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According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, more Americans suffer with chronic pain than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. What's more, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by lower back pain and headache.

Not surprisingly, many people come to our Tumwater office seeking neck pain care, and Dr. Harrell has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart decision, as some research indicates that over 90 percent of neck pain patients improve with chiropractic.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Effective for Neck Pain

A report published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy involved 64 people who were suffering with neck pain. Approximately half were placed in an experimental group and the other half were assigned to a comparison group. Both were given chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as a home exercise program, while the experimental group also received thoracic spine adjustments.

Data was gathered before treatment began and one week post-treatment. Researchers found that 94% of the experimental group claimed "significantly greater improvements" in regard to pain and disability in their neck symptoms. Just 35% of the individuals who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, showing that looking at the entire spinal column is a critical part of restoring the body's normal function.

Yet another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who reported suffering with neck pain. Each man or woman was randomly allocated to one of two groups--thoracic spine thrust manipulation or non-thrust manipulation--with examinations occurring two and four days after the adjustments.

Researchers found that the study patients who received the thrust manipulations (the same manipulations that provided such positive results in the first report) "experienced greater reductions in disability" than the patients who received the non-thrust adjustments. Their pain was lower as well, which shows that this type of approach offers many benefits.

Help After Failed Medical Procedures

Another study even found the same sort of positive outcomes after thoracic adjustments in a woman who had a failed neck surgical treatment. This particular case involved a 46-year-old patient who had recently had neck surgery but still experienced neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The woman documented decreased pain in her neck and lower headache intensity, immediately after the first chiropractic adjustments. After six weeks of care, which involved chiropractic, exercise, and patient education, the patient still rated her pain at a zero on a scale of 1 to 10. Her neck disability reduced as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

It is studies like these that prove the advantages of chiropractic techniques, even if you've already attempted neck surgery that didn't provide relief. So, if you are dealing with neck problems and would like to find a remedy that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the relief you're looking for.

We're located in Tumwater and Dr. Harrell can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (360) 489-0635.

References

• AAPM facts and figures on pain. The American Academy of Pain Medicine.
• Masaracchio M, Cleland JA, Hellman M, Hagins M. Short-term combined effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation in individuals with mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2013;43(3):118-127.
• Cleland JA, Glynn P, Whitman JM, Eberhart SL, MacDonald C, Childs JD. Short-term effects of thrust versus nonthrust mobilization/manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Physical Therapy 2007;87(4):431-440.
• Salvatori R, Rowe RH, Osborne R, Beneciuk JM. Use of thoracic spine thrust manipulation for neck pain and headache in a patient following multiple-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a case report. The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2014;44(6):440-449.
  

With the Migraine Research Foundation reporting that migraine headaches affect 38 million adults and children in the United States (more than diabetes and asthma put together), it's not surprising that Dr. Harrell sees a lot of migraine patients in our Tumwater office. Although some folks choose to relieve migraine pain with drugs, chiropractic is a great, all-natural approach that usually provides positive results.

Research Shows Chiropractic Care Helps With Migraines

For example, one study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics involved 127 participants ranging in age from 10 to 70-years-old who struggled with regular (at least monthly) migraines. Each subject received up to 16 chiropractic sessions. The patients noted that their headache frequency, duration, and disability two months before the treatments began, during the duration of the sessions (which was two months), and two months post-treatment.

What the authors discovered is that chiropractic reduced the frequency, duration, and disability of the migraine headaches when compared with the control group who didn't receive chiropractic. Furthermore, this enabled them to take less medication for the pain, providing them an all-natural answer for a chronic condition.

Another study found that a combination of chiropractic and neck massage reduced migraine headaches almost 68%.

If you have migraine pain and are looking for relief, call Dr. Harrell today and request an appointment in our Tumwater chiropractic office. We'll do what we can to help you become pain-free!

Studies

Migraine Fact Sheet. Migraine Research Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.migraineresearchfoundation.org/fact-sheet.html on November 2, 2015
Noudeh Y et al. (2012). Reduction of current migraine headache pain following neck massage and spinal manipulation. International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork;5(1):5-13
Tuchin P et al. (2000, February). A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;23(2):91-5

Knee pain is a frequent issue for patients in our Tumwater chiropractic practice, and Dr. Harrell has successfully provided many of these men and women relief. This is mostly because chiropractic care has been found to help with many kinds of knee pain.

