The survey, reported in the publication’s May 2009 issue, found that more than half of the respondents had “pain (that) severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred throughout the year.” The report stated that while many go to a primary care physician first for diagnosis and treatment, the majority were disappointed with the results.

On the other hand, 59 percent reported that they were “highly satisfied” with the care they received from chiropractors. The next highest rated practitioners were physical therapists (55 percent) and acupuncturists (53 percent), followed by “specialized” physicians (44 percent) and primary care physicians (34 percent).

Respondents were also asked to rate the types of treatments they received. Again, chiropractic/spinal manipulation got top honors, with 58 percent rating it as “helping a lot.” Spinal injections were next highest, rated at 51 percent, followed by massage (48 percent) and physical therapy (46 percent). Other highly rated treatments included prescription medications (45 percent), yoga (44 percent), movement therapy and acupuncture (both 41 percent).

According to a Dynamic chiropractic article on that report, “Chiropractic ranked first out of 11 treatments, including massage, acupuncture, and exercise, in its ability to treat back pain. More readers said that chiropractic ‘helped me feel much better’ than any of the other therapies.” Prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs ranked eighth and 10th, respectively.

So, if you’ve been “highly satisfied” with your chiropractic care, you’re not alone! In fact, more and more people are turning to chiropractic treatment not only for back pain relief, but for a wide variety of painful conditions from sports and repetitive stress injuries to arthritis.

A public version of the report can be found on the Consumer Reports Web site

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Let’s face it. There are going to be reverberations when your body is forced to stop abruptly and without warning. An emergency room attendant may give you a clean bill of health because you haven’t broken any bones, and you might be given a prescription for drugs to relax the muscle spasms that you are undoubtedly experiencing due to the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you sustained from the impact. But, unless you’re actually treated for the bodily trauma you’ve sustained, your situation can go from bad to much, much worse. In fact, many people experience problems years after a car accident as the consequence of their not getting the help they required in the first place.

Your Tampa Chiropractor unequivocally knows what your body undergoes during an auto accident. Chiropractic techniques include treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics impairment. And

If you’ve encountered a minor auto accident, you are more likely to need more repair than your car. Neck and back traumas are not only painful in the places in which they happen, but they can also produce pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and create headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.

chiropractic care will provide you with a drug-free, natural road back to feeling good again.  It will assist in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – in the past. In addition, because your chiropractor has experience dealing with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you undergo less physical stress, but less emotional stress, as well!

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Oftentimes back pain is a mystery to most people who suffer from it, and chiropractors are skilled in solving that mystery. Sufferers want to know why it is that they have not had any trauma, accidents, or major injuries prior to the onset of their condition? The answer is that the cumulative effects of unsuitable sitting posture, poor work habits, improper lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors create most back pain. These factors eventually add up and create stresses and imbalances on the spine creating subluxations that can become serious back problems. The process is similar to the front end of your car being out of alignment. When you persist in driving anyway, there is disproportionate wear and tear on your tires. If you choose not to get the problem fixed, the situation could worsen until a tire “blows.” When the spine is misaligned, the health of the spine is put at risk. It’s not only a problem waiting to happen, so to speak, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as simple as bending over to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that produces back injury. The surrounding back muscles go into spasm when thistakes place to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

When it comes to dysfunctions of the spine, chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors. They provide highly qualified diagnosis and experienced treatment for all muscular-skeletal dysfunctions. In addition to offering welcomed relief to individuals suffering from back pain, but they are aware of what will help you to avoid further back pain. As an adjunct to effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your chiropractor will provide you with a personal exercise plan and recommend additional healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.

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Anatomy

To understand back pain it is important to understand the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the lower back consist of posterior joints called facets that link vertebrae to one another and serve to guide the motion of the spine. The intervertebral discs connect the bodies of the vertebrae. They are composed of a form of tough cartilage that encases a soft material in the center called the nucleus. The primary function of the disc is a shock absorber and a spacer between the vertebrae. Ligaments and muscles also connect the vertebrae. The bottom wedge shaped bone at the bottom of the spine is the sacrum and is joined to the two pelvic bones at the sacroiliac joint. In a canal located between the body and the facets of the vertebrae is the spinal cord. The spinal nerves exit the spine between the vertebrae.

