Chiropractic Outperforms Medicine for Neck Pain: Milpitas Chiropractor

When it comes to neck and back pain, about six in 10 adults either strongly agree (23 percent) or agree somewhat (38 percent) that chiropractors are effective at treating these types of pain.
Those are the results of a Gallup poll commissioned by Palmer College of Chiropractic, which surveyed 5,442 U.S. adults, ages 18 and up.

The results coincide with a 2012 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health. According to that study, which followed 272 neck-pain patients for 12 weeks, patients who used a chiropractor or exercised were far more likely to be pain-free than those who only took medication.
Here are the specifics:

• 32 percent who received chiropractic care became pain free.
• 30 percent of those who exercised became pain free.
• 13 percent of those treated with medication became pain free.

Exercise is an important element in relieving neck pain because it can improve posture, increase range of motion, strengthen key supportive muscles and restore flexibility.

A study published in the journal Physical Therapy http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/87/4/408.full in 2007 showed that people with chronic neck pain have a reduced ability to maintain an upright posture when distracted. Fifty-eight women with chronic neck pain participated. After following an exercise program targeted at training the craniocervical flexor muscles, they had an improved ability to maintain a “neutral cervical posture” during prolonged sitting.

The National Research Center for the Working Environment in Denmark http://www.arbejdsmiljoforskning.dk/en describes the exercises used to target chronic neck pain. Each requires hand weights.

• Dumbbell Shrug: Stand upright with the hand weights at the side of your body. In one even motion, lift your shoulders up towards your ears and lower them again slowly. At the same time, try to relax your jaw and neck. Recommended weight for beginners: 8 to 12 kilograms.
• One Arm Pull: Stand with one knee on the bench and lean on the same-side hand on the front of the bench. With the free arm you pull the weight up towards your lower chest. When the weight touches your chest, lower it in a controlled motion. 
Recommended weight for beginners: 6 – 10 kg.
• Upright Row: Stand upright with your arms stretched and the hand weights in front of your body. Lift the weights in a straight line as close to your body as possible, until they reach the middle of your chest and your elbows point up and out. During the whole exercise, the hand weights should be placed lower than the elbows. Recommended weight for beginners: 2 to 5 kilograms.
• Reverse Gly: Lie down on a bench in a 45-degree forward bent angle with the hand weights hanging toward the floor. Lift the weights outward and upward until they are horizontal, then lower the weights in one controlled motion. During the exercise, the elbows should be slightly bent (~5 degress). 
Recommended weight for beginners: 1 to 3 kilograms.
• Shoulder Abduction: Stand upright with the hand weights at the side of your body. Lift the weights outward and upward until they are horizontal, and then lower the weights in one controlled motion. During the exercise, the elbows should be slightly bent (~5°). 
Recommended weight for beginners: 2 to 4 kilograms.

The research center advises doing the exercises three times per week, alternating between exercises one, two, and five on one day and exercises one, three, and four on another day.

At the beginning, perform two sets of each exercise with 12 repetitions. Then increase to three sets. After four weeks, you can reduce the number of repetitions on the last sets to eight to 10 repetitions, in order to further increase the weight.

Increase the weight as soon as you can execute all three sets with the given number of repetitions.
Of course, as the study quoted earlier indicates, seeing a qualified chiropractor is wise option if you suffer from chronic pain. Chiropractic adjustments can relieve spinal misalignments that interfere with your nervous system’s ability to communicate with the rest of the body. Without that interference, your body can once again operate at peak efficiency.

If you are experiencing neck or back pain, you may benefit from a visit to the Milpitas Spine Center in Milpitas, California. Drs. Dhanish Patel and Scott Riley and their dedicated team of chiropractors and therapists are focused on whole body wellness. They are dedicated to giving your body the support and care it needs to heal.

If you live in the Milpitas, Fremont, San Jose, Santa Clara, or Sunnyvale area and are experiencing pain, contact the Milpitas Spine Center for a complimentary consultation to see if we can help.