Although some people are still skeptical about chiropractic care, even the American Medical Association (AMA) suggests that adjustments should be tried prior to surgery--the one option that should be a last resort.

TJ Delorie has seen many back pain patients in our Olympia office who have been suffering for years and who are afraid that they might need an operation for their back pain. TJ Delorie has had great success in helping patients recover and avoid risky surgery, and the science backs up our experience.

For example, in one study carried out on about 2,000 Washington State employees who suffered from a back injury while on the job, more than 40% who saw a surgeon first following their injury found themselves having back surgery within three years. That compares to just 1.5% of the individuals who first sought treatment with chiropractic care, proving that this non-invasive approach is very effective at keeping you off the operating table.

There are options to risky medical procedures. Chiropractic is a proven effective and safe way to improve the function of your spine, which is the root cause of back pain. TJ Delorie has helped many patients in Olympia recover. Give our office a call today at 724-123-1234 for an appointment.

Goodman DM, Burke AE, Livingston. Low Back Pain. The Journal of the American Medical Association 2013;309(16);1738.

Keeney BJ, Fulton-Kehoe D, Turner JA, et al. 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.

Back Pain is a common condition after a car crash, and it's something that TJ Delorie sees often in our Olympia office. Your chiropractor can be very helpful for back pain symptoms after a crash. Let's see what causes back pain and why chiropractic works.

During a rear-end car crash, your car and car seat are quickly accelerated forward against your torso. Since car seats don't perfectly align with the curve of your spinal column, the car seat can put uneven force on your back. This can cause some of your spinal vertebrae to move in one direction while an adjacent vertebrae might move in another direction. This differential motion can sprain or strain the tissues that hold your spine together. These types of injuries can cause chronic back pain if not treated promptly. Fortunately, chiropractic is one of the most effective ways to treat back pain.

TJ Delorie has been helping patients in Olympia 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 symptoms and then we will determine an appropriate treatment approach. Give our office a call today at 724-123-1234 to make an appointment.

Asthma is a significant issue for many people in Olympia and for society as a whole, really, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that this problem currently affects almost 19 million adults and 7 million children in the US. A full-blown asthma attack likely means a emergency room visit. Thankfully, TJ Delorie has helped many people in Olympia get relief from asthma symptoms.

The medical literature confirms what we see in our practice. For instance, a paper published in Clinical and Experimental Allergy assessed 31 adult asthma patients after getting four weeks of chiropractic adjustments. The researchers found that the individuals who received chiropractic adjustments had a 34% decrease in asthma symptoms.

The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics published another asthma-based study, except this one involved kids. In this paper, the 36 kids ranged from 6 to 17 years in age and their asthma was considered either mild or moderate in severity.

After 12 weeks of chiropractic adjustments, as a whole, the children reported a higher quality of life and a lower level of severity. As a bonus, they also reported that they depended less on their bronchodilator and these positive effects lasted one year after chiropractic care was complete.

So, whether you're 8 or 80, if you have asthma, be sure to contact TJ Delorie in Olympia and make an appointment today. We'll do what we can to help you breathe easier!

Studies

• Asthma. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Bronfort G et al. (2001, July-August). Chronic pediatric asthma and spinal manipulation: a prospective clinical series and randomized clinical pilot study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;24(6):369-77
• Nielsen N et al. (1995, January). Chronic asthma and chiropractic spinal manipulation: a randomized clinical trial. Clinical and Experimental Allergy;25(1):80-8

When you're trying to sustain your family, take care of your household, and pay all of your bills on time, every day at your job counts. Work injuries can be a serious problem for many people, and we see many of these types of injuries in our Olympia office. TJ Delorie appreciates your situation and is here to help.

The benefits of chiropractic for work injuries are well-established. A 2013 survey involving over 600 adults who were troubled with either back or neck pain found that the individuals who didn't see a chiropractor missed work at twice the rate of those who were seeing a chiropractor.

So, why don't more people use chiropractic care?

According to the participants in this study, two of the major reasons were that they thought they needed a referral for chiropractic care (which is typically no longer true) and they overestimated the costs associated with chiropractic treatment sessions by almost 70 percent.

The reality is, chiropractic patients actually spend less on care than medical patients, plus they are less likely to use drugs for their symptoms.

If you live in Olympia and you've been injured at work, we can help. Give our office a call today at 724-123-1234 for an appointment.

Sources

"Thousands of Minnesotans with Back and Neck Pain Don't Seek Treatment." (2013, June 12). ChiroCare.