Causes of Back Pain

The majority of back pain patients have not experienced any trauma, accidents or major injuries prior to the onset of their problem. The cause of most back pain is the cumulative affect of improper sitting posture, poor work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of proper exercise and other lifestyle-related factors. All of these factors cause stress and imbalances on the spine and eventually pain. This is why people often injure their back by just bending over to pick up a piece of paper. The spine was already compromised and just the simple act of bending was enough to set off the problem. When this occurs, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

Disc Problems & Sciatica

Prolonged sitting especially in a slouched position causes increased pressure upon the intervertebral discs and imbalances in the muscles surrounding the spine. Eventually the lower spine loses its normal function and no longer can accommodate the normal day-to-day stresses in one’s life. Ultimately, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures or cracks allowing the soft nucleus to protrude the disc outward. If the disc pushes upon sensitive tissues one feels pain and this is often referred to as a slipped disc. If the disc presses on the spinal nerve a person can develop sciatica which is defined as pain, tingling, numbness and sometimes weakness in their lower extremities. Sometimes if the disc protrusion or herniation is large and the condition is not managed correctly, surgery is required to remove the herniated disc material. However, with the correct chiropractic adjustments and management, andPostural exercises most of these cases can recover.

Spondylosis

Repetitive injury to the disc, the facet joints, and the surrounding ligaments may result in increased wear and tear and weight-bearing stress on the spine. This stress can negatively affect the cartilage around the joints and causes calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae, forming bone spurs. These spurs can compress adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue resulting in symptoms ranging from minor pain, numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy. This condition – known as Spondylosis – is a form of arthritis that affects almost everyone at some point in his or her life. It is also a common part of the aging process of the spine. However, factors such as previous trauma, lifestyle, and repetitive stress injury influences the time of onset in life. Chiropractic adjustments and management is very effective in helping spondylosis sufferers manage their condition.

Sacroiliac Problems

Another common area of dysfunction or injury in the low back are the sacroiliac joints. These weight-bearing joints link the upper part of the body to the lower pelvic portion and are normally very strong and stable. However with trauma such as falls, sports injuries and lifting heavy objects, the joints can become unstable and move to an abnormal position. This condition is called a sacroiliac subluxation. Women may get this condition during or after their pregnancy. Sacroiliac subluxation causes imbalances in the lower extremities giving a person a functional long and short leg. People with this condition will feel pain especially with prolonged standing, walking or during or after physical activity and often complain of lack of energy and feeling tired easily. Often this imbalance can affect structures further up the spine and people can develop neck and shoulder pain as well as headaches. Chiropractic adjustments and treatment are extremely affective in correcting this problem by establishing proper alignment of the joints.

Spinal Subluxation

A very common disorder of the lower back as well as the entire spine is subluxated or misaligned facet joints. Subluxations can exist on their own or in conjunction with disc problems and spondylosis. They can cause pain as well as compromise to the spinal nerves as they exit the foramen or spaces between the vertebrae. A symptom often associated with nerve compression is paresthesia which is an alteration of sensation described as a tingling, burning or funny feeling. Paresthesia in the upper extremities usually originates from nerve problems in the neck while paraesthesia in the lower extremities is most often associated with nerve problems in the lumbar region (lower back). Visceral problems such as asthma and gastric conditions can also be associated or complicated by spinal subluxations and nerve compression. Subluxations are best corrected with chiropractic adjustments.

Trauma such as a fall, a car accident or sports injury can also cause injury to the spine and lower back. Often these traumas cause over-stretching or tearing of any of the tissues of the spine. When this happens a person can feel considerable pain and immobility. Proper chiropractic management at the onset of symptoms is very important in order avoid long term disability and the development of any of the above conditions.

Scoliosis can also be associated with low back pain.

Chiropractic care provides state of the art diagnosis and treatment for problems associated with any of the above mentioned conditions of the back. Please take advantage of this month’s offer to see how we can help your problem.

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