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Headache and neck pain are common problems that affect millions of people around the world. If you are suffering from this type of condition, you're not alone. The good news is that chiropractic care is an excellent way to not only treat these common problems, but also help avoid future episodes.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Neck Pain and Headaches

For many years, people with neck and headache pain in Alexandria, KY have been helped by the chiropractic adjustments of Dr. Michael Wagner D.C.. Our success is supported by a recent review done in Canada that found that non-invasive, non-drug treatments are the best choice for neck and headache pain.

The review looked at 15 studies from 1990 to 2015 and found that conservative treatment comprised of chiropractic adjustments, exercises, and stretches was advisable before resorting to drugs or more invasive treatments.

Earlier scientific studies have shown that chiropractic is effective and safe for neck pain and many other health conditions.

We Can Help Clients Find Relief From Neck Pain and Headaches

If you're struggling with neck pain or headaches, Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. and our staff are here to help you feel better. Give our Alexandria, KY office a call today at (859) 448-0056 for an appointment today.

Reference

Varatharajan S, Ferguson B, Chrobak K, et al. Are non-invasive interventions effective for the management of headaches associated with neck pain? An update of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. European Spine Journal 2016; February 6:1-29.

There are many different kinds of headache, but one of the most common types is known as "cervicogenic headache," or those that start in your neck.

Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. sees a lot of patients in our Alexandria, KY office who are suffering with frequent, reoccurring headaches. Thankfully, chiropractic adjustments can usually help, potentially reducing these types of headaches by 50%, and research confirms it.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Cervicogenic Headaches

A study was conducted involving 80 participants who reported experiencing at least five cervicogenic headaches during the prior three months. The goal was to see how effective chiropractic was for this type of head pain, as well as to determine the number of treatment sessions necessary to achieve a positive effect.

The subjects were split into four separate groups, so that each group was similar in age, gender, number of cervicogenic headaches, and their intensity. Of the four groups, two engaged in chiropractic treatments and two received light massage. Furthermore, one group assigned to each treatment received eight sessions and the other group received double that amount.

Each person was assessed based on head pain, neck pain, and disability prior to the study and 12 and 24 weeks after treatment was complete. The researchers found that those who received chiropractic as opposed to massage reported fewer headaches at the conclusion of the study. Furthermore, improvements were maintained when checked six months after treatment ended.

Additionally, individuals who were taking medications for their headaches were able to lower their intake after completing the study. Those who received chiropractic had lower medication usage 24 weeks post-study.

We Can Help Patients Find Relief From Head Pain

Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. has helped many people who were suffering from headache pain in our Alexandria, KY office. Call us today at (859) 448-0056 for more information or for an appointment.

Reference

Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson D, Aickin M, Vavrek D. Dose response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. The Spine Journal 2010; 10: 117-128.

Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. sees many patients weekly in our busy Alexandria, KY chiropractic office who are looking for relief from the pain and agony they feel due to herniated discs. Our experience isn't unique; the medical research verifies that chiropractic care is a successful way to treat herniated disc pain.

Don't Suffer! Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. and Chiropractic Care Helps With Disc Herniation

One particular research study involved 27 people, 8 male and 19 female, who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirming a disc herniation in either their neck or lower back. The subjects documented that they were experiencing pain, limited range of motion, and sensory issues bad enough to keep them off work.

Over the course of the research study, the participants were treated using one of two common chiropractic techniques: traction for herniated discs in the cervical area or flexion distraction for the men and women who had herniation issues in the low back.

Each individual was seen four or five times per week for the first two weeks, then three times weekly, and then as needed for the remainder of the study. Depending on the severity of the disc herniation, treatment ranged anywhere from six weeks to six months, with MRIs being performed at various stages to identify what effect, if any, the chiropractic care was having in regard to the disc herniation.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Herniated Disc

The researchers reported that 80 percent of the participants enjoyed a "good clinical outcome," meaning reduced pain and a reduction in other symptoms, such as numbness. Additionally, 77 percent of these men and women also showed MRI evidence that their disc herniation was either reduced or resolved completely. This resulted in 78 percent of the study participants being able to return to their place of work and led the researchers to conclude that chiropractic adjustments is both "safe and helpful" for disc herniations.

