showed MRI evidence that their disc herniation was either reduced or resolved completely. This resulted in 78 percent of the study subjects being able to return to their place of employment and led the researchers to conclude that chiropractic care is both "safe and helpful" for disc herniations.

If you have a herniated disc and you're near Your Local Chiropractor in Olympia, contact our office today to see what chiropractic can do for you!

Reference
BenEliyahu, DJ. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical follow-up: study of 27 patients receiving chiropractic care for cervical and lumbar disc herniations. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1996;19(9):597-606.

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Chiropractic Better Than Drugs for Back Pain

In our Otown practice, TJ Delorie has helped countless people recover from back problems. If you are suffering from back pain, you've probably been tempted to take some medications to decrease the pain. You should recognize that studies have shown that chiropractic care is often a better approach than drugs when it comes to alleviating this specific type of pain.

In a 2013 report published in the journal Spine experts included 101 individuals who had experienced back pain for at least 48 hours. Each one was then designated to one of three groups. The first group, which consisted of 37 people, received chiropractic care and a placebo of the non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac. The second group of 38 participants received sham chiropractic treatments and the actual drug. The third group of 25 people served as the control as those individuals engaged in sham chiropractic care and also received the placebo, thus having no real care at all.

All of the patients who received some type of actual treatment, whether through chiropractic care or the drug diclofenac, fared better than the control group who had no actual care. However, when the two active groups were compared to each other, the subjects who received chiropractic care had results that were "significantly better" than those who took the drug diclofenac.

Chiropractic Promotes Natural Healing

Because chiropractic care is non-invasive and doesn't use drugs, it helps enhance healing without unwanted side effects. For example, anti-inflammatory drugs can result in ulcers, heart problems, and other serious health complications. Plus, the benefits of chiropractic care last longer as it's intended to correct the source of the spinal interference, not just treat the symptoms.

If you're ready to get help for your back pain naturally, then chiropractic care is for you. Call and make an appointment in our Otown office with TJ Delorie today at 724-123-1234. We'll help ease your back problems in a healthy way!

References

von Heymann WJ, Schloemer P, Timm J, Muehlbauer B. Spinal high-velocity low amplitude manipulation in acute nonspecific low back pain: a double-blind randomized controlled trial in comparison with diclofenac and placebo. Spine 2013;38(7):540-548.

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. What's more, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by lower back pain and headache.

Of course, a lot of people come to our Otown office looking for neck pain treatment, and TJ Delorie has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart choice, as some research indicates that over 90% of neck pain patients get relief with chiropractic care.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Effective for Neck Pain

A report published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy included 64 men and women who were suffering with neck problems. Roughly 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 plan, whereas the experimental group also received thoracic spine adjustments.

Data was collected before treatment began and one week after the adjustments. 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 patients 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.

Another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who reported dealing with neck pain. Each person 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 adjustments.

Researchers found that the study patients who received the thrust manipulations (the same adjustments that provided such positive results in the first study) "experienced greater reductions in disability" than the patients who received the non-thrust manipulations. 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 kind of positive results after thoracic adjustments in a woman who had a failed neck surgical treatment. This particular case involved a 46-year-old woman who had recently had neck surgery but still suffered with neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The patient reported decreased pain in her neck and reduced headache intensity, immediately 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 prove the effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments, even if you've already attempted neck surgery 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 Otown and TJ Delorie can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at 724-123-1234.

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.
  

We see a lot of folks with headaches in our Otown office, and TJ Delorie has been able to aid many of them. For that matter, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that half of all adults struggle with some kind of headache disorder, so this certainly isn’t surprising. One of the most common kinds of headaches that our patients are afflicted with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily, chiropractic can usually help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from issues in the cervical spine. It might be generated by a condition with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it might be attributed to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine leads to constriction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can give you headache pain.

How do you find out if the headache you are struggling with is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from getting a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally followed by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is triggering them is corrected, it is crucial to get treatment rather than just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that provides a considerable amount of pain relief.

In one study printed in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists studied 80 people who had repeated cervicogenic headaches. One-half got chiropractic care and the other fifty percent engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic provided the best results.

In particular, this study found that chiropractic adjustments provided patients better pain relief and lessened the frequency of headaches that occurred. What's more, it also reduced the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what TJ Delorie can do for you and your headache pain, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you need!

