New Research: Spinal Manipulation Better Than Muscle Relaxers For Back Pain

Muscle Relaxers For Back Pain.

Should I take muscle relaxers for back pain?  Nearly everyone, more than 80 percent of the world’s population, will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. Just ask the 31 million Americans suffering from low back pain at any given time.

In fact, globally it is the leading cause of disability. It is the most common reason that people miss work and the second more common reason for doctor’s office visits. In the United States alone more than $50 billion is spent each year trying to relieve back pain, but even that figure is not complete, but only based on trackable, identifiable costs.

There have been studies published over the years that unequivocally show chiropractic as a viable and extremely effective treatment for back pain. Several of these studies plainly show that chiropractic is better than muscle relaxers.

Recent Study

One study that is one of the most notable was conducted at Life University in Georgia. It has been cited in several journals and used as a catalyst for proving the efficacy of chiropractic treatment for back pain and its superiority to muscle relaxants.

Study Parameters

The study involved 192 subjects who had been experiencing lower back pain for a period of time ranging from two to six weeks. The subjects were separated into three groups:

• Group One – Chiropractic adjustments combined with placebo medication
• Group Two – Muscle relaxers combined with sham chiropractic adjustments
• Group Three – Control Group – received both placebo medication and sham chiropractic adjustments

All groups were given the same length of care, four weeks, with an evaluation of progress at the two-week mark and the four-week mark. The pain was assessed using the Zung Self-Rating for Depression scale, the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Upon admission into the study during the initial visit as well as at the two-week evaluation, Shober’s Test for Lumbar Flexibility was also administered.

The subjects in all three groups were also allowed to take acetaminophen for pain. This was an additional evaluative measure to assess the need for additional self-medication.

During the course of the study there was a two-week treatment period where the subjects in the chiropractic adjustment group received a total of seven adjustments. These adjustments were tailored to each patient’s specific needs and included pelvic adjustments, sacral (lower back), or lumbar and upper cervical (neck and back).

The sham treatments mimicked all aspects of an actual chiropractic adjustment including dialog, normal visit length, and procedures. However, no actual adjustments were performed.

Study Results

At the conclusion of the study, the subjects who received chiropractic treatment reported a significant decrease in pain and an increase in flexibility. Of the groups that did not receive chiropractic treatment there were no significant differences noted. There was a decrease in disability and depression across all three groups, indicating that muscle relaxants are effective in treating back pain, but overall chiropractic care is the more effective option for treating back pain and disability.

What does this mean for Patients with Back Pain?

Patients suffering from back pain can receive greater relief without the undesirable side effects of muscle relaxers by seeking chiropractic care. Patients who are using muscle relaxers to treat their back pain should talk to their doctor about incorporating chiropractic treatment into their treatment plan. Patients experiencing back pain should pursue chiropractic care before resorting to more aggressive methods including muscle relaxers.

How To Choose The Best Chiropractor In Friendswood, TX

How To Find The Best Chiropractor in Friendswood, TX?

Finding the “Best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX” can be difficult, so we put together some valuable information to help you make the best decision.

Neck and back pain are so common that nearly 65% of the US population has experienced enough pain they saw a healthcare practitioner.  With that being said, there are many people out there looking for the right place to go when they need relief from their pain.  I hope this article helps you make the best choice for you and your needs when choosing the best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX.

What Do The Numbers Tell Us?

In a recent poll studying the utilization of Chiropractors, the following statistics were reported  from a group who said they would not see a Chiropractor for neck or back pain, each person was allowed to choose 3 answers.

• I have another healthcare provider I would go to. 33%
• I don’t trust chiropractors. 29%
• I don’t think chiropractic care is safe. 23%
• Chiropractic care requires too many visits. 19%
• I don’t know what to expect when I see a chiropractor. 18%
• There is too much variation between chiropractors. 15%
• Chiropractic care is not effective for treating neck or back pain. 13%
• Chiropractic care is too expensive. 10%
• I don’t know how to find a good chiropractor. 9%

The Best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX (A Bird’s Eye View)

Looking from the inside out, we (as good Chiropractors) completely understand your point of view.  If I had to choose a Chiropractor for myself, I would do a ton of research on my options before deciding which was best for me.  I would even consider going to an initial visit with more than one before I made my final decision.  When I have a patient moving to a new area, I always do my own research and call the office to ask pertinent questions before sending a patient to a new Chiropractor.  Below, we address each bullet point to help you narrow your choices and make the best decision for you.

