Upper Cervical Manual Therapy Benefits TMD Patients

jaw pain

A systematic review and metaanalysis that included eight randomized controlled trials concluded that mobilization and manipulative therapy applied to the upper cervical spine reduces jaw pain and improves maximal mouth opening in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The finding adds to a growing body of research establishing a connection between TMD and disorders of the…

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Spinal Manipulation Recommended for Acute Low Back Pain

chiropractor

For acute non-specific low back pain with or without radiculopathy, several clinical practice guidelines recommend spinal manipulative therapy as a frontline treatment option. Spinal manipulation is the primary form of treatment provided by doctors of chiropractic. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, March 2023 New Drug Combo Flagged as Emerging Threat The combination of fentanyl…

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Monthly Pain Update – June 2023

back surgery

When Is Low Back Surgery Appropriate? Low back pain is the most common musculoskeletal complaint, and it is the leading cause of activity limitation and absenteeism from work. There are many treatment options available to the low back pain patient, including surgical procedures. But when is surgery appropriate and in what cases should it be…

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Idiopathic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Alters Hand Proprioception

CTS

Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense where its various parts are in relation to one another for purposes of movement and balance. Examinations of 60 hands affected by carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and 25 non-CTS hands revealed that proprioception is worse when CTS is present. Doctors of chiropractic often utilize a multimodal approach when…

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Jaw Pain, Neck Pain, and Headaches

migraine neck

A retrospective study that included 300 patients with neck pain and/or temporomandibular joint pain identified an association between higher levels of neck pain and a risk for tension-type headache, while higher levels of both neck and jaw pain are more closely linked to migraines. Chiropractic care has been demonstrated to be an effective intervention for…

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Postural Faults Common in Office Workers with Neck and Back Pain

Examinations of 99 office workers with neck and mid-back pain—a common combination in this population—revealed that 90 exhibited scapular dyskinesis (abnormal movement of the shoulder blade) on one of both sides. Additionally, the majority had postural deviations that include rounded shoulders, forward head posture, and thoracic hyperkyphosis (slumped upper back). Doctors of chiropractic frequently treat…

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Back Surgery Is Not For Everyone

In a recent paper published in the Medical Journal of Australia, the authors noted that while spinal surgeries have increased over time, the current data does not support surgical intervention for low back pain outside of cases of lumbar radiculopathy that doesn’t respond to non-surgical care and when low back pain is associated with cancer,…

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Manual Therapy Helps COPD Patients Breathe Better

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease that makes breathing difficult, and it is a leading cause of death in the United States. A study that included 33 COPD patients found that including muscle energy technique (MET) sessions in a COPD rehabilitation program led to better outcomes with respect to subjective breathing.…

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Monthly Pain Update – May 2023

chiropractor

Greater Access to Chiropractic Reduces Low Back Pain Costs Not only is low back pain a musculoskeletal condition that will affect nearly everyone at least once in their lifetime, but it also accounts for a significant portion of all healthcare expenditures. When an individual experiences low back pain, they have a variety of treatment options,…

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Low Back Pain Is Common in Adolescents

teen

Questionnaires completed by 2,000 teenagers revealed that 57% experienced an episode of low back pain in the previous year. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, September 2022 Poor Sleep Late in Pregnancy Linked to Postpartum Depression A systematic review that included ten studies concluded that poor sleep in the weeks prior to giving…

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