We see a considerable number of folks with headaches in our Otown office, and TJ Delorie has been able to provide relief for many of them. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that 50 percent of all adults have difficulties with some manner of headache problems, so this actually isn’t a surprise. One of the most common sorts of headaches that our patients endure is cervicogenic headache which, luckily, chiropractic can commonly help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from issues in the cervical spine. It can easily be caused by a condition with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be brought on by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine produces constriction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache pain.

How do you identify if the headache you are experiencing is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from getting a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is sometimes coupled with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches

Since cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever problem is initiating them is remedied, it is critical to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that can provide a great deal of relief.

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

Specifically, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments offered patients enhanced pain relief and diminished the number of headaches that occurred. Moreover, it also lessened the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

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

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/

In our Otown practice, we see a large number of patients who are troubled with back pain, and some of these patients have been informed they might need surgery to recover. Thankfully, TJ Delorie has helped many people get relief without the need for any type of surgical treatment. The scientific research agrees with the success we see in our practice. One study published in the academic journal Spine found that seeing a chiropractor as your first step in overcoming with your back problems may literally keep you off of the operating table.

In this report, medical professionals from Dartmouth analyzed data from 1,885 workers from the state of Washington who first saw either a surgeon or a chiropractor for their back-related issues. They then used three years' worth of follow-up medical data to determine whether the subjects wound up having back surgery in an attempt to correct the problem.

What the authors observed was that about 43% of the patients who first saw a surgeon for their back pain ended up having a surgical procedure in that 3-year time span, whereas only 1.5 percent of those who first saw a chiropractor had the same fate. The authors wrote:

"Even after controlling for injury severity and other measures, workers with an initial visit for the injury to a surgeon had almost nine times the odds of receiving lumbar spine surgery compared to those seeing primary care providers, whereas workers whose first visit was to a chiropractor had significantly lower odds of surgery."

These are remarkable results. Consulting with a chiropractor considerably reduces your odds of getting back surgery, plus the chiropractic patients in this scientific study "had lower odds of chronic work disability" and they also had fewer expensive MRI tests.

Let's also keep in mind this important detail: this study was conducted by orthopedic surgeons from Dartmouth College, and printed in the world's most influential medical publication on spinal injury.

The Risks of Surgery

Any surgery has risks, but a serious problem related to spinal surgery is that there's a very high rate of failure. In an important analysis in the European Spine Journal, researchers wrote:

"Failed back surgery is a problem that has become sufficiently widespread to even warrant its own special conferences, with recent reviews reporting failure rates ranging from 5 to 50%."

The authors of this same study concluded:

"It is extremely difficult to identify unequivocal predictor factors that can be used to accurately predict the outcome of surgery."

As a chiropractor, TJ Delorie is convinced that surgery should be the absolute last choice for treating back pain. Chiropractic care works to restore your spine to its normal function--without the need of high-risk surgery or drugs--and many research studies have confirmed the effectiveness of chiropractic for back pain.

If you live in Otown and you need relief for your back pain, give our practice a call today at 724-123-1234 for a consultation or an appointment. We'll help get you back on the road to a pain-free life!

Studies

• Keeney BJ, Fulton-Kehoe D, Turner JA, Wickizer TM, Chan KC, Franklin GM. Early predictors of lumbar spine surgery after occupational back injury: results from a prospective study of workers in Washington State. Spine 2013;38(11):953-964.
• Mannion AF, Elfering A. Predictors of surgical outcome and their assessment. European Spine Journal 2006;15(Suppl 1):S93-S108.
  

We care for a large number of patients in our Otown clinic, and TJ Delorie has helped countless people eliminate a variety of health challenges. Even so, the primary concern that seems to stop some women and men from getting treatment is whether or not chiropractic is safe. Well, according to three separate studies (out of many on the subject), the answer to this question is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study

The first article(1) was published in Spine and included 183 adults between the ages of 20 and 85. Each person was affected by some kind of back pain, and half of the patients received real chiropractic adjustments while the other half received two sham chiropractic treatment sessions. Data was collected after each real or fake adjustment to determine if any unfavorable side effects occurred as a result of the real chiropractic treatments.

The doctors found that nobody documented any significant adverse side effects whatsoever after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some people did state that they got a headache (just 9% of people) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) post-treatment, but the effects were not serious.

Nationwide Survey Finds that Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe

The next article(2), also released in the distinguished journal, Spine, was done in an attempt to establish the safety of chiropractic care. 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.

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

Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe for Children

This third study(3) is different from the first two reports, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for kids. In this article, researchers analyzed data 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 children, chiropractors answering the survey documented only three cases where there were adverse effects. 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 find out 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.

TJ Delorie works with countless sciatica patients here in our Otown office, and quite a few of these individuals were concerned that they might need surgery to alleviate their pain. The most recent research indicates that many people don't require surgery for this common problem, and that chiropractic is more successful at solving sciatic nerve pain.

A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists looked at 80 patients with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group received chiropractic care.

Both groups got better; however, no apparent difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. In addition, around 60% of the participating patients who could not find assistance from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic delivered the same positive benefits as surgery without needing to go through the higher amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often affiliated with that type of treatment option. Additionally, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Otown and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give TJ Delorie a call today at 724-123-1234. We'll help identify the start of your pain and work hard to get you relief.

References

• McMorland, G et al. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(8):576-584.
• Solberg TK, Nygaard OP, Sjaavik K, Hofoss D, Ingebrigtsen T. The risk of "getting worse" after lumbar microdiscectomy. European Spine Journal 2005;14(1):49-54.
  

TJ Delorie works with countless sciatica patients here in our Otown office, and quite a few of these men and women were worried that they might require surgery to eliminate their pain. The most recent research shows that many people don't require surgery for this prevalent problem, and that chiropractic is more successful at solving sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians examined 80 women and men with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

Forty patients were then randomly sorted into one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.

