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We know how difficult chronic headache pain can be. Dr. Mark Holland and our staff have worked with many patients in our North County St. Louis, MO chiropractic practice, and we've had great success in helping folks reduce their headache pain.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Cervicogenic Headaches

A 2016 research paper verifies what we see in our practice. In this paper, the authors started with 110 people who were suffering with headache pain that originated in the cervical spine. 58 of these patients were given a series of neck adjustments; 52 were given some stretches and exercises. The treatment period for both groups was four weeks.

The study found that the individuals who received cervical and thoracic spinal adjustments "experienced significantly greater reductions in headache intensity, disability, headache frequency, headache duration, and medication intake as compared to the group that received mobilization and exercise."

The study also found that these outcomes were maintained at the three-month follow-up exam.

Chiropractic is a safe and effective way to treat chronic headache pain, back pain, neck pain, and many other health conditions. If you're tired of suffering, give Dr. Mark Holland a call today at our North County St. Louis, MO office at (314) 867-8888. We're here to help get you relief.

Research

Dunning JR, Butts R, Mourad F, Young I, et al. Upper cervical and upper thoracic manipulation versus mobilization and exercise in patients with cervicogenic headache: a multi-center randomized clinical trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2016;17(1):64.

Chiropractic Better Than Drugs for Back Pain

Here in our North County St. Louis, MO practice, Dr. Mark Holland has helped many people heal from back pain. If you suffer from back pain, you've most likely been tempted to take drugs to decrease the discomfort. You should know that research shows that chiropractic is often a better choice than drugs when it comes to alleviating this common type of pain.

In a 2013 study published in the medical journal Spine experts included 101 men and women who had experienced back pain for at least two days. Each individual was then assigned to one of three groups. The first group, which consisted of 37 individuals, received chiropractic care and a placebo of the non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac. The second group of 38 patients received fake chiropractic adjustments and the actual drug. The third group of 25 subjects served as the control as those subjects engaged in sham chiropractic and also received the placebo, thus having no real care whatsoever.

Both of the groups that received some form of actual treatment, whether through chiropractic care or the medication, fared better than the control subjects who had no actual care. However, when the two active groups were compared to one another, the subjects who received chiropractic adjustments had improvements that were "significantly better" than those who took the drug.

Chiropractic: Natural Healing

Because chiropractic care is non-invasive and involves no use of medication, it helps promote healing without undesirable side effects. For example, NSAIDs can result in ulcers, hypertension, and other serious health issues. Plus, the benefits of chiropractic last longer as it's designed to correct the source of the spinal interference, not just treat the symptoms.

If you're ready to get help for your back pain naturally, then chiropractic care is for you. Call and make an appointment in our North County St. Louis, MO office with Dr. Mark Holland today at (314) 867-8888. We'll help improve your back pain in a healthy way!

References

von Heymann WJ, Schloemer P, Timm J, Muehlbauer B. Spinal high-velocity low amplitude manipulation in acute nonspecific low back pain: a double-blind randomized controlled trial in comparison with diclofenac and placebo. Spine 2013;38(7):540-548.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is a common symptom after a car crash, and it's something that Dr. Mark Holland sees often in our North County St. Louis, MO office. Why is thoracic outlet syndrome such a common problem after an auto collision? How can chiropractic care help you get better?

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

In a collision, these muscle groups can be stretched and strained. If damaged, the muscles become swollen and sore, and they can develop scar tissue which limits movement 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 hand. Pressure on the blood vessels can also cause problems in the arm.

North County St. Louis, MO Thoracic Outlet Treatment

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

You don't have to suffer from thoracic outlet syndrome. Dr. Mark Holland is conveniently located in North County St. Louis, MO to help you recover, whether you've been in a car crash or not. First, we'll do a careful evaluation to figure out the root cause of your problem, and then decide how to restore your body's natural functioning. Ready to make an appointment? Give us a call at (314) 867-8888 and we'll get you back on the road to health.

Many people suffer from headache pain, and tension headaches are a common problem in our busy lives. Postural problems and stress are common causes of tension headaches, and ones that Dr. Mark Holland and the team here in our North County St. Louis, MO chiropractic office have a lot of experience in treating.

