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For Neck Pain, Chiropractic and Exercise Are Better Than Drugs

Seeing a chiropractor or engaging in light exercise relieves neck pain more effectively than relying on pain medication, new research shows.

The new study is one of the few head-to-head comparisons of various treatments for neck pain, a problem that affects three quarters of Americans at some point in their lives but has no proven, first-line treatment. While many people seek out spinal manipulation by chiropractors, the evidence supporting its usefulness has been limited at best.

But the new research, published in The Annals of Internal Medicine, found that chiropractic care or simple exercises done at home were better at reducing pain than taking medications like aspirin, ibuprofen or narcotics.

“These changes were diminished over time, but they were still present,” said Dr. Gert Bronfort, an author of the study and research professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota. “Even a year later, there were differences between the spinal manipulation and medication groups.”

Moderate and acute neck pain is one of the most frequent reasons for trips to primary care doctors, prompting millions of visits every year. For patients, it can be a difficult problem to navigate. In some cases the pain and stiffness crop up without explanation, and treatment options are varied. Physical therapy, pain medication and spinal manipulation are popular options, but Dr. Bronfort was inspired to carry out an analysis because so little research exists.

“There was a void in the scientific literature in terms of what the most helpful treatments are,” he said.

To find out, Dr. Bronfort and his colleagues recruited a large group of adults with neck pain that had no known specific cause. The subjects, 272 in all, were mostly recruited from a large HMO and through advertisements. The researchers then split them into three groups and followed them for about three months.

One group was assigned to visit a chiropractor for roughly 20-minute sessions throughout the course of the study, making an average of 15 visits. A second group was assigned to take common pain relievers like acetaminophen and — in some cases, at the discretion of a doctor — stronger drugs like narcotics and muscle relaxants. The third group met on two occasions with physical therapists who gave them instructions on simple, gentle exercises for the neck that they could do at home. They were encouraged to do 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise up to eight times a day. (A demonstration of the exercises can be found at www.annals.org).

After 12 weeks, the people in the non-medication groups did significantly better than those taking the drugs. About 57 percent of those who met with chiropractors and 48 percent who did the exercises reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, compared to 33 percent of the people in the medication group.

A year later, when the researchers checked back in, 53 percent of the subjects who had received spinal manipulation still reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, similar to the exercise group. That compared to just a 38 percent pain reduction among those who had been taking medication.

Dr. Bronfort said it was a “big surprise” to see that the home exercises were about as effective as the chiropractic sessions. “We hadn’t expected that they would be that close,” he said. “But I guess that’s good news for patients.”

In addition to their limited pain relief, the medications had at least one other downside: people kept taking them. “The people in the medication group kept on using a higher amount of medication more frequently throughout the follow-up period, up to a year later,” Dr. Bronfort said. “If you’re taking medication over a long time, then we’re running into more systemic side effects like gastrointestinal problems.”

He also expressed concern that those on medications were not as empowered or active in their own care as those in the other groups. “We think it’s important that patients are enabled to deal with as much control over their own condition as possible,” he said. “This study shows that they can play a large role in their own care.”

Call Priority Health Chiropractic today for a Free Consultation to see if we can help you. 630-553-7737

Acupuncturist in Yorkville I 630-553-7737

At Priority Health, we offer acupuncture because we believe in natural healing. We reject drugs, injections, and surgery. We do not support hurting yourself before you can get better. We don’t believe in taking risks with your health. At Priority Health, you don’t have to. Come to our office and enjoy gentle, safe care.

https://www.priorityhealthyorkville.com/about-us/

129 Commercial Drive # 5a Yorkville IL 60560

630-553-7737

https://www.priorityhealthyorkville.com/chiropractic-services/acupuncture/

Chiropractic For Children-Yorkville IL

When it comes to unnecessary medication and children, I believe it is a disturbing trend in the United States. The U.S. makes 7-8% of the world’s population, yet we consume over 90% of the world’s drugs. I believe a reason for this is we are not addressing the true cause of medical conditions in the U.S.; we are simply using medication to cover up symptoms and pretend the conditions don’t even exist. When it comes to children, this is particularly alarming as more kids are on drugs for ADHD, colic, asthma, allergies, acid reflux, learning disabilities, sleep disturbances, and behavioral problems. As a pediatric chiropractor I ask, if all these medications were working, wouldn’t it make sense that these conditions would be on the decline rather than on the rise?

The Priority Health Chiropractic offers an alternative solution to medication for infants through pediatric chiropractic care. We have seen great results with a natural colic remedy, ADD, ADHD, a reduction in learning disabilities, and a wide range of other improvements. Parents of our pediatric practice members tell us about improvements such as less crying at night from children receiving pediatric chiropractic care.