References

• Haas M, Schneider M, Vavrek D. Illustrating risk difference and number needed to treat from a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010 18(9).
• World Health Organization. (2012, October). Headache disorders. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/

We tend to a large number of patients in our Otown clinic, and TJ Delorie has helped countless people overcome a range of health challenges. In spite of this, the primary issue that seems to prevent some people from seeking care is whether or not chiropractic adjustments are safe. Fortunately, according to three separate studies (out of quite a few on the topic), the answer to this concern is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study

The first research paper(1) was published in Spine and included 183 men and women. Each participant reported affected by spinal pain, and half of the patients received actual chiropractic care visits while the other half were given two sham chiropractic treatments. Data was obtained after each real or fake adjustment to see whether or not any unpleasant negative effects occurred as a result of the genuine chiropractic treatments.

The authors reported that nobody reported any serious negative adverse reactions whatsoever after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic. Some participants did report that they experienced a headache (9 percent) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) after treatment, but the results were not of a serious nature.

National Survey Reports that Chiropractic Care is Safe

The second study(2), also published in the distinguished publication, Spine, was performed in an attempt to establish the safety of chiropractic. The study group was much larger -- 20,000 individuals. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all patients.

Again, the investigators found no serious negative side effects. The experts determined the risk of total adverse reactions to be about six out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. Plus, just as with the previous study, some participants did report non-serious, milder, unwanted effects such as dizziness (less than 2%) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this caused the researchers to conclude that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Is Safe for Your Children

This third research paper(3) is unique from the previous two pieces of research, as it focuses on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this article, the researchers investigated results reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic adjustments.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic appointments made for the young ones, chiropractors answering the survey reported only three cases where there were adverse side effects. When parents were questioned, they indicated only two adverse side effects out of 1,735 visits. Furthermore, both chiropractors and parents reported "a high rate of improvement with respect to the children's presenting complaints."

Based on these three studies (and many more!), chiropractic care has been judged safe and effective for everyone. To discover what chiropractic can do for you, call our Otown office and schedule an appointment today at 724-123-1234.

References

1. Walker BF, Hebert JJ, Stomski NJ, Clarke BR, Bowden RS, Losco B, French SD. Outcomes of usual chiropractic. The OUCH randomized controlled trial of adverse events. Spine 2013;38(20):1723-9.
2. Thiel HW1, Bolton JE, Docherty S, Portlock JC. Safety of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine: a prospective national survey. Spine 2007;32(21):2375-8.
3. Alcantara J, Ohm J, Kunz D. The safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic: a survey of chiropractors and parents in a practice-based research network. Explore NY 2009;5(5): 290-5.

Chiropractic is based on the concept of aiding your body to heal naturally through spinal adjustments and lifestyle changes that encourage wellness. For TJ Delorie, this means working hard to restore your body's natural performance to avoid the need for medications or surgical treatments. We see that most of our Otown patients are relieved to find a natural approach for their health problems.

One advantage of chiropractic is that it helps people minimize or eliminate the use of drug treatments. Prescriptions are frequently supplied to people who have back problems. This is such a significant crisis that the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) issued a report stating that opioid (painkiller) dangers overshadow the advantages when prescribed for back pain.

Some of the most common opiates, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine, and codeine. Figures presented by the AAN cite the fact that roughly half of the people taking these types of substances for a period of three months are still dependent on them five years later. This can further complicate the issue of back pain and recovery, particularly if an opiate addiction occurs.

Contrast that to chiropractic care which engages natural healing and the benefits are obvious. While a medication might be helpful at temporarily reducing the symptoms of a health condition, it's not a solution to the problem. Drugs don't fix your injured back; it will only cover up the pain.

TJ Delorie will first examine you to get to the source of your back problems and then work with you to eliminate the problem -- without the need for risky medications.

If you're ready for relief of your pain, naturally, give our Otown office a call at 724-123-1234 to make an appointment with TJ Delorie.

References

• Risk of opioids outweigh benefits for headache, low back pain, other conditions. American Academy of Neurology;September 29, 2014.
• What are opioids? National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/prescription-drugs/opioids/what-are-opioids

We manage many car accident cases in in our Otown office, and a common symptom we see in our patients is shoulder pain. The key to recovering from shoulder pain caused by a crash is to understand the root cause of the problem and how chiropractic care can help.

There are at least two different ways that you can get shoulder pain after a car crash: by direct injury to the shoulder or by radiating pain from the neck.

