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. On top of that, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by back pain and headache.
Of course, a lot of patients come to our Massillon, OH office looking for neck pain treatment, and Drs. Ken Haycock & Tim Vierheller has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart choice, as some research shows that over 90% of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic.
Studies Confirm Chiropractic Works
A report published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy included 64 men and women who were suffering with neck problems. Approximately half were placed in an experimental group and the other half were assigned to a comparison group. Both received chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as a home exercise plan, while the experimental group also received thoracic spine adjustments.
Information was collected before treatment began and one week post-treatment. 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 patients who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, illustrating that thinking about the entire spinal column is a critical 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 individual was randomly allocated 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 participants who received the thrust manipulations (the same manipulations 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.
Chiropractic Even Offers Benefits After Failed Neck Surgery
One study even found the same type of positive results after thoracic adjustments in a woman who had a failed neck surgical treatment. 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 lower 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 improved 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 techniques, even if you've already attempted medical procedures that didn't provide relief. So, if you are suffering with neck discomfort 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.
We're located in Massillon, OH and Drs. Ken Haycock & Tim Vierheller can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (330) 833-2085.
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.
