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Chiropractic More Effective than Drugs for Back Pain

Here in our North County St. Louis, MO practice, Dr. Mark Holland has helped many patients recover from back problems. If you suffer from back pain, you've probably been tempted to take some medications to reduce the discomfort. You should understand that research shows that chiropractic is oftentimes a much healthier approach than drugs when it comes to alleviating this specific type of pain.

In a 2013 study published in the journal Spine experts included 101 people who had suffered back pain for more than 48 hours. Each person was then designated to one of three groups. The first group, which was made up of 37 patients, received chiropractic care and a placebo of the non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac. The second group of 38 participants received fake chiropractic adjustments and the actual drug. The third group of 25 subjects acted as the control as those subjects engaged in sham chiropractic and also received the placebo, thus having no real treatment whatsoever.

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

Chiropractic Promotes Natural Healing

Because chiropractic care is non-invasive and doesn't use drugs, it helps promote healing without undesirable side effects. For instance, NSAIDs can result in ulcers, hypertension, and other serious health concerns. Plus, the benefits of chiropractic care last longer as it's intended to correct the source of the spinal interference, not just treat the signs and symptoms.

If you're ready to address your back pain naturally, then chiropractic care is for you. Schedule an appointment in our North County St. Louis, MO office with Dr. Mark Holland today at (314) 867-8888. We'll help ease your back problems 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 condition after an auto injury, and it's something that Dr. Mark Holland sees often in our North County St. Louis, MO office. Your chiropractor can be very helpful for thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms after a crash. Let's see what causes thoracic outlet syndrome and why chiropractic works.

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

In a collision, these muscles can be stretched and strained. If damaged, the muscles become inflamed 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 pins and needles 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.

Dr. Mark Holland has been helping patients in North County St. Louis, MO since 2000, so we know what you're suffering from. We're here to help you, too. First, we'll do a careful evaluation to figure out the root cause of your pain, and then decide how to restore your body's natural functioning. Give our office a call today at (314) 867-8888 to make an appointment.

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

Research Supports Chiropractic Eases Tension Headaches

The scientific literature shows our results: 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 discovered that the spinal adjustments were helpful at relieving pain, and that the best results were found when adjustments were combined with the suboccipital inhibition.

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

We're Here to Help People 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.

Source

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 based on the philosophy of allowing your body to naturally heal through spinal adjustments and lifestyle changes that promote overall health. For Dr. Mark Holland, this means working hard to restore your body's natural performance to avoid the need for medications or surgery. We find that many of our North County St. Louis, MO patients are pleased to find a natural solution for their health problems.

One benefit of chiropractic care is that it helps people decrease or eliminate the use of drug treatments. Prescriptions are frequently supplied to people who have back pain. This is such a significant problem that the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) issued a news release stating that opioid (painkiller) risks outweigh the benefits when administered for back pain.

Some of the most popular opiates, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine, and codeine. Numbers presented by the AAN mention the fact that roughly half of the people taking these types of substances for a period of three months are still on them five years down the road. This can further complicate the difficulty of back pain and healing, especially if an narcotic dependency arises.

Compare that to chiropractic which incorporates natural healing and the advantages are evident. While a pill might be useful at briefly reducing the symptoms of a health problem, it's not a long-term 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 source of your back problems 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

We treat many auto injury cases in in our North County St. Louis, MO office, and a widespread symptom we see in our patients is back pain. Let's look at why back pain is commonly experienced after an auto collision and see how chiropractic care can help you recover.

During a rear-end car crash, your car and car seat are rapidly accelerated forward against your body. Since car seats don't perfectly align with the curve of your back, the seat can put inconsistent force on your lower 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 movement can sprain or strain the ligaments that hold your spine together. This kind of injury can cause chronic back pain if not treated promptly. Fortunately, chiropractic is one of the most effective ways to treat back pain.

Let us help you recover from back pain. Dr. Mark Holland has helped many people with the same condition, and we can probably help you, too. Dr. Mark Holland will first determine what's causing your pain and then work to restore your body to its natural functioning. Call us today at (314) 867-8888 if you have questions or would like to make an appointment.