As a Yorkville chiropractor who works directly with children, I have developed a reputation as a pediatric chiropractor in Yorkville. Our main goal is that parents looking for natural alternative health care for their family may find the answers that they seek pertaining to many of their health concerns. Please feel free to call our office to if you have questions.

Concussions In Childhood Are No Laughing Matter

Concussions arise from an injury to the tissues or blood vessels in the brain. These can occur when the soft tissues are pressed against the bone of the skull, resulting from an impact or blow to the head experienced during a fall or from sports injury.

They can also occur from being forcefully shaken. Mild concussions in childhood are common and often are not a cause for serious health concern. However there are rare cases of childhood concussion that should not be taken lightly and it’s important to know what symptoms need to be looked for.

The general symptoms of concussion are varied, and depend on the severity of the injury and the individual themselves. Possible symptoms include dizziness, loss of consciousness and seizures. The latter two symptoms indicate a severe case of concussion (although a loss of consciousness itself may not be dangerous if short lived [1]).

However, symptoms that appear later could also be danger signs. A very common symptom experienced after a concussion is headache [2] that may be mild to moderate in intensity. A blow to your child’s head could also cause changes in their mood [3], such as crankiness and loss of interest in favorite items [4]. The way a child plays or works at school may be affected. After a concussion, a child may forget things or have difficulties in thinking [1], with possible short-term memory loss. Drowsiness and reduced energy are also common.

Concussion may be dangerous. Because some of the symptoms are so mild that they are difficult to notice, some children act normal even if they don’t feel normal. Concussion makes it difficult to detect the symptoms in your child, unless they tell you they’re feeling strange.

Ask your child if they have any of the symptoms, and make sure to observe them closely for a few weeks. Your child is at increased risk if they have experienced previous head injury, are taking a blood thinning medicine, suffer bleeding disorders, are under one year old, have other neurological problems, have difficulty walking or are active in high contact sports.

If your child is harder to wake up than normal, shows worsened symptoms, won’t stop crying, doesn’t eat well, has worsening headaches or symptoms that have lasted longer than six weeks, then contact your doctor or caregiver.

If your child shows a change in personality, bleeds out of the ears or nose, has trouble recognizing people, or vomits repeatedly, go to the emergency room. For seizures, unequal pupil size and longer-term unconsciousness, dial 911 [5].

Irrespective of advice you get on the internet or by phone, if you have any doubt in your mind about your childs health after a head injury, seek the help of a professional. You know your child best!

References used:

[1] Cantu RC (2006). “An overview of concussion consensus statements since 2000? (PDF). Neurosurgical Focus 21 (4:E3): 16.

[2]Kushner D (1998). “Mild Traumatic brain injury: Toward understanding manifestations and treatment”. Archives of Internal Medicine 158 (15): 16171624.

[3] Heegaard W, Biros M (2007). “Traumatic brain injury”. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America 25 (3): 655678, viii.

[4] Mayo Clinic Staff (2007). “Concussion”. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 2008-01-10.

[5] http://www.drugs.com/cg/concussion-in-children.html Accessed October 2011

NEED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT?
Then call Dr. Paula Weihler at (630)553-7737 today!

How We Are Different
Dr. Weihler is a unique Yorkville chiropractor who specializes in difficult cases that have not responded to other care. All treatment plans are highly individualized based on your specific history, needs and goals.

Areas We Serve
We are located in Yorkivlle and serve the communities that reside Oswego,Plano,Aurora,Sandwich,Plainfield,

Filed Under: Chiropractic & Sports Tagged With: childhood concussions, chiropractic

Hand Numbness and Tingling?

We have been providing treatment for the neck, shoulders and hands in Yorkville for over 7 years now.

Most of the patients we treat in Yorkville and surrounding areas spend the majority of their day sitting in front of a computer doing repetitive motions. This activity can put a lot of stress on the bones of the spine in the neck and well as the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the shoulders, arms and hands.

The nerves that control the arms and hands exit from in between the bones of the spine in the neck. These nerves can become compromised with abnormal wear and tear leading to numbness and tingling in the hands. The problem can be in the neck, shoulders, elbows, or wrists. All must be checked.

In most cases there is joint dysfunction and muscle imbalances, and even nerve pressure in multiple locations. The good news is that these sorts of problems tend to respond favorably to chiropractic and favorable outcomes are the norm.

The standard treatment for hand pain and numbness at our clinic is chiropractic adjustments to the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrists and fingers, massage or ART, low tech exercises in office and at home, deep tissue laser if needed, and ice or heat. Most cases respond in short order. Chronic long standing cases can take longer to treat.

To find out if you are a candidate for hand pain treatment in Yorkville please call 630-553-7737

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