For brevity, lets combine the following 3, as the all seem to be similar.

• I have another healthcare provider I would go to. 33%
• I don’t trust chiropractors. 29%
• I don’t think chiropractic care is safe. 23%

I Have Another Provider:

Those who would use another healthcare provider are probably the same who chose the options of trustworthiness and safety as they are similar concerns.  I believe most who wouldn’t see a Chiropractor would start with their PCP for neck and back pain.  Albeit a wise decision to seek care, the PCP is most likely to give NSAIDs, recommend rest and refer to another specialist.  A good Chiropractor will work with your PCP and could also be one of the specialist your PCP will refer too!  Its also important to understand, a Chiropractor and a MD/DO have very similar education when it comes to human anatomy and organ systems. They differ as MD/DO study medicine and surgery, while Chiropractors study palpation, manipulation and physical medicine.

I Don’t Trust Chiropractors:

Trust is a huge issue.  To not trust is to not believe in the reliability or truth in someone or something.  Again, I understand this thought process.  One of the main reasons a trust issue occurs between the general population and Chiropractors is that a percentage of the Chiropractic profession believes in a theory called the spinal subluxation.  This theory is based on a bone being out of place or “misaligned”, pinching nerves and not allowing the innate process of healing to occur.  The HUGE problem with this is that after 100+ years of Chiropractic, there is no evidence to confirm it.  Many Chiropractors don’t even believe in this theory and no other medical professionals believe it either.  This theory leads to many of the other bullet points, but we will get to those later.  The main point here, when searching for the best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX, if you look on their website or go to their office and he/she says you have a subluxation, you may want to find a new Chiropractor, one that is more evidence based.  Another key factor that may help would be to visit your state board’s website to see if there has been any board complaints or actions against one of the Chiropractors you are considering.

• Board complaints against Chiropractors in Friendswood, TX

I Don’t Think Chiropractic Care Is Safe:

Safety is a popular topic, but easy to address.  Your fear of safety comes from TV, movies, hearsay and misinformation.  There are mountains of research that show the safety of Chiropractic care.  With that  said, always make sure the Chiropractor you chose does a proper consultation, reviews your medical history and performs a proper exam before treating you.  There are people who are at risk for injury and should not be treated with spinal manipulation.  A proper consultation and exam would exclude these patients from spinal manipulation.  As seen in this chart, there is a much higher risk of side effects with other treatment options that are used more frequently than Chiropractic care.  Below are the results and links to just a few of the studies that relate to the safety of Chiropractic care.

• We found no evidence of excess risk of VBA stroke associated chiropractic care compared to primary care.

• There is no robust data concerning the incidence or prevalence of adverse reactions after chiropractic.

• Conclusive evidence is lacking for a strong association between neck manipulation and stroke.

• Although several case reports and case series raise the hypothesis of an association, we found no epidemiologic studies that validate this hypothesis.

• There is no convincing evidence to support a causal link between chiropractic manipulation and Cerebral Arterial Dissection.

Now, lets combine a few other bullet points.

• Chiropractic care requires too many visits. 19%
• Chiropractic care is too expensive. 10%

Too Many Visits:

This is also highly dependent on the Chiropractor you choose.  So its is extremely important for you to make the right decision when searching for the best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX.  There’s an old saying that once you go to a Chiropractor, you have to keep going.  Well, there are some Chiropractors that preach this model and even try to get their potential patients to sign up for an unnecessary number of visits and pay up front.  They usually do this by requiring everyone to take x-rays and using scare tactics to convince people who are in pain that they need more care than they really do.  What you should look for is a Chiropractor who has your best interest in mind.  You would be able to spot this easily because he/she would offer more treatment options than the standard spinal manipulation Chiropractors are typically known for.  We all know, movement is medicine.  So combining movement, like physical therapy, home exercise instruction are key components to helping patients recover as quickly as possible.  Also, sometimes the muscles are really tight and a Chiropractor who uses one of the many forms of muscle work or incorporates massage into the treatment  plan has a multi-pronged approach for a faster recovery.  Evidence based Chiropractors start with a trial of care that may range from 1 to 4 weeks depending on the condition, then make the appropriate changes as the patient progresses.