Research Shows Chiropractic Eases Tension Headaches

The scientific literature confirms our findings: A 2016 study from Spain managed a group of 76 men and women with chronic tension headaches. The participants were divided into four treatment groups: 19 patients were treated with suboccipital inhibition (the therapist presses on the tight tissues at the top of the spine); 19 with chiropractic adjustments; 19 with both adjustments and suboccipital inhibition; and 19 received no treatment.

The authors found that the spinal adjustments were effective at relieving pain, and that the best results were found when adjustments were coupled with the suboccipital inhibition.

When we get stressed, the nerves and tissues in the neck can be disrupted, resulting in pain. Chiropractic works by removing these strains and restoring the normal nerve function to the tissues.

We're Here to Help Patients Find Comfort From Tension Headaches

If you live in North County St. Louis, MO and suffer from any kind of headache, we're here to help you get relief. Call Dr. Mark Holland today at (314) 867-8888 for an appointment or more information.

Citation

Espi-Lopez GV, Rodriguez-Blanco C, Oliva-Pascual-Vaca A, et al. Do manual therapy techniques have a positive effect on quality of life in people with tension-type headache? A randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Physical Rehabilitation Medicine 2016; February 29.

Chiropractic is centered on the concept of allowing your body to heal naturally through spinal adjustments and lifestyle changes that promote wellness. For Dr. Mark Holland, this means working hard to reestablish your body's healthy performance to prevent the need for drugs or surgical treatments. We find that most of our North County St. Louis, MO patients are relieved 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 drugs. Prescriptions are oftentimes supplied to people who have back pain. This is such a serious concern that the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) issued a news release stating that opioid (painkiller) dangers outweigh the benefits when prescribed for back pain.

Some of the most well-known narcotics, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine, and codeine. Statistics 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 recovery, especially if an narcotic addiction occurs.

Contrast that to chiropractic care which involves natural healing and the advantages are evident. While a medication might be useful at briefly suppressing the symptoms of a health condition, it's not a real solution to the problem. A drug won't mend your damaged back; it will only cover up the pain.

Dr. Mark Holland will first examine you to get to the root of your back pain and then work with you to address the spinal interference -- without any risky drugs.

If you're ready to get out of pain, naturally, give our North County St. Louis, MO office a call at (314) 867-8888 to make an appointment with Dr. Mark Holland.

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 have back pain after a car crash, don't despair. Dr. Mark Holland sees this type of condition very often in our North County St. Louis, MO office. Let's look at the root cause of back pain after a car accident and see how chiropractic can help.

During a rear-end motor vehicle accident, your car and car seat are rapidly accelerated forward against your torso. Since car seats don't perfectly align with the curvature of your back, the car seat can put inconsistent pressure 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. This kind of injury can cause chronic back pain if not treated right away. Thankfully, chiropractic is one of the most effective ways to treat back pain.

If you've been hurt in a car crash and you're experiencing back pain, Dr. Mark Holland is here to help. Dr. Mark Holland will first determine what's causing your pain and then work to restore your body to its natural functioning. Give our office a call today at (314) 867-8888 to make an appointment.

When performing activities that require a lot of lower body motion, like football, soccer, and basketball, it's not uncommon to sustain some type of injury to your lower extremities. Between pulled hamstrings, sprained ankles, knee injuries, and more, many people have found themselves sidelined. Dr. Mark Holland has seen all of these problems in our North County St. Louis, MO patients. Fortunately, chiropractic can help prevent some of these injuries from occurring and research proves it.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Sports Injuries & Recovery

Dr. Mark Holland keeps current with all of the recent scientific research, and in a paper published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, researchers from Macquarie University in Australia studied 59 semi-elite Australian Rules footballers. Roughly half were placed in a control group and the others were put in a therapy group that received sports chiropractic care at regular intervals. During the first six weeks, this meant getting care once per week. The following three months consisted of an adjustment every two weeks before reducing those to one visit monthly for the final three months of the study.

Researchers noted that there was a "significant" decrease in the number of lower limb strains the players received in the treatment group when compared to the control. In addition, they noticed that the subjects who received chiropractic also had fewer weeks of missed practice and games as a result of non-contact knee injuries. This led them to determine that sports chiropractic intervention should be added to "the current best practice management."