When playing sports that demand a lot of lower body movement, like football, soccer, and basketball, it's not uncommon to suffer some type of injury to your hips or legs. Between pulled hamstrings, sprained ankles, knee injuries, and more, many players have found themselves out of commission. Dr. Mark Holland has seen all of these problems in our North County St. Louis, MO patients. The good news is, chiropractic can help prevent some of these injuries from occurring and research proves it.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Sports Injuries & Recovery

Dr. Mark Holland keeps current with all of the latest scientific research, and in a report published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, researchers from Macquarie University in Australia studied 59 semi-elite Australian Rules football players. Roughly one-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 engaging in care once a 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.

The authors 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 observed that the subjects who engaged in 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 treatment should be added to "the current best practice management."

Every major sports organization in the United States and the US Olympic Team has chiropractors on staff for their athletes, because they know that chiropractic 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 Comfort From Sports Injuries and Recover Faster

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

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).

We work with many back pain patients in our North County St. Louis, MO chiropractic office, and Dr. Mark Holland and our staff uses a variety of techniques to help get you out of pain and restore your spine's normal, healthy function. We find spinal decompression to be a highly effective approach.

Understanding Spinal Decompression Therapy

To help you better understand spinal decompression therapy, think of the discs in your spine like little balloons filled with gelatin. When you squeeze them (which occurs due to normal living, sustaining an injury, or other medical conditions), they can protrude, placing pressure on the nerves in your spine. This affects your brain's ability to communicate with tissues in the rest of your body.

If the force on the discs becomes too high, the discs can herniate or bulge. This removes the cushion between your vertebrae and can cause pain. The goal of spinal decompression therapy is to reduce this pressure to help restore your body's function and also reduce your level of discomfort.

Can Spinal Decompression Therapy Help Me?

Spinal decompression therapy relieves disc pressure through the use of a specially designed table that gently elongates your spinal column through slow and controlled movements. This reduces the pressure placed on your discs. Some studies show an increase in disc height by as much as 1.3 millimeters after just six weeks of spinal decompression therapy.

If you're wondering if spinal decompression therapy could help you feel and move better, simply call our North County St. Louis, MO office and schedule an appointment with Dr. Mark Holland today. Your optimal health is our number one objective!

Resources

Apfel CC, Cakmakkaya OS, Richmond C, et al. Restoration of disk height through non-surgical spinal decompression is associated with decreased discogenic low back pain: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010;11(155). doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-155

In our North County St. Louis, MO office, it's common for us to see patients suffering with sciatic nerve pain, and Dr. Mark Holland has helped many of them heal with chiropractic. What makes chiropractic care so beneficial to those who suffer with this condition? First off, it reduces their time of recovery and a Norwegian medical study confirms it.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Sciatica Pain

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 sciatic nerve pain. The participants were all treated by a chiropractor, with the mean follow-up being two years after treatment.

The researchers discovered that all but two patients returned to their jobs after receiving chiropractic care, which is a 95% success rate. Moreover, the average period of time that the individuals 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 lost 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 productivity, but it would also decrease costs to businesses and workers from lost work.

We Can Help Patients Find Relief From Sciatica

If you live in North County St. Louis, MO and you suffer with 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 sciatica 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 men and women around the world. If you are suffering from this type of condition, you're not alone. The good news is that chiropractic care is an excellent way to not only treat these common problems, but also help hold off 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 experience is supported by a recent review done in Canada that found that non-invasive, non-drug solutions 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 suggested before resorting to drugs or more invasive procedures.

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

We Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Neck Pain and Headaches

If you're suffering from 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 headaches that start 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. Fortunately, chiropractic adjustments can usually help, potentially reducing these types of headaches by 50%, and research confirms it.

Research Shows 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 goal was to see how effective chiropractic care was for this type of head pain, as well as to determine the number of treatment sessions required to achieve a positive effect.

The individuals 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 patients received twice that amount.

Each patient 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 drug usage 24 weeks post-study.

We Can Help People Find Comfort From Head Pain

Dr. Mark Holland has helped many patients who were suffering from headache pain 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.