The Great Challenge: Chiropractic Adjustments vs. Acupuncture vs. NSAIDs!

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could assess three common types of treatment for neck and back pain to determine which is the most effective? Here is a look at three studies that compared three popular forms of care for chronic spinal pain to determine the short-term and more importantly, the LONG-TERM benefits of chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, like Advil).

The FIRST published study included a pilot group of 77 patients complaining of chronic spinal pain (neck, mid-back, or low-back pain). These patients were separated into one of the three treatment groups and received either NSAIDs, acupuncture, or chiropractic manipulation. Patients received care for four weeks with outcome measures (questionnaires) used to assess changes in pain and disability. After a 30-day time frame, only patients who received chiropractic manipulation (CM) reached a level of statistically significant improvement, supporting CM to offer the best SHORT-TERM BENEFITS for those with chronic back/neck pain.

The SECOND study included 115 patients, again randomized, to receive either one of the same three treatments, but this time the outcome data was gathered two, five, and nine weeks after the start of treatment. Again, those who received chiropractic manipulation (CM) experienced the best overall improvement at nine weeks.

The THIRD study involved follow-up from the same patient group from the SECOND study two years later. Once again, participants completed outcome assessments that measure pain and disability. This time, the results showed that only patients in the chiropractic manipulation group maintained long-term improvements in pain and disability.

There have been other studies looking at the efficacy and benefits of SMT (spinal manipulative therapy) both in comparison with other forms of care (as presented here) as well as with different conditions or diagnoses. Perhaps the most exciting results were published in 2008 by the International Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain. They divided patients into four groups (Group 1: Neck pain with little to no interference with activities of daily living – ADLs; Group 2: Neck pain that limits ADLs; Group 3: Neck pain with radiculopathy or radiating arm pain from a pinched nerve; Group 4: Neck pain with serious pathology such as cancer, fracture, infection, and/or systemic disease.) The researchers concluded that chiropractic care was highly recommended especially in Grades 1 and 2 (which includes the majority of neck pain sufferers). Interestingly, many multidisciplinary physician groups now incorporate chiropractic care as part of their “team” approach, which also offer pain management in the form of medications, injections, PT, and when necessary, surgery. They have seen the value of spinal manipulation for neck pain and often seek out chiropractic because it’s safe, beneficial, and cost effective!

We realize you have a choice in whom you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend, or family member requires care for neck pain or headaches, we would be honored to render our services.  Visit http://www.olsonchiropracticcenter.com for more information.

Fibromyalgia Dietary Consideration #2 | Yankton Chiropractor | Brian Olson DC

Fibromyalgia (FM) management must include dietary considerations, just ask ANY
FM sufferer! Last month, we concentrated on the types of foods that reduce
inflammation, but the question remains, what foods should we go out of our way
to avoid? In other words, what should we NOT eat (and why)? Let’s take a look!  
As we all know, it’s MUCH EASIER to simply grab a cookie, a chocolate bar, or go
through the drive-through at McDonald’s and eat on the fly. This has become “the
rule” for many of us as we trim down our meal times to fit in other tasks. We
seem to have our priorities mixed up and have become preoccupied in our busy
lives using the excuse that “…eating simply takes too long.”  
The “avoid” list starts with stop eating junk food. It’s like pollution to our
body as it clogs and clutters up our digestive system and the absorbed
by-products include “bad” fat like trans-fats & saturated fats that can damage
the heart. These fats are found in highly processed foods, red meats, and
high-fat processed meats like bacon and sausage. Many of these meats are also
high in salt, another “no-no” for heart health reasons, particularly for those
with high blood pressure. Other sources of saturated fat include lamb, pork,
lard, butter, cream, whole milk, and high-fat cheese. Some plant sources of
saturated fat include coconut oil, cocoa butter, palm oil, and palm kernel oil.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommends that
adults get 20-35% of their calories from fats. At a minimum, we need at least
10% of our calories from fat.  
Other foods to avoid are white flour-based foods such as bread and pasta. This
is primarily because white flour is derived from grains which are gluten rich
(wheat, oats, barley, rye) and as we discussed last month, very inflammatory to
our body! Simply avoiding gluten can be the nucleus of a great diet with
benefits like increased energy, less mental fog, and weight loss without really
trying! Sugar is also found in many products that we like eating. It’s found in
juices, soda, pastries, candy, most desserts, as well as pre-sweetened cereals.
Even ketchup has sugar in it! Another “bad guy” comes from the nightshade family
of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes (but NOT sweet potatoes),
sweet and hot peppers, ground cherries (a small orange fruit similar to a
tomato), and Goji berries. These plants contain a chemical alkaloid called
solanine that triggers pain in some people.  
Weight reduction is another way to reduce pain and inflammation. If your Body
Mass Index is over 25, (“Google” a BMI calculator and check yours) then you may
need to lose weight! There are MANY diets one can follow, but to keep it simple
embrace one approach first and see what kind of results you get. Try the “Paleo
diet” as it is a gluten-free approach. The Mediterranean diet is similar and
then there is the Aitkin’s Diet, the Zone Diet, etc., etc. Try eliminating the
three most abused unhealthy foods in your diet (like soda, ice cream, chocolate,
etc.) as that too can yield great results. Make sure your thyroid is working
properly if you can’t lose weight with these approaches. Simply put, foods high
in sugar, saturated fat, and white flour cause overactivity of our immune system
which can lead to joint and muscle pain, fatigue, and damage to blood vessels.  
Eliminating these foods and eating the foods discussed last month is good for
all of us, not JUST those suffering from fibromyalgia!  
If you, a friend or family member requires care for Fibromyalgia, we sincerely
appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!  Visit
http://www.olsonchiropracticcenter.com for more information.