Since injury to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is frequently quite painful, we do our best to help our Olympia patients find relief as quickly and effectively as possible. In fact, TJ Delorie will tell you that the medical research shows just how much chiropractic can help ease pain in the jaw.

For example, a study published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice included 15 people with jaw pain who were treated with neck adjustments, middle-back manipulation, and trigger point therapy via dry needling. Subjects were assessed prior to these treatments and at two weeks and two months post-treatment. The researchers reported positive results such as reduced pain, greater jaw mobility, and lower impairment at both follow-ups.

Another group of researchers conducted an analysis of almost 800 studies involving manual and manipulative therapy for conditions such as TMJ and discovered similar findings. They concluded that there is a "fair...level of evidence" that chiropractic care can help ease discomfort associated with jaw pain and other upper extremity disorders.

This is great news since the causes of TMJ are largely unknown. While trauma to the jaw area can cause pain symptoms, there are other factors to consider as well, such as bruxism, osteoarthritis, and clenching of the jaw due to stress.

No matter what is making your jaw ache, call TJ Delorie now and schedule an appointment to come into our Olympia location. We'll do our best to help you smile pain-free!

References

• Gonzalez-Iglesias J et al. (2013, November). Mobilization with movement, thoracic spine manipulation, and dry needling for the management of temporomandibular disorder: a prospective case series. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice;29(8):586-95
• Brantingham J et al. (2013, March-April). Manipulative and multimodal therapy for upper extremity and temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;36(3):143-201
• Oral Care. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders-tmd on November 2, 2015

We see a lot of sports injuries in our Olympia clinic, and TJ Delorie is generally able to help these athletes. Stanford Children’s Hospital states that more than 3.5 million children of the ages 14 and younger are injured each year while playing sports. Add that to the almost 2 million adults injured each year while engaged in sports-related activities, as reported by statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and you can begin to see the necessity of preventing these types of common injuries. One approach to possible realize that goal, as reported by a study released in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, is to receive routine chiropractic care.

In Australian Rules football, hamstring and other leg traumas are commonplace, frequently sidelining the players and affecting their team's odds of winning. One particular study was administered using 59 semi-elite Australian Rules footballers to see how well chiropractic could cut down on these injuries and help keep them playing.

For this study in particular, all of the volunteers got medical treatment. Additionally, half of them also received chiropractic sessions at the rate of one session each week for the first six weeks, biweekly treatments for the following three months, and one treatment per month for the remaining three months of the study. The other group were given no chiropractic intervention at all and were used as the control group to determine the benefits of chiropractic adjustments.

Following 24 matches, researchers reported a lessened amount of lower limb muscle strains in the group that had been given chiropractic care. Furthermore, that same group also missed fewer matches connected to non-contact knee injuries. This lead the researchers to conclude that chiropractic should be made an addition to sports training programs to dramatically decrease the number of leg injuries.

If you or your child are active in sports and you want to ensure greater time is dedicated on the field as opposed to on the bench, call our Olympia office at 724-123-1234 and make an appointment today. We will do our best to keep you in the game!

References

• Hoskins, W, & Pollard, H. (2010, April 8). The effect of a sports chiropractic manual therapy intervention on the prevention of back pain, hamstring and lower limb injuries in semi-elite Australian Rules footballers: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 11(64), doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-64
• Misra, A. (2014, March 17). Common sports injuries: Incidence and average charges. Department of Health & Human Services.
• Stanford Children’s Hospital. (n.d.). Sports injury statistics.

TJ Delorie sees a lot of back pain patients in our busy Olympia chiropractic office. Many of these people have some form of spinal dysfunction that is causing them pain and discomfort. Fortunately, TJ Delorie finds that spinal decompression therapy is a great way to help these individuals.

What is Spinal Decompression and How Can it Help Me?

Non-surgical spinal decompression is a treatment technique that takes all of the positive benefits that one normally gets from chiropractic adjustments, traction, physical therapy, exercise therapy, and myofascial therapy and combines them all into one.

The objective of decompression is to keep you off the operating table, and that is exactly what it's achieved for a number of men and women, as it has a documented 85% success rate.

A few of the problems spinal decompression helps with include generalized back pain, sciatica, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, compression fractures, and joint pain.

Spinal decompression works by reversing the influences of wear, tear, and the force of gravity that compresses the intervertebral discs in your spine. The video below demonstrates how it works to eliminate pressure on your back and helps decrease pain and disability.