For example, some individuals experience pain in and around the knee area due to degenerative arthritis. Research has confirmed that this ailment responds very well to chiropractic--and rather quickly, too. In fact, one paper published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that people with osteoarthritis in their knees felt significant pain relief and enhanced function after just two weeks of chiropractic care.

If your knee pain is as a result of a medial meniscus sprain, chiropractic could likely help with that as well. One study reported that integrating chiropractic with soft tissue treatment, rest, ice, and compression on the affected knee helped lower the intensity of the pain.

Of course, sometimes a knee replacement surgery is necessary in order to repair the issue, and if that's the case, chiropractic care can also help improve the outcome. How?

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Knee Pain

Medical research has shown that people with low back pain often have less positive outcomes after knee surgery. So, dealing with your back pain through chiropractic prior to having a total knee arthroplasty can help with your post-surgery recovery.

No matter what your knee issue, Dr. Harrell can likely help. Call our Tumwater practice today and find out what we can do for you!

Resources

• Pollard H et al. (2008, December). The effect of a manual therapy knee protocol on osteoarthritic knee pain: a randomised controlled trial. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association;52(4):229-42
  Boyle J et al. (2014, March). Influence of low back pain on total knee arthroplasty outcome. Knee;21(2):410-4
• Jarosz B & Ames R. (2010, December). Chiropractic management of a medial meniscus tear in a patient with tibiofemoral degeneration: a case report. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine;9(4):200-8

We see a large number of men and women with headaches in our Tumwater office, and Dr. Harrell has been able to aid many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that one half of all adults have difficulties with some sort of headache problem, so this really isn’t a surprise. One of the most typical varieties of headaches that our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can often help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Defined

A cervicogenic headache is one that arises from issues in the cervical spine. It can easily be attributable to an issue with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it may be attributable to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine can cause constriction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can result in headache pain.

How do you tell if the headache you are struggling with is a cervicogenic headache? Besides receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally accompanied by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Chiropractic to the Rescue

Because cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever problem is generating them is remedied, it is vital to receive treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that can provide a considerable amount of relief.

In one study released in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts studied 80 people who had repeated cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent got chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was discovered that chiropractic provided the best effects.

Specifically, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more significant pain relief and reduced the frequency of headaches that occurred. Moreover, it also diminished the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Harrell can do for you and your headache pain, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you need!

References

• Haas M, Schneider M, Vavrek D. Illustrating risk difference and number needed to treat from a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010 18(9).
• World Health Organization. (2012, October). Headache disorders. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/

We see quite a few patients in our Tumwater office with ankle sprains but Dr. Harrell has had a lot of success helping them heal more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can chiropractic help?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), an estimated 25,000 men and women in the US sprain their ankles daily. As a matter of fact, these injuries make up nearly half of all sports injuries, causing people to spend time away from the activities they enjoy most.

Like any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most common is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can occur due to one forceful movement, or it can develop over a period of time, and activities that increase the risk for this type of ankle sprain include running and jumping. You're also at risk if you have past ankle injuries, poor posture or balance, weak muscles, and reduced range of motion.

How Can Chiropractic Treatments and Dr. Harrell Help?

A report published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to discover chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. Researchers enrolled 33 individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a history of ankle inversion sprains, who were experiencing tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the ankle in the previous six weeks.

Eighteen of the participants were assigned to participate in rehabilitation and the remaining 15 individuals received chiropractic in addition to rehabilitation. Each person had five full weeks of treatments, with the rehabilitation group receiving therapy seven days a week and the rehabilitation plus chiropractic group receiving treatment six out of the seven days.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Ankle Sprains

Researchers found that the people who had both rehab and chiropractic fared the best at the 4-week mark when it came to pain and joint restriction. Furthermore, no undesirable effects were reported, showing that this treatment option is safe.

If you're near our office in Tumwater and you're struggling with an ankle injury, give us a call. We'll do what we can to keep you up and running... literally!

Bibliography

• American College of Sports Medicine. (n.d.). Ankle sprains and the athlete. Retrieved from https://www.acsm.org/docs/current-comments/anklesprainstemp.pdf
• Lubbe, D et al. (2015, January). Manipulative therapy and rehabilitation for recurrent ankle sprain with functional instability: a short-term, assessor-blind, parallel-group randomized trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 38(1), 22-34, doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2014.10.001

If you suffer with fibromyalgia, you are not alone, as Dr. Harrell sees many people with this particular condition in our Tumwater chiropractic office. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly two percent of all adults in the US have fibromyalgia. Fortunately, chiropractic care is one treatment option that can provide positive results.

