We encounter a good deal of sports injuries in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL clinic, and Select Health and Wellness is usually 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 each year while participating in sports-related activities, as reported by statistics collected by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and you can start to see the importance of preventing these types of common injuries. One approach to possible achieve that goal, as stated in a study published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, is to engage in regular chiropractic treatments.

In Australian Rules football, hamstring and other leg traumas are commonplace, often sidelining the players and impacting their team's likelihood of securing a win. One specific study was administered using 59 semi-elite Australian Rules footballers to see if chiropractic could reduce these injuries and help keep them in the game.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps in Treating Sports Injuries

For this study in particular, all of the volunteers was given medical treatment. In addition, half of them also were given chiropractic sessions at the rate of 1 treatment per week for the first six weeks, biweekly treatments for the next three months, and one session each month for the final 3 months of the study. The remaining group were given no chiropractic intervention at all and were used as the control group to determine the benefits of chiropractic.

After 24 matches, scientists reported a reduced number of lower limb muscle strains in the group that had been given chiropractic care. Furthermore, that very group also missed fewer matches related to non-contact knee injuries. This lead the researchers to come to the conclusion that chiropractic ought to be made an addition to sports training programs to effectively reduce the amount of leg injuries.

Select Health and Wellness Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Sports Injuries & Help You Recover Faster

If you or your child are active in sports and you would like to ensure greater time is dedicated on the field as opposed to on the sidelines, call our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL office at (904) 425-9060 and schedule 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.

Select Health and Wellness sees many back pain patients in our busy Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL chiropractic office. Many of our patients have some type of spinal dysfunction that is causing them pain and discomfort. Fortunately, Select Health and Wellness has found that spinal decompression therapy is a highly effective way to help these people.

What is Spinal Decompression and How Can it Help Me?

Non-surgical spinal decompression is a treatment method that takes all of the positive benefits that one normally gets from chiropractic adjustments, traction, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, and myofascial therapy and integrates them all into one.

The goal of this technique is to keep you out of the operating room, and that is precisely what it's accomplished for a number of men and women, as it has a documented 85% success rate.

A few of the problems spinal decompression helps with include generalized back pain, sciatica, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, compression fractures, and joint pain.

Spinal decompression works by reversing the influences of wear, tear, and the force of gravity that compresses the intervertebral discs in your neck and back. The movie below demonstrates how it works to alleviate pressure on your back and helps eliminate pain and disability.

Select Health and Wellness Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Chronic Back Pain

If you live in Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL and you're suffering with back issues, spinal decompression treatment might be the answer. Call Select Health and Wellness today at (904) 425-9060 for a consultation or appointment.

According to research, about 2-5 percent of the population will suffer from painful issues like frozen shoulder syndrome at some point in their lives. That makes shoulder-related pain a common occurrence and one that Select Health and Wellness sees in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL clinic on a regular basis.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Shoulder Pain

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

For example, one study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine looked at 50 people 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 researchers found that almost all of the study participants fared very 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 patient reported an improvement of 50 percent or less, so reports like this show just how beneficial chiropractic care can be when it comes to decreasing shoulder pain and increasing quality of life.

We Can Help Patients Find Relief From Shoulder Pain

Let Select Health and Wellness help you ease your pain by contacting our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL 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

Select Health and Wellness works with countless sciatica patients here in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL office, and many of these patients were nervous that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The latest research reveals that a large number of people don't require surgery for this common problem, and that chiropractic is more effective at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, researchers examined 80 women and men with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

Forty patients were then randomly sorted into one of two groups. The first group was to receive surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.

Both groups improved; however, no noticeable difference in outcome was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. In addition, around sixty percent of the participating subjects who could not find pain relief from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic offered the same positive advantages as surgery without having to go through the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that specific treatment option. Plus, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Select Health and Wellness a call today at (904) 425-9060. We'll help determine the start 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 learn that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, chiropractic adjustments can often help reduce persistant back pain for pregnant women by as much as 85 percent.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Pregnancy

We've worked with many pregnant women suffering from back pain in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL office.

A research study published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies involved 115 women who were pregnant (most of which were in their third trimester) and reported 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 subsequent point in time, 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?

52% 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. Improvement was still reported at six months post-treatment, which was generally after delivery, 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 efficiently 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 drugs or undergoing any type of treatment that could potentially harm your unborn child.

Select Health and Wellness Can Help Clients Find Relief From Back Pain During Pregnancy

Furthermore, it makes your time spent carrying your child 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 Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL to help you have a healthy, pain-free pregnancy. Give us a call today at (904) 425-9060 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.

According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, more Americans suffer with chronic pain than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. Furthermore, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by back problems and headaches.

Not surprisingly, many people come to our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL office looking for neck pain care, and Select Health and Wellness has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart decision, as some research indicates that over 90 percent of neck pain patients get relief with chiropractic care.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Works

A study published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy included 64 people who were suffering with neck pain. Approximately half were placed in an experimental group and the other half were designated to a comparison group. Both received chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as a home exercise program, whereas the experimental group also received adjustments of the thoracic spine.

Information was gathered before treatment began and one week after the adjustments. The authors found that 94% of the experimental group reported "significantly greater improvements" in regard to pain and disability in their neck symptoms. Just 35% of the patients who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, showing that thinking about the entire spinal column is a critical part of restoring the body's normal function.

Another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 adults who were suffering with neck pain. Each individual was randomly allocated to one of two groups--thoracic spine thrust manipulation or non-thrust manipulation--with follow-up exams occurring two and four days after the treatments.