Both groups got better; however, no noticeable difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. In addition, around 60% of the participating subjects who could not find assistance from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic provided the same positive advantages as surgery without having to undergo the increased amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often associated with that type of treatment method. Additionally, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Otown and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give TJ Delorie a call today at 724-123-1234. We'll help determine the source of your pain and work hard to get you relief.

References

• McMorland, G et al. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(8):576-584.
• Solberg TK, Nygaard OP, Sjaavik K, Hofoss D, Ingebrigtsen T. The risk of "getting worse" after lumbar microdiscectomy. European Spine Journal 2005;14(1):49-54.
  

We work with many auto injury cases in in our Otown office, and a common symptom we see in our patients is headache. What causes headache after an auto injury? How can a chiropractor help?

There are many different types of headache. Headache that's caused by an auto collision, though, typically starts as tension or strain in the muscle tissue of the cervical spine. In a wreck, the neck muscles can be torn, which results in inflammation and discomfort. These kinds of headache can be felt in different places, including the back of the head or even the forehead.

Another frequent cause of headache after a crash that we see in our Otown office is cervicogenic headache, or headaches that originate in injured ligaments of the neck. Ligament injury is quite common after a crash, and it's important to get treatment for this type of problem to prevent the creation of scar tissue.

Chiropractic care is an excellent way to treat headaches, including those caused by car crashes. Your chiropractic doctor will help reduce the inflammation and strain in your neck, which will help alleviate the headache pain.

TJ Delorie has been helping patients in Otown since 2002, so we know what you're living with. We're here to help you, too. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your pain and then we will determine an appropriate treatment approach. Give our office a call today at 724-123-1234 to make an appointment.

Chiropractic is centered on the principle of helping your body to heal naturally through spinal adjustments and lifestyle changes that stimulate overall health. For TJ Delorie, this involves working to restore your body's healthy performance to prevent the need for medications or surgical treatments. We notice that most of our Otown patients are pleased to find a natural approach for their health conditions.

One benefit of chiropractic care is that it helps people decrease or even eliminate the use of narcotics. Prescriptions are commonly issued to patients who have back pain. This is such a significant problem that the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) issued a press release stating that opioid (painkiller) risks outweigh the advantages when prescribed for back pain.

Some of the most popular narcotics, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine, and codeine. Figures provided by the AAN cite the fact that roughly 50% of the people taking these types of substances for a period of three months are still on them five years later. This can further complicate the issue of back pain and healing, especially if an opiate dependency occurs.

Compare that to chiropractic which features natural healing and the benefits are clear. While a medication might be helpful at temporarily relieving the discomfort of a health condition, it's not a real solution to the problem. Drugs can't mend your injured spine; it will only conceal the pain.

TJ Delorie will first examine you to get to the source of your back problems and then work with you to address the spinal interference -- without risky drugs.

If you're ready for relief, 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

If you suffer from shoulder pain after a car accident, don't despair. TJ Delorie sees this type of condition often in our Otown office. 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 develop shoulder problems after a car crash: by direct injury to the shoulder joint or by radiating pain from the neck.

Direct trauma 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 crash. With this type of trauma, you'll often be aware of the pain soon after the crash.

More commonly, TJ Delorie finds that shoulder or arm pain does not immediately appear after a collision, but starts a few days or weeks after the accident. This type of shoulder discomfort actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured soft tissue in your spine 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 problems in our Otown office. This treatment involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural mobility and home exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

If you've been hurt in a car crash and you're experiencing shoulder pain, TJ Delorie is here to help. 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.

Shoulder Pain is a common symptom after an auto injury, and it's something that TJ Delorie sees often in our Otown office. Your chiropractor can be very helpful for shoulder pain symptoms after a crash. Let's see what causes shoulder pain and why chiropractic works.

There are at least two ways that you can develop 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 crash. With this type of injury, you'll often be aware of the pain shortly after the wreck.

More commonly, TJ Delorie finds that shoulder or arm pain does not immediately appear after a crash, but starts a few days or weeks after the injury. This type of shoulder pain actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured muscles or ligaments in your spine can squeeze nerves in your neck, causing numbness, tingling, or soreness in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've treated many types of shoulder problems in our Otown office. This treatment involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural mobility and home exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

TJ Delorie has been helping patients in Otown since 2002, so we know what you're living with. We're here to help you, too. First, we'll do a careful evaluation to figure out the root cause of your pain, and then decide how to restore your body's natural functioning. Call us today at 724-123-1234 if you have questions or would like to make an appointment.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is a common problem after a car accident, and it's something that TJ Delorie sees frequently in our Otown office. What causes thoracic outlet syndrome after an auto injury? How can chiropractic help?

The thoracic outlet is a bundle of nerves and blood vessels that pass through your neck and shoulder to your arm. These vessels don't have a lot of space, so they pass underneath and through the strong bands of muscles that support your head.

In a crash, these muscles can be stretched and strained. If damaged, the muscles become swollen and tender, and they can develop scar tissue which restricts motion and puts stress on the tissues of the thoracic outlet. Pressure on the nerves can cause tingling or numbness in the shoulder, elbow and even the wrist. Pressure on the blood vessels can also cause problems in the arm.

Otown Thoracic Outlet Treatment

Chiropractic can be an effective way to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, as TJ Delorie will help improve mobility in your spine and restore normal nerve function in your neck and shoulder.

TJ Delorie has been helping patients in Otown since 2002, so we know what you're suffering from. We're here to help you, too. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your pain and then we will determine an appropriate treatment plan of action. Call us today at 724-123-1234 if you have questions or would like to make an appointment.