Researchers continually study spinal manipulation
to more fully explain how it contributes to pain
relief for sufferers with back pain, related leg pain, and neurological symptoms
that interfere with quality of life. Spinal manipulation (SM) eases
back pain (acute, chronic), back-related leg pain, quality of life,
neurological symptoms, and disability for sufferers. That’s a
sentence full of promise which has research
support behind its claims. Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn personalizes
a chiropractic treatment plan combining spinal manipulation oftentimes
the gentle form of Cox® Technic flexion distraction decompression for
our Ashburn chiropractic patients after doing a detailed
examination. Ashburn pain relief is possible.
NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
Spinal pain patients as well as patients with
neurological disorders like stroke have neurological symptoms that respond
to spinal manipulation. Experiencing neurological symptoms contributes
to worldwide disability statistics as well as
personal well-being and quality of life. A narrative review noted
that most studies reported the mechanism by which spinal
manipulation decreased spinal pain, may increase
strength in asymptomatic people, and reportedly affected
spasticity, muscle stiffness, motor function, autonomic function, and balance problems.
Of course, a call for more studies to solidify
these findings was issued. But the beneficial impact of spinal manipulation
on the quality of life for spine pain sufferers, those with balance issues, and
those with cerebral palsy were described. (1) Such relief reasonably
influences back pain treatment guidelines that your Ashburn chiropractor consults to optimize
your clinical back pain relief.
CLINICAL GUIDELINES FOR BACK PAIN
Researchers hunt through the published
research papers to find the ones with reliability, coherence, etc.
A recent guideline for the treatment of low back pain concluded
that incorporating spinal manipulation in the treatment plan
of acute low back pain, chronic low back pain and chronic back-related leg pain
was valuable as part of a multimodal approach.
Advice, reassurance, education, self-management, usual medical care, home
exercises, etc., were described as beneficial
in improving pain and disability. (2)
Guidelines like this for back pain must be based on research that explains
how relief is created.
SPINAL MANIPULATION RELIEF FOR BACK PAIN
A current study intends to see whether
chronic low back pain patients’ response to SM comes from mechanisms
of centralization (central sensitization) that can be analyzed
via questionnaires, pressure pain threshold tests,
inflammatory cytokine tests, and patient expectations of relief. The researchers
expect to be able to predict patient
response. (3) Prior to this study, a narrative review noted
that spinal manipulation in part deterred neck pain and back
pain via spinal cord mechanisms of pain relief and queried the role of
peripheral mechanisms regulating inflammatory responses. (4) Both studies incorporated
placebo comparison but also documented that placebo and controls in
a spinal manipulation study are difficult to conceal
treatment versus no-treatment because of the hands-on nature
of the treatment. An improved control/placebo could help define
the contribution of the effects of SM on
pain relief.
THE CHALLENGE OF PLACEBO
Back pain patients do not often question their
pain relief. They don’t often ask “Was it this?” or “Was it that?” that finally
got them feeling better, but
researchers know that the placebo effect may well be influential
based on patient expectations and conditioning. Researchers are now testing whether conditioning can heighten patient
outcomes by emphasizing the positive expectations of spinal
manipulation treatment. (5) What do you think? Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn knows our chiropractic
patients can feel better understanding that their care is well-researched
and supported by clinical trials that showed positive clinical
outcomes for back pain relief.
CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Clint Dickason on The Back Doctors
Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the
relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for a patient
with back pain and sciatica.
Make your Ashburn chiropractic
appointment today. Don’t let your quality of life deteriorate due to your back pain, related leg pain and or neurological sypmatomatology.
Trust Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn to fully examine your spine and establish
a relieving treatment plan for its care.