Research Supports Chiropractic Eases Fibromyalgia

In a paper released in mid-2015, 215 adults with fibromyalgia were evaluated based on factors ranging from pain to quality of sleep to the levels of depression or anxiety they felt. Then they were split into two groups with one group receiving a multi-modal therapy plan for three months and the second group receiving the same approach plus chiropractic adjustments (specifically, to the upper neck tissues) for the same length of time.

The subjects who received chiropractic adjustments in addition to the multi-modal therapy approach reported greater results in all areas (pain, sleep, depression, and anxiety) at three months post-treatment when compared to the study patients who received multi-modal treatment without chiropractic care. In addition, those positive outcomes were long-lasting as the people reported continued improvement one full year later.

Fibromyalgia can greatly reduce your quality of life, both mentally and physically. If you're struggling with fibromyalgia, we might be able to help.

You don't have to suffer! To see what Dr. Harrell can do for your fibromyalgia pain, call our Tumwater chiropractic office today.

Sources

• Fibromyalgia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm on November 2, 2015.
• Moustafa I & Diab A. (2015, July). The addition of upper cervical manipulative therapy in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. Rheumatology International;35(7):1163-74.

Unfortunately, quite a few of our Tumwater patients are familiar with the pain caused by a herniated disc all too well. On a positive note, Dr. Harrell has helped many people with disc pain, and a number of scientific studies have verified that chiropractic care can help patients recover from this kind of problem.

Research on Herniated Discs and Chiropractic

In one report, specialists from Switzerland selected 148 patients who were coping with pain in their lower back and legs due to a herniated disc (which was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI). Each individual then received chiropractic adjustments that focused on the location of his or her disc herniation.

Results were gathered after the initial treatment session at set intervals--namely, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year--to ascertain what type of short-term and long-term effects, if any, chiropractic offers when it comes to resolving this particular condition. Among the information obtained was the individual's self-reported changes in both low back and leg pain.

Investigators found that, as a whole, the study participants reported "significant improvement" for both types of pain every time the results were collected. In fact, over 90% of the study participants reported that their pain "improved" within the first three months, with 88% still citing improvement one year after their first treatment session.

Even those people who were defined as "chronic" still reported an improvement in pain at a rate of 89 percent one year beyond when treatment first began. This is the same positive effect that was found in the following case study.

Case Study Results

In this study, a 26-year-old man had presented with disc herniation symptoms such as pain in the low back, left leg, and left groin area, along with left foot drop and muscle weakness. He had suffered with these issues for more than two years after sustaining an athletic injury, and his disc herniation was confirmed via MRI.

After receiving chiropractic, "The patient responded favorably and his multi-symptom complex resolved within 90 days of treatment." Furthermore, the patient was still experiencing relief one year after the chiropractic intervention.

Studies like these show how helpful chiropractic can be when it comes to alleviating herniated disc pain and treating the symptoms they produce. So, if you are suffering from back ache caused by a herniated disc and want to find some relief, chiropractic may be an effective solution.

Don't suffer from chronic herniated disc pain. Give our Tumwater office a call today at (360) 489-0635 for a consultation or appointment.

References

• Leemann S, Peterson CK, Schmid C, Anklin B, Humphreys BK. Outcomes of acute and chronic patients with magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed symptomatic lumbar disc herniations receiving high-velocity, low-amplitude, spinal manipulative therapy: a prospective observational cohort study with one-year follow-up. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2014;37(3):155-163.
• Polkinghorn BS, Colloca CJ. Treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation using activator methods chiropractic technique. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1998;21(3):187-196.
  

Dr. Harrell sees a lot of people struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome in our busy Tumwater chiropractic office. While some people think that the source of this wrist-related pain is muscular, it's actually a syndrome that stems from the nerves--and not just the nerves in your hands.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A recent study printed in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy evaluated 71 women between the ages of 35 and 59 who were diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Upon studying the subjects' neck range of motion, the doctors discovered that the patients had reduced cervical mobility when compared to a healthy control group.

In addition, they also discovered that the level of the women's reported carpal tunnel pain was related to the lateral flexion of the cervical spine. In short, the less mobility in the neck, the higher the level of pain.

This study is extremely important, as you can't successfully address a problem until you fully understand its source. By realizing that the root of carpal tunnel pain is in the neck, this means that all-natural approaches such as chiropractic can often restore normal function, reducing the need for risky operations.

If you are suffering from carpal tunnel pain, call our Tumwater office and ask how Dr. Harrell can help you get relief!