Subluxation and Chiropractic | Yankton Chiropractor | Brian Olson DC

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Get To Know Chiropractic | Yankton Chiropractor | Brian Olson DC

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Chiropractic Cartoon | Yankton Chiropractor | Brian Olson DC

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Low Back "ON-THE-GO" Exercises (Part 1) | Yankton Chiropractor | Brian Olson DC

Low back pain (LBP) is a reality in most of our lives at one point or another.
It can range from being a “nag” to being totally disabling. Let’s look at some
exercises for the low back that can be done from a SITTING position so that they
can be: 1) Performed in public (without drawing too much attention) and 2)
Repeated every one to two hours with the objective to AVOID LBP from gradually
getting out of control (STOP the “vicious cycle” so LBP stays “self-managed”).
RULES: 1) DON’T do any exercise that creates SHARP pain; 2) Stay within
“reasonable” pain boundaries; 3) DO these multiple times a day WHEN you feel
tight, stiff, sore (take 10-30 sec. every hour rather than 15 min. twice a day).

SITTING LOW BACK EXERCISE OPTIONS:
1)  SITTING BEND OVERS: 1) Slowly bend forward from a seated position and
attempt to reach the floor; 2) Spread the knees as needed to allow for a full
range of motion; 3) Hold for 3-10 seconds or until it feels “loose.” 4) Do the
opposite – sit and arch your low back as far back as is comfortable. Repeat
frequently for short hold-times – make it “fit” your time limitations/schedule!
2)  SITTING HIP / BACK STRETCH: 1) Cross your leg; 2) Raise the knee to the
opposite shoulder; 3) Arch the lower back until you feel an increase stretch in
your buttocks; 4) Twist your trunk to the side the knee is raised; 5) Move your
knee up/down and around to “feel” for the tightest “knots” and “work” them
loose; 6) Modify by bending forward 7) REPEAT on the opposite side.
3)  SITTING TRUNK ROTATIONS: 1) Slowly twist your shoulders and trunk to one
side while keeping your knees straight; 2) Reach back and pull for additional
stretch if comfortable; 3) Hold for 3-10 seconds or, until it feels “loose;” 4)
REPEAT on the opposite side.
Remember, DO these MANY times a day (at least once every hour). We have many
others as well (ask us)!

We realize you have a choice in whom you consider for your health care provision
and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.
If you, a friend, or family member requires care for back pain, we would be
honored to render our services.  Visit www.olsonchiropracticcenter.com for more information.

Acupuncture Needle Stimulation | Yankton Chiropractor | Brian Olson DC

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Did You Know This About Low Back Pain?

If you have low back pain (LBP), you are certainly not alone. Almost everyone at some point has back pain that interferes with work, daily activities, and/or recreation. Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on LBP. It is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to lost work time. Back pain is second to headaches as the most common neurological condition in the United States. Fortunately, most occurrences of LBP go away within a few days. Others take much longer to resolve or lead to more serious conditions. There are two types of low back pain – acute and chronic. Most episodes of acute LBP last from a few days to weeks, are not neurological and usually do not carry a high level of surgical risk. The cause of LBP can be difficult to isolate because often, while the cause is cumulative where multiple events over time, the last activity the patient recalls is “bending over for a pencil.” This, by itself is not likely to cause an acute onset of LBP. Low back pain can be caused by trauma such as sports injuries, work around the house such as garden work, car accidents, and others. Chronic low back pain, by definition, is LBP that lasts more than 3 months and the cause can be more difficult to identify and is often cumulative and superimposed on a prior condition such as degenerative disk or joint disease. A real problem is the rate of recurrence or, chronic, recurrent low back pain where pain may subside but returns at various rates of frequency and duration. This category affects a high percentage of the population and represents the true challenge in spine care management. As people age, their bone strength and muscle stretch, strength and tone usually decreases due to lack of activity. When the disks begin to lose fluid and flexibility, their ability to cushion the vertebrae and function as “shock absorbers” also decreases. Disks can tear, bulge, and/or herniate which results in localized LBP and/or radiating pain that follows the course one or more of the 31 pairs of nerve roots (eg., “sciatica” down the back of the leg). Soft tissues such as joint capsules and ligaments lose their capacity to stretch and can tear more easily, resulting in a sprain or strain (muscle/tendon injury). Other conditions that either cause or contribute to LBP include arthritis, obesity, smoking, pregnancy, stress, poor posture and/or physical health, and can lead to unsatisfied patients if these co-contributors are not properly identified and discussed. Less commonly, LBP can be caused by a more serious condition such as cancer, fracture, infection, spinal cord compression, and various internal conditions. Emergency care may be indicated in these circumstances. Your doctor of chiropractic will perform a complete examination, consider other contributing causes, and will treat the problem(s) causing the LBP condition. If needed, working with other allied health care providers will be arranged. Exercise, dietary recommendations, ergonomic or work modifications, spinal manipulation, and modalities will all be considered to help eliminate or control of the LBP. Methods of self-managing the LBP will be emphasized. Visit www.olsonchiropracticcenter.com for more information.