TJ Delorie Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Chronic Back Pain

If you live in Olympia and you're struggling with back problems, spinal decompression treatment might be the fix. Call TJ Delorie today at 724-123-1234 for a consultation or appointment.

According to experts, around 5 percent of the population will experience painful ailments like frozen shoulder syndrome at some time in their lives. That makes shoulder-related pain a common occurrence and one that TJ Delorie sees in our Olympia office on a regular basis.

By and large, this issue is more common for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and it tends to affect women more frequently than men. While ice, heat, and gentle stretching can sometimes help relieve the pain, so too can chiropractic care.

For instance, one study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine looked at 50 patients with frozen shoulder who were given chiropractic care. The length of care varied from 11 days to 51 days, with 28 days being the average.

The authors found that almost all of the patients fared very well with chiropractic care. The study found:

• 8 of the subjects reported 50-75 percent improvement
• 25 indicated improvement ranging from 75- 90 percent
• 1 participant had complete resolution of their frozen shoulder pain

Only one of the original 50 reported an improvement of 50 percent or less, so studies like this demonstrate just how beneficial chiropractic care can be when it comes to decreasing shoulder pain and improving quality of life.

Let TJ Delorie help you relieve your suffering by contacting our Olympia office and scheduling your appointment today.

Resources

Murphy F et al. (2012, December). Chiropractic management of frozen shoulder syndrome using a novel technique: a retrospective case series of 50 patients. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine;11(4):267-272

In our Olympia practice, it isn't unusual for us to see people struggling with sciatica pain, and TJ Delorie has helped many of them heal with chiropractic. What makes chiropractic so helpful to those who suffer with this condition? First, it shortens their healing time and a Norwegian medical study confirms it.

In the report, which took place in a Norwegian hospital's orthopedic department, researchers looked at 44 patients who reported sudden low back pain that was identified as acute sciatica. The individuals were all treated by a chiropractor, with the average follow-up being two years after treatment.

The authors found that all but two patients returned to work after receiving chiropractic care, which is a 95% success rate. Furthermore, the average length of time that the patients spent off work "was reduced by two thirds as compared with that associated with conventional medical treatment."

Given the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over 170,000 workdays were missed in 2013 due to employees dealing with back or spine-related issues, that is nearly 112,500 work days that could potentially be recovered each and every year solely by receiving chiropractic care. Not only would that increase work productivity, but it would also decrease costs to businesses and employees from lost work.

If you live in Olympia and you suffer with sciatic pain, TJ Delorie is here to assist. Give us a call at 724-123-1234 and we'll work with you to find the root cause of your sciatica and get you back on the road to health.

Orlin JR, Didriksen A. Results of chiropractic treatment of lumbopelvic fixation in 44 patients admitted to an orthopedic department. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2007;30(2):135-139.

While many women automatically assume that carrying a child and severe pain in the lower back go hand in hand, they are often pleasantly surprised when they discover that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, chiropractic can often help alleviate back pain for pregnant women by as much as 85 percent.

TJ Delorie has helped many pregnant women with back pain in our Olympia office.

A research study published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies involved 115 women who were pregnant (most of which were in their third trimester) and reported pain in their low back, pelvic area, or both. Data was gathered prior to the study, as well as one week, one month, three months, and one year after treatment commenced. At each subsequent point in time, the participants were asked to rate their level of pain based on a 7-point scale to determine whether it was better, worse, or stayed the same. The results?

52% reported that their pain was better after one week of chiropractic treatment. After one month, that amount jumped up to 70 percent, climbing even more to 85 percent showing improvement at the three month mark. Positive effects were still reported at six months post-treatment, which was generally after delivery, and continued to the final data collection one year after treatment commenced.

There are also many additional benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy. Not only does it efficiently relieve back pain, but it does it in a completely natural and non-invasive way. This means that you don't have to worry about taking any medications or undergoing any type of treatment that could potentially harm your unborn child.

Additionally, it makes your time spent carrying your baby more pleasant. When you're not sidetracked with pain, you can enjoy the experience even more as you prepare your home and your life for all of the fun and exciting changes that lie ahead.

We're here in Olympia to help you have a healthy, pain-free pregnancy. Give us a call today at 724-123-1234 to make an appointment.

Peterson CK, Muhlemann D, & Humphreys BK. Outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment: a prospective cohort study with short term, medium term and 1 year follow-up. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2014;22(15):doi:10.1186/2045-709X-22-15.