Too Expensive:

As for the expense, if you avoid the “year long treatment plan guy”, Chiropractic care can be extremely inexpensive when compared to other options, especially when your insurance covers it.  At Select Spine & Sports Medicine, we are in-network with all major medical insurance carriers to help reduce the cost for our patients.  We also offer affordable payment options for patients without insurance coverage.  With that considered Chiropractic is probably the most economical way to treat your neck and back pain.  A typical medical approach to unresolved neck and back pain is as follows:

• PCP –> X-rays –> Prescriptions –> Referral to Specialist –>  Physical Therapy  –> MRI –> Spinal Injections (up to 3) –> Surgery –> Prescriptions –> More PT.

Of course, some of those options may be necessary for some patients, but some can be avoided with Chiropractic care, which would save you time and money.

Two other very similar points are:

• I don’t know what to expect when I see a chiropractor. 18%
• There is too much variation between chiropractors. 15%

This brings us back to the two general groups of Chiropractors, the Subluxation based group and the Evidence based group.  I personally would not go to the Subluxation based Chiropractor because I wouldn’t know what to expect either and there is a lot of variation in what they do.  However, with an evidence based Chiropractor, I can tell you exactly what you would expect, as this is how we treat patients in our office and the process is very similar to going to any other doctor’s office.

• First, the consultation to discuss the complaint and review medical history.
• Next, you will be examined.
• After that, a review of the exam findings will explain your diagnosis.
• Next, a treatment plan will be outlined.
• Following that, a discussion of a referral may be necessary.
• Lastly, treatment will be performed and home exercises will be prescribed.

***Keep an eye out for the Chiropractors who want to stop short after the exam and ask that you come back another day to go over your exam and treatment plan.  This is a sales tactic.  Avoid this like the plague because the long term treatment plan and high fees are coming next!  When calling to schedule, always ask “Do you normally perform treatment on the first visit?”

One of the last bullet points is simply erroneous.

• Chiropractic care is not effective for treating neck or back pain

While Chiropractic care is not effective for 100% of the population, neither is any other treatment option for any condition.  There is a mountain of evidence to support Chiropractic care for neck and back pain.  Listed below are just a few.

Neck

• Individuals who received thoracic thrust manipulation experienced significantly great reductions in neck pain as measurably the Numerical Pain Rate Scale at the 1-week follow up
• Subacute/chronic patients treated with Spinal Manipulation were significantly more likely to report relevant “improvement” compared with Cervical Nerve Root Injection patients

Low Back

• “A systematic review of the literature done the next year concluded that spinal manipulation is a very safe and cost-effective option to treat lumbar disc herniation.”  “Both of the treatment groups had significant decreases in their NRS scores at 1 month with a 60% reduction for the Spinal Manipulative Therapy cohort and a 53% reduction for the Nerve Root Injection group.” 
• Most patient who were considered surgical candidates for the treatment of radiculopathy (Sciatica) from a lumbar disc herniation improved with standardized spinal manipulative care (Chiropractic adjustment) to the same degree as those who had undergone back surgery

Finally, this brings us to the last bullet point:

• I don’t know how to find the “Best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX.”

By now, this article should help you understand how to find the best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX.  There are some other bullet points I’d like to add that you may consider.

• Additional certifications and credentials – this signifies the Chiropractor is furthering his/her education in an attempt to give you the best care possible.
• Takes appointments – some offices are “walk-in only.”  This is not a barber shop, its a doctors office.  The best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX works by appointmet only to ensure each patient is given the proper amount of time and attention to treat their injury effectively.
• X-rays are NOT necessary for the majority of patients to receive Chiropractic care.
  • The American Chiropractic Association has issued a similar statement to help patients avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation and expense. The best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX does dont do x-rays on every patient.

I hope you found everything you need to find the best Chiropractor in Friendswood TX and of course I would be pleased with the opportunity to be your Chiropractor in Friendswood, TX.