Clinical & Case Studies
Real published research and real practice member
outcomes behind every recommendation we make.
Clinical Studies On
Chiropractic Manipulation
We believe in care backed by evidence. Here is a sample of the published research that shapes how we treat back and joint pain.
Spinal Manipulation And Exercise For Low Back Pain In Adolescents: A Randomized Trial
Evans R, Haas M, Schulz C, Leininger B, Hanson L, Branford G. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2001 Apr 1;26(7):788-97; discussion 798-9.
This multi-center randomized trial compared twelve weeks of spinal manipulative therapy combined with exercise to exercise alone. Participants were 185 adolescents aged 12 to 18 with chronic low back pain. For these adolescents, spinal manipulation combined with exercise was more effective than exercise alone over a one-year period, with the largest differences appearing at six months.
Best Practices For Chiropractic Care For Older Adults: A Systematic Review And Consensus Update
Hawk C, Schneider MJ, Haas M, Katz P, Dougherty P, Gleberzon B, Killinger JZ, Weeks J.
This project combined a systematic literature review with a consensus process. Of 199 articles identified, six on effectiveness and six on safety met the criteria for inclusion after exclusions were applied. Statements about the safety of manipulation were strengthened, with new guidance recommending that doctors of chiropractic advise patients on exercise, and that manipulation and mobilization contribute to positive outcomes beyond pain reduction alone.
Effect Of Therapeutic Exercise Versus Manual Therapy On Athletes With Chronic Low Back Pain
Dvorak H, Kujat C, Brumitt J. J Sport Rehabil. 2011 Nov;20(4):494-504. Epub 2011 Aug 8.
Rehabilitation professionals treat chronic low back pain using a range of approaches, including manual therapy and therapeutic exercise. Joint mobilization of the lumbar spine may meaningfully decrease a patient's pain and improve function. Exercise can also improve pain and function, with some patients reporting gains up to a year after their last treatment.
United Kingdom Back Pain Exercise And Manipulation (UK BEAM) Randomized Trial: Effectiveness Of Physical Treatments For Back Pain In Primary Care
BMJ 2004;329:1377, published 09 December 2004.
The trial spanned 181 general practices and 63 community settings for physical treatment across fourteen centers in the United Kingdom. Spinal manipulation proved a cost effective addition to best care for back pain in general practice, and manipulation alone generally offered better value than manipulation followed by exercise.
Case Studies
Real patients, real symptoms, and the path each one took back to feeling like themselves.
Cervical Pain And Headache
A 34-year-old woman had right-side headaches and neck stiffness that began after a car accident three months earlier. She had never experienced this kind of pain before, and the muscle relaxants prescribed by her medical doctor made her feel off without meaningfully reducing the pain. Turning her head to the right while driving was especially difficult. Examination revealed joint fixation in her lower cervical spine and a trigger point in her trapezius, a large muscle in the upper back. Over six weeks of care from her chiropractor and massage therapist, her pain resolved entirely, and our movement specialist taught her how to sit and use her phone without aggravating her neck.
Lumbar Pain With Right Leg Pain
A 24-year-old male weightlifter came in with severe lower back pain and sharp pain radiating behind his right knee. He leaned away from the affected side, a pattern that suggested a disc herniation pressing on the nerve that contributes to sciatica. His chiropractor found a swollen disc along with significant restriction in the sacroiliac joint. In the first week, we used a specialized table designed to gently distract herniated discs, along with supplements to help reduce inflammation and pain. By the second week, we introduced gentle manipulation of the sacroiliac joint, and by week three he was seventy five percent out of pain. He continued to improve with his daily exercises and was discharged at the end of week four, with a clear understanding of how sitting and lifting correctly could keep him out of harm's way.
Hand Numbness And Carpal Tunnel Symptoms
A 47-year-old woman who worked in a factory developed numbness in her right hand after a fall in which she caught herself on the ground with an outstretched palm. She felt pain in her shoulder, and numbness set in across her thumb through ring finger, especially at night. Her chiropractor identified a first rib fixation near the base of the neck along with tightness in the scalene muscles at the front of the neck, both of which were placing pressure on the brachial plexus and the median nerve that supplies sensation to those fingers. After four weeks of spinal manipulation and massage to her neck and the palm of her hand, where the original trauma occurred, her numbness resolved. Our movement specialist also taught her how to sleep in a way that kept her pillow from stressing her lower neck, and our nutrition coach helped her see that the sugar in her diet was contributing to nerve inflammation, offering supplement suggestions to help reduce it.
Rib Pain That Hurts With Every Breath
A 54-year-old man leaned over to lift his grandson, who was heavier than expected, and felt a sharp pressure on the right side of his chest that led to mid-back pain and tenderness. The pain was severe enough that his medical doctor ordered X-rays, which came back negative for a rib fracture. Three weeks passed before a friend recommended our office. On examination, we found notable tenderness and stiffness where his fifth rib met the sternum, as well as where that same rib connected to his back. Gentle mobilization of the joints at the front of his chest, along with specific manipulation for the rib fixation in his mid-back, resolved his pain within three visits. Since he was not an experienced exerciser, we introduced him to our movement specialist, who taught him a short, straightforward stretch to do every morning, one that came straight from Dr. Pearson's book, 8 Minutes To Ageless.
Let's Get You Out Of Pain
If any of these stories sound familiar, we would love to help you write one of your own. Reach out and let's talk about what is going on.
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