Sources

De-la-Llave-Rincon A et al. (2011, May). Women with carpal tunnel syndrome show restricted cervical range of motion. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy;41(5):305-10.
Simon H. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. University of Maryland Medical Center. Updated May 6, 2012. Retrieved from https://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/carpal-tunnel-syndrome on November 2, 2015.

We see quite a few people with back pain in our Tumwater practice, and Dr. Harrell has been able to help a lot of them find relief with chiropractic. At the same time, dealing with back problems doesn't necessarily mean having to decide between chiropractic care and medical therapy, as many individuals utilize both types of care with great outcomes.

Study Confirms Chiropractic and Medical Care Work Well with One Another

In a report published by the academic journal Spine researchers¹ looked at a group of active-duty military personnel between the ages of 18 and 35 who were suffering from both acute pain and restricted function due to back symptoms. Some of the patients received treatment via standard medical care, while the remainder received chiropractic adjustments as well as standard medical care, as the authors wanted to see which group fared better.

The authors discovered that the patients who received standard medical care along with chiropractic scored "significantly better" than the group that got medical care alone; 73% reported positive benefits in comparison to just 17 percent of the medical treatment only group who indicated the same amount of improvement. This was true regarding both pain and level of function at two and four weeks.

Therefore, incorporating these two forms of care can greatly benefit you--the patient--offering advantages when compared to medical care alone. However, while chiropractic and medical approaches can work alongside each other, chiropractic offers some distinct advantages over medical treatment.

Where Chiropractic Care Wins

Although it may seem as if each approach plays a 50/50 role, there is one major benefit that chiropractic has over medical care and that is in patient satisfaction. In fact, a study from UCLA² that was printed in the American Journal of Public Health found that, on average, chiropractic patients are generally more satisfied with their recovery than those undergoing medical care.

According to the researchers, the main aspects that patients preferred over medical care were "self-care advice and explanation of treatment." This isn't unexpected, as chiropractors typically spend much more time consulting with their patients as to how they can improve their health on their own, as well as discussing more thoroughly what to expect from chiropractic.

Chiropractic Offers a Non-Invasive Approach

Without a doubt, the methods associated with chiropractic are quite different than those provided with medical care, but a large amount of the difference is the fact that chiropractic is a holistic approach to health and well-being. Instead of focusing on simply relieving the symptoms, chiropractic involves searching for the primary cause of your pain, which often results in greater improvement as you are tackling the problem at its source.

Furthermore, while medication is sometimes helpful for treating certain conditions, many health issues respond well to a natural approach such as chiropractic. This means fewer negative side effects from medications and more permanent results.

You don't have to suffer from back pain or other health problems. Give our Tumwater office a call today at (360) 489-0635. We'll do our best to help you get and remain free from back pain.

References

1. Goertz CM, Long CR, Hondras MA, Petri R, Delgado R, Lawrence DJ, Owens EF, Meeker WC. Adding chiropractic manipulative therapy to standard medical care for patients with acute low back pain: results of a pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness study. Spine 2013;38(8):627-634.
2. Hertzman-Miller RP1, Morgenstern H, Hurwitz EL, Yu F, Adams AH, Harber P, Kominski GF. Comparing the satisfaction of low back pain patients randomized to receive medical or chiropractic care: results from the UCLA low-back pain study. American Journal of Public Health 2002;92(10):1628-1633.

Shoulder Pain is a common condition after a car accident, and it's something that Dr. Harrell sees frequently in our Tumwater office. Chiropractic is an excellent way to treat shoulder pain. Let's look at how shoulder pain is caused by a crash and how Dr. Harrell can help you.

There are at least two ways that you can develop shoulder problems after a crash: by direct injury to the shoulder joint or by referred pain from the neck.

Direct damage can be caused by striking your shoulder on a hard object in the car during the impact, or can occur if you have a tight grip on the steering wheel during a rear end collision. With this type of trauma, you'll usually be aware of the pain shortly after the wreck.

More frequently, Dr. Harrell finds that shoulder or arm pain doesn't immediately appear after a crash, but starts a few days or weeks after the accident. This type of shoulder pain actually starts in the neck. Injured soft tissue in your neck can pinch nerves in your neck, causing tingling, numbness, or soreness in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've treated both types of shoulder pain in our Tumwater office. This care involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural flexibility and home exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

If you've been injured in a car crash and you're struggling with shoulder pain, Dr. Harrell is here to help. Dr. Harrell 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 (360) 489-0635 to make an appointment.