If you have a herniated disc and suffer from chronic back pain and are near Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. in Alexandria, KY, contact our office today to see what chiropractic can do for you!

Reference
BenEliyahu, DJ. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical follow-up: study of 27 patients receiving chiropractic care for cervical and lumbar disc herniations. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1996;19(9):597-606.

Chiropractic is based on the concept of aiding your body to naturally heal through spinal adjustments and lifestyle changes that encourage wellness. For Dr. Michael Wagner D.C., this involves working to restore your body's natural performance to avoid the need for drugs or surgery. We notice that most of our Alexandria, KY patients are pleased to find a natural answer for their health problems.

One benefit of chiropractic care is that it helps people decrease or eliminate the use of drugs. Medications are commonly issued to individuals who have back pain. This is such a significant concern that the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) issued a news release stating that opioid (painkiller) risks overshadow the advantages when prescribed for back pain.

Some of the most popular opiates, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine, and codeine. Numbers supplied by the AAN mention the fact that about 50% of the people taking these types of substances for a period of three months are still taking them five years down the road. This can further complicate the issue of back pain and recovery, particularly if an narcotic dependency occurs.

Compare that to chiropractic care which involves natural healing and the benefits are clear. While a pill might be useful at temporarily reducing the symptoms of a health condition, it's not a long-term solution to the problem. Drugs don't fix your damaged spine; it will only cover up the pain.

Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. will first examine you to get to the origin of your back pain and then work with you to solve the spinal interference -- without risky drugs.

If you're ready to get out of pain, naturally, give our Alexandria, KY office a call at (859) 448-0056 to make an appointment with Dr. Michael Wagner D.C..

References

• Risk of opioids outweigh benefits for headache, low back pain, other conditions. American Academy of Neurology;September 29, 2014.
• What are opioids? National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/prescription-drugs/opioids/what-are-opioids

We care for a large number of people in our Alexandria, KY office, and Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. has helped many people eliminate a variety of health challenges. However, a frequent worry that seems to prevent some men and women from getting treatment is whether or not chiropractic is safe. Well, according to three different studies (out of many on the issue), the answer to this concern is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first article(1) was published in Spine and included 183 women and men between the ages of 20 and 85. Each participant was suffering from some kind of back pain, and half of the individuals received real chiropractic adjustments whereas the other half were given two sham chiropractic treatments. Information was obtained after each real or fake adjustment to discover whether or not any undesirable side effects were caused by the genuine chiropractic treatments.

Researchers found that nobody reported any significant negative side effects whatsoever after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic. Some individuals did state that they had a headache (just 9% of people) or muscle stiffness (about 1 out of 3) post-treatment, but the results were not serious.

National Survey Confirms that Chiropractic Care is Safe

The second article(2), also published in the important medical journal, Spine, was performed in an effort to determine the safety of chiropractic care. The test group was much larger as it involved just under 20,000 people. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.

Again, the investigators found no serious negative side effects. The experts calculated the risk of total adverse reactions to be approximately six out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. And, just as with the first study, some people did report non-serious, milder, unwanted effects such as dizziness (16 out of every 1,000 treatment consultations and 15 out of every 1,000 treatment sessions) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this caused the authors to determine that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Care Is Safe for Children

This third research paper(3) is unique from the previous two reports, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for kids. In this case, researchers analyzed results reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic treatment sessions.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic appointments made for the children, chiropractors answering the survey reported only three cases where there were adverse side effects. When parents were surveyed, they indicated only two adverse side effects out of 1,735 visits. Furthermore, both chiropractors and parents reported "a high rate of improvement with respect to the children's presenting complaints."

Based on studies like these, chiropractic has been judged safe and effective for everyone. To discover what chiropractic can do for you, call our Alexandria, KY office and make an appointment today at (859) 448-0056.