Every major sports team in the US and the US Olympic Team has chiropractors on staff for their players, because they know that chiropractic really works. If you live near our practice in North County St. Louis, MO and would like to see if Dr. Mark Holland can help you boost your performance or reduce sports injuries, give our office a call today at (314) 867-8888 for an appointment.

Dr. Mark Holland Can Help People Find Relief From Sports Injuries and Recover Faster

If you're suffering from severe pain, Dr. Mark Holland and our staff are here to help you heal. Give our North County St. Louis, MO office a call today at (314) 867-8888 for an appointment today.

Bibliographic Reference

Hoskins W, Pollard H. 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 2010;11(64).

In our North County St. Louis, MO practice, it isn't unusual for us to see people suffering with sciatica, and Dr. Mark Holland has helped many of them heal with chiropractic. What makes chiropractic care so useful to those who suffer with this condition? For starters, it shortens their recovery time and a Norwegian research study confirms it.

In the article, which took place in a Norwegian hospital's orthopedic department, the authors looked at 44 patients who presented with abrupt low back pain that was identified as acute sciatica. The participants were all treated by a chiropractor, with the mean follow-up being two years after treatment.

The researchers found that all but two patients returned to their jobs after receiving chiropractic care, which is a 95% success rate. Furthermore, the average period 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 North County St. Louis, MO and you suffer from sciatica, Dr. Mark Holland is here to help. Give us a call at (314) 867-8888 and we'll work with you to find the source of your sciatic pain and get you back on the road to recovery.

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.

Neck and headache pain are common problems that affect millions of people around the world. If you are suffering from this type of problem, you're not alone. The good news is that chiropractic care is a great way to not only treat these common issues, but also help prevent future episodes.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Neck Pain and Headaches

For many years, patients with neck and headache pain in North County St. Louis, MO have been helped by the chiropractic care of Dr. Mark Holland. Our success is backed up by a recent review done in Canada that found that non-surgical, non-drug treatments are the best choice for neck and headache pain.

The review looked at 15 studies from 1990 to 2015 and found that conservative treatment comprised of chiropractic adjustments, exercises, and stretches was recommended before resorting to drugs or more invasive procedures.

Earlier scientific studies have shown that chiropractic is effective and safe for neck pain and many other health conditions.

We Can Help Patients Find Relief From Neck Pain and Headaches

If you're troubled with neck pain or headaches, Dr. Mark Holland and our staff are here to help you recover. Give our North County St. Louis, MO office a call today at (314) 867-8888 for an appointment today.

Reference

Varatharajan S, Ferguson B, Chrobak K, et al. Are non-invasive interventions effective for the management of headaches associated with neck pain? An update of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. European Spine Journal 2016; February 6:1-29.

There are many different kinds of headache, but one of the most common types is known as "cervicogenic headache," or those that originate in your neck.

Dr. Mark Holland sees a lot of patients in our North County St. Louis, MO office who are struggling with frequent headaches. Luckily, chiropractic adjustments can often help, potentially reducing these types of headaches by 50 percent, and research confirms it.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Cervicogenic Headaches

A study was conducted involving 80 participants who reported experiencing at least five cervicogenic headaches during the prior three months. The objective was to discover how effective chiropractic was for this type of head pain, as well as to ascertain the number of treatment sessions necessary to achieve a positive effect.

The patients were split into four separate groups, so that each group was similar in age, gender, number of cervicogenic headaches, and their intensity. Of the four groups, two engaged in chiropractic treatments and two received light massage. Furthermore, one group assigned to each treatment received eight sessions and the other group received double that amount.

Each person was assessed based on head pain, neck pain, and disability prior to the study and 12 and 24 weeks after treatment was complete. The authors found that those who received chiropractic as opposed to massage reported fewer headaches at the conclusion of the study. Furthermore, improvements were maintained when checked six months after treatment ended.

Furthermore, individuals who were taking medications for their headaches were able to lower their intake after completing the study. Those who received chiropractic had lower medication usage 24 weeks post-study.

We Can Help People Find Comfort From Head Pain

Dr. Mark Holland has helped many people who were suffering from headaches in our North County St. Louis, MO office. Call us today at (314) 867-8888 for more information or for an appointment.

Reference

Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson D, Aickin M, Vavrek D. Dose response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. The Spine Journal 2010; 10: 117-128.