Direct injury can be caused by striking your shoulder on a hard object in the car during the crash, or can occur if you have a tight grip on the steering wheel during a rear end impact. With this type of injury, you'll usually be aware of the pain shortly after the wreck.

More frequently, TJ Delorie finds that shoulder or arm pain doesn't immediately appear after a collision, but begins a few days or weeks after the trauma. This type of shoulder pain actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured muscles or ligaments in your neck can squeeze nerves in your neck, causing tingling, numbness, or pain in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've worked with both kinds of shoulder pain in our Otown office. This approach involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural mobility and exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

TJ Delorie is here in Otown to help you recover from shoulder pain. We've been helping patients since 2002 and we can probably help you, too. TJ Delorie will first determine what's causing your pain and then work to restore your body to its natural functioning. Ready to make an appointment? Give us a call at 724-123-1234 and we'll get you back on the road to health.

We see a large number of people with headaches in our Otown office, and TJ Delorie has been able to aid many of them. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50% of all adults have difficulty with some type of headache problems, so this certainly isn’t a surprise. One of the most typical sorts of headaches which our patients deal with is cervicogenic headache which, thankfully, chiropractic can often help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Defined

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from problems in the cervical spine. It can easily be generated by a problem with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it can be attributed to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine leads to compression or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can generate headache pain.

How can you determine if the headache you are being affected by is a cervicogenic headache? Besides getting a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is occasionally combined with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is initiating them is corrected, it is vital to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective approach, and one that can provide a great deal of pain relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists followed 80 people who had recurring cervicogenic headaches. One-half got chiropractic care and the other fifty percent underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was discovered that chiropractic delivered the optimum outcomes.

Specifically, this study found that chiropractic adjustments provided patients enhanced pain relief and reduced the number of headaches that occurred. What's more, it also reduced the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what TJ Delorie can do for you and your headaches, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you need!

References

• Haas M, Schneider M, Vavrek D. Illustrating risk difference and number needed to treat from a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010 18(9).
• World Health Organization. (2012, October). Headache disorders. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/

We tend to a large number of patients in our Otown clinic, and TJ Delorie has helped many people eliminate a wide array of health challenges. Even so, a common issue that seems to prevent a lot of women and men from pursuing treatment is whether or not chiropractic is safe. Fortunately, according to three different studies (out of quite a few on the subject), the answer to this question is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first article(1) was published in Spine and included 183 men and women. Each person was affected by spine-related pain, and half of the individuals received real chiropractic care while the other half received two sham chiropractic adjustments. Information was collected after each real or fake adjustment to determine whether or not any unfavorable reactions occurred as a result of the genuine chiropractic treatments.

The doctors found that none of the patients documented any serious unfavorable side effects whatsoever after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some people did report that they got a headache (9 percent) or muscle stiffness (about 1 out of 3) post-treatment, but the results were not serious.

National Survey Reports that Chiropractic Care is Safe

The next research study(2), also released in the important journal, Spine, was performed in an attempt to establish the safety of chiropractic. The test group was much larger -- 20,000 individuals. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.

Again, the researchers found no serious negative side effects. The experts determined the risk of total adverse reactions to be about 6 out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. And, just as with the first study, some participants did report non-serious, milder, side effects such as dizziness (about 1.6%) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this prompted the researchers to determine that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Care Is Safe for Children

The third research paper(3) is unique from the first two reports, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this case, researchers analyzed data reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic adjustments.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic visits made for the children, chiropractors answering the survey reported only three cases where there were adverse reactions. When parents were surveyed, they indicated only two adverse side effects out of 1,735 visits. Additionally, both chiropractors and parents reported "a high rate of improvement with respect to the children's presenting complaints."

Based on studies like these, chiropractic care has been judged safe and effective for everyone. To discover what chiropractic can do for you, call our Otown clinic and make an appointment today at 724-123-1234.

References

1. Walker BF, Hebert JJ, Stomski NJ, Clarke BR, Bowden RS, Losco B, French SD. Outcomes of usual chiropractic. The OUCH randomized controlled trial of adverse events. Spine 2013;38(20):1723-9.
2. Thiel HW1, Bolton JE, Docherty S, Portlock JC. Safety of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine: a prospective national survey. Spine 2007;32(21):2375-8.
3. Alcantara J, Ohm J, Kunz D. The safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic: a survey of chiropractors and parents in a practice-based research network. Explore NY 2009;5(5): 290-5.