References

1. Walker BF, Hebert JJ, Stomski NJ, Clarke BR, Bowden RS, Losco B, French SD. Outcomes of usual chiropractic. The OUCH randomized controlled trial of adverse events. Spine 2013;38(20):1723-9.
2. Thiel HW1, Bolton JE, Docherty S, Portlock JC. Safety of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine: a prospective national survey. Spine 2007;32(21):2375-8.
3. Alcantara J, Ohm J, Kunz D. The safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic: a survey of chiropractors and parents in a practice-based research network. Explore NY 2009;5(5): 290-5.

Since trauma to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is often quite painful, we do our best to help our Alexandria, KY patients find relief as quickly and effectively as possible. In fact, Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. will tell you that the medical literature shows just how much chiropractic care can help ease pain in the jaw.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With TMJ Pain and Discomfort

For instance, a study published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice involved 15 people with TMJ pain who were managed with neck adjustments, middle-back manipulation, and trigger point therapy via dry needling. Subjects were examined prior to these therapies and at 15 days and two months post-treatment. The authors reported positive results such as reduced discomfort, greater jaw mobility, and lower disability at both follow-ups.

Another group of researchers conducted an analysis of almost 800 papers involving manual and manipulative therapy for disorders such as TMJ and discovered similar results. The authors concluded that there is a "fair...level of evidence" that chiropractic care can help ease symptoms associated with jaw pain and other upper extremity disorders.

This is great news since the causes of TMJ are largely unknown. While trauma to the jaw or neck can cause pain symptoms, there are other factors to consider as well, such as bruxism, arthritis, and clenching of the jaw due to tension.

Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. Can Help Clients Find Relief From TMJ Pain

No matter what is making your jaw ache, call Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. today and schedule an appointment to come into our Alexandria, KY location. We'll do our best to help you smile pain-free!

References

• Gonzalez-Iglesias J et al. (2013, November). Mobilization with movement, thoracic spine manipulation, and dry needling for the management of temporomandibular disorder: a prospective case series. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice;29(8):586-95
• Brantingham J et al. (2013, March-April). Manipulative and multimodal therapy for upper extremity and temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;36(3):143-201
• Oral Care. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders-tmd on November 2, 2015

We encounter a large number of sports injuries in our Alexandria, KY clinic, and Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. is generally able to assist these athletes. Stanford Children’s Hospital reports that more than 3.5 million children of the ages 14 and below are injured each year when playing sports. Add that to the almost 2 million adults hurt every year while participating in sports-related activities, as reported by statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and you can start to see the necessity of minimizing these types of widespread injuries. One approach to possible achieve that goal, according to a study published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, is to receive routine chiropractic care.

In Australian Rules football, hamstring and other leg traumas are common, frequently sidelining the players and impacting their team's chance at winning. One particular study was conducted using 59 semi-elite Australian Rules footballers to see whether chiropractic could reduce these injuries and help keep them in the game.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps in Treating Sports Injuries

For this study in particular, all of the players was given medical treatment. Furthermore, half of them also engaged in chiropractic sessions at the rate of 1 session per week for the first 6 weeks, biweekly treatments for the next three months, and one session a month for the remaining 3 months of the study. The other group had no chiropractic intervention whatsoever and were used as the control group to determine the benefits of chiropractic.

Following 24 matches, scientists noticed a lessened amount of lower limb muscle strains in the group that had been given chiropractic care. Additionally, that very group also missed fewer matches connected to non-contact knee injuries. This lead the researchers to conclude that chiropractic should be added to sports training programs to dramatically decrease the number of leg injuries.

Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. Can Help People Find Comfort From Sports Injuries & Help You Recover Faster

If you or your child plays sports and you would like to make sure more time is spent on the field as opposed to on the bench, call our Alexandria, KY office at (859) 448-0056 and make an appointment today. We will do our best to keep you in the game!

References

• Hoskins, W, & Pollard, H. (2010, April 8). The effect of a sports chiropractic manual therapy intervention on the prevention of back pain, hamstring and lower limb injuries in semi-elite Australian Rules footballers: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 11(64), doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-64
• Misra, A. (2014, March 17). Common sports injuries: Incidence and average charges. Department of Health & Human Services.
• Stanford Children’s Hospital. (n.d.). Sports injury statistics.

