Neck pain is one of the most common symptoms we see in Polyclinic Rehabilitation Institute. Often, neck pain results from auto injuries, but sometimes the origins of the neck symptoms might not be related to trauma. No matter what the cause, we find that our chiropractic approach really works for our patients and they agree!
A recent study from Spine Journal confirms what we’ve seen in our office: chiropractic works for treating neck pain.
In this study, researchers looked at 241 patients who were over 65 years old and who suffered from chronic neck pain. The patients were divided into three groups: one group received chiropractic adjustments with home exercises, another group received supervised exercises with additional home exercises, and the third group just did home exercises.
After 12 weeks of treatment, over 60% of chiropractic patients had at least a 75% improvement in pain, compared to approximately 25% of the patients in the supervised exercise group, and nearly 20% of the home exercise-only group.
This study was very important, because it showed that staying active as we get older is so important for our physical and mental health. And it showed that chiropractic provides a way to keep your spine healthy and flexible.
Another recent study found that chiropractic care is great at helping us keep moving as we get older. In this study, researchers set out to discover the difference in outcome for seniors who engaged solely in medical treatments versus those who received chiropractic care over a year’s time. Their participants were 65+ year old Medicare recipients with at least one claim resulting in a diagnosis of a musculoskeletal disease, dislocation, sprain, or strain.
Each participant’s functional outcomes were measured according their ability to bathe, sit in or get up from a chair, dress, eat, and walk across a room. They were also asked to assess their level of difficulty with specific activities such as lifting, reaching, stooping, and walking.
Individuals were also assessed regarding their self-reported health status on a scale of one to five, as well as their level of satisfaction with the care that they received (with included happiness with both treatment and cost). Once all of this information was obtained, the study participants were differentiated between those who had used any chiropractic services during the course of the year and those who did not and opted strictly for medical care instead.
What researchers found is that the individuals who engaged in some form of chiropractic care had fewer functional limitations, less difficulty engaging in activities such as lifting and walking, and a lower number of MD doctor’s visits and hospitalizations. They concluded that chiropractic had a sort of a “protective effect,” safeguarding them against physical deterioration.
Furthermore, patients of chiropractic were also more satisfied with their care during initial treatment as well as follow-up, the cost out-of-pocket, and the information provided to them about their condition. Therefore, this study suggests that engaging in chiropractic care, offers many benefits to seniors with spinal conditions, allowing them greater function and happiness as a result.