According to experts, approximately 2-5 percent of the population will suffer from painful problems like frozen shoulder syndrome at some point in their lives. That makes shoulder pain a common occurrence and one that Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. sees in our Alexandria, KY office on a regular basis.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Shoulder Pain

By and large, this issue is more prevalent for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and it tends to affect women more often than men. While ice, heat, and gentle stretches can sometimes help relieve the discomfort, so too can chiropractic.

As an example, a study released in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine looked at 50 patients with frozen shoulder who received chiropractic care. The length of care ranged from 11 days to 51 days, with 28 days being the average.

The authors found that nearly all of the patients fared extremely well with chiropractic care. Here are the results:

8 of the subjects reported 50-75 percent improvement
25 indicated improvement ranging from 75- 90 percent
1 participant had complete resolution of their frozen shoulder pain

Only one participant reported an improvement of 50 percent or less, so reports like this demonstrate just how beneficial chiropractic can be when it comes to decreasing shoulder pain and increasing quality of life.

We Can Help Clients Find Relief From Shoulder Pain

Let Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. help you ease your suffering by contacting our Alexandria, KY office and scheduling your appointment today.

Resources

Murphy F et al. (2012, December). Chiropractic management of frozen shoulder syndrome using a novel technique: a retrospective case series of 50 patients. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine;11(4):267-272

Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. works with many sciatica patients here in our Alexandria, KY office, and many of these patients were nervous that they might need surgery to alleviate their pain. The latest research shows that a large number of people don't require surgery for this widespread problem, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians looked at 80 individuals with sciatica who were referred for this operation.

Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.

Both groups got better; however, no apparent difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. Additionally, roughly 60 percent of the participating patients who could not find pain relief from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic delivered the same positive benefits as surgery without needing to endure the greater amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often associated with that particular treatment choice. Additionally, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Alexandria, KY and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. a call today at (859) 448-0056. We'll help pinpoint the origin of your pain and work hard to get you relief.

References

• McMorland, G et al. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(8):576-584.
• Solberg TK, Nygaard OP, Sjaavik K, Hofoss D, Ingebrigtsen T. The risk of "getting worse" after lumbar microdiscectomy. European Spine Journal 2005;14(1):49-54.
  

While many women automatically assume that back pain and pregnancy go hand in hand, they are often pleasantly surprised when they discover that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, chiropractic can often help reduce persistant back pain for pregnant women by as much as 85 percent.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Pregnancy

Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. has helped many pregnant women with back pain in our Alexandria, KY office.

A research study published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies involved 115 women who were pregnant (most of which were in their third trimester) and presented with pain in their lower back region, pelvic area, or both. Data was gathered prior to the study, as well as one week, one month, three months, and one year after treatment commenced. At each follow-up, the participants were asked to rate their level of pain based on a 7-point scale to determine whether it was better, worse, or stayed the same. The results?

More than half reported that their pain was better after one week of chiropractic treatment. After one month, that amount jumped up to 70 percent, climbing even more to 85 percent showing improvement at the three month mark. Positive effects were still reported at six months post-treatment, which was generally after childbirth, and continued to the final data collection one year after treatment commenced.

There are also many additional benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy. Not only does it effectively ease back pain, but it does it in a completely natural and non-invasive way. This means that you don't have to worry about taking any medications or undergoing any type of treatment that could potentially harm your unborn child.

Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. Can Help People Find Relief From Back Pain During Pregnancy

Furthermore, it makes your time spent carrying your baby more pleasant. When you're not sidetracked with aches and pains, you can enjoy the experience even more as you prepare your home and your life for all of the fun and exciting changes that lie ahead.

We're here in Alexandria, KY to help you have a healthy, pain-free pregnancy. Give us a call today at (859) 448-0056 to make an appointment.

Peterson CK, Muhlemann D, & Humphreys BK. Outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment: a prospective cohort study with short term, medium term and 1 year follow-up. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2014;22(15):doi:10.1186/2045-709X-22-15.