The investigators found that the study patients who received the thrust manipulations (the same adjustments that offered such positive results in the first study) "experienced greater reductions in disability" than the group that received the non-thrust adjustments. Their pain was lower as well, which shows that this type of technique offers many benefits.

Help After Failed Medical Procedures

One study found the same sort of positive outcomes after thoracic adjustments in a patient who had a failed neck surgical procedure. This specific case involved a 46-year-old woman who had recently had neck surgery but still endured neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The woman documented reduced pain in her neck and lower headache intensity, immediately after the first chiropractic adjustments. After six weeks of care, which involved chiropractic, exercise, and patient education, the patient still placed her pain at a zero on a scale of 1 to 10. Her neck disability improved as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

It is studies like these that demonstrate the advantages of chiropractic adjustments, even if you've already attempted medical procedures that didn't provide relief. So, if you are suffering with neck problems and would like to find a remedy that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the help you're looking for.

We're located in Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL and Select Health and Wellness can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (904) 425-9060.

References

• AAPM facts and figures on pain. The American Academy of Pain Medicine.
• Masaracchio M, Cleland JA, Hellman M, Hagins M. Short-term combined effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation in individuals with mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2013;43(3):118-127.
• Cleland JA, Glynn P, Whitman JM, Eberhart SL, MacDonald C, Childs JD. Short-term effects of thrust versus nonthrust mobilization/manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Physical Therapy 2007;87(4):431-440.
• Salvatori R, Rowe RH, Osborne R, Beneciuk JM. Use of thoracic spine thrust manipulation for neck pain and headache in a patient following multiple-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a case report. The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2014;44(6):440-449.
  

With the Migraine Research Foundation reporting that migraines affect 38 million adults and children in the United States (more than asthma and diabetes put together), it's no surprise that Select Health and Wellness treats a lot of migraine sufferers in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL office. Eventhough some people try to relieve migraine pain with drugs, chiropractic care is a great, all-natural choice that usually produces positive results.

Research Proves Chiropractic Care Helps With Migraines

For example, one report published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics involved 127 patients ranging in age from 10 to 70-years-old who struggled with regular (at least monthly) headaches. Each subject engaged in up to 16 chiropractic sessions. The patients noted that their headache frequency, duration, and disability two months before the treatments began, during the duration of the sessions (which was two months), and two months post-treatment.

What the investigators discovered is that chiropractic adjustments reduced the frequency, duration, and disability of the migraine pain when compared with the control group who didn't receive chiropractic. Furthermore, this allowed them to take less medication for the pain, providing them an all-natural answer for a chronic problem.

Another report found that a combination of chiropractic and neck massage reduced migraine pain almost 68%.

If you have migraine headache pain and are looking for relief, call Select Health and Wellness today and request an appointment in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL chiropractic office. We'll do what we can to help you become pain-free!

Sources

Migraine Fact Sheet. Migraine Research Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.migraineresearchfoundation.org/fact-sheet.html on November 2, 2015
Noudeh Y et al. (2012). Reduction of current migraine headache pain following neck massage and spinal manipulation. International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork;5(1):5-13
Tuchin P et al. (2000, February). A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;23(2):91-5

Massage has been used for millennia as a natural pain relief treatment. We use massage therapy in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL office, as it works great in conjunction with the chiropractic care that Select Health and Wellness provides. Massage does much more than just feel amazing. It also offers many health benefits as well. Some are physical and others are psychological, and here are just a few of each:

• Pain relief (back, neck, shoulder, legs, arm, and headache pain)
• Increased range of motion and mobility
• Better cardiovascular function
• Enhanced sports performance
• Reduced depression or anxiety
• Increased levels of energy
• Decreased levels of fatigue
• Easier time getting and staying asleep
• Easier labor and delivery for expecting mothers
• Reduced stretch marks
• Reduced scar tissue

We Can Help Clients Find Help From Neck Pain and Headaches with Massage Therapy

Advantages like these have been seen to be extremely helpful for individuals who suffer with chronic conditions such as arthritis and asthma. Massage has also proven advantageous for burn injury patients, people with higher than healthy blood pressure, and women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome. Even preterm infants have shown benefits with massage therapy as they have improved levels of weight gain.

To learn more about the massage therapy services we offer in Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL, give our office a call today at (904) 425-9060.

Knee pain is a frequent problem for people in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL chiropractic practice, and Select Health and Wellness has happily provided many of these folks relief. This is largely because chiropractic care has been found to help with many types of knee pain.

For example, some people experience pain in and around the knee area due to osteoarthritis. Research has demonstrated that this ailment responds very well to chiropractic--and rather quickly, too. In fact, one study published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that people with osteoarthritis in their knees felt considerable pain relief and improved function after just two weeks of chiropractic care.

If your knee pain is due to a medial meniscus sprain, chiropractic could likely help with that as well. One case found that integrating chiropractic with soft tissue therapy, rest, ice, and compression on the affected knee helped lower the intensity of the pain.

Clearly, sometimes a knee replacement surgery is required in order to rectify the issue, and if that's the case, chiropractic can also help improve the outcome. How?

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Knee Problems

Research has shown that patients with low back pain often have less positive outcomes after knee surgery. Therefore, dealing with your back pain through chiropractic prior to having a total knee arthroplasty can help with your post-surgery recovery.

No matter what your knee issue, Select Health and Wellness can likely help. Call our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL office today and find out what we can do for you!

Resources

• Pollard H et al. (2008, December). The effect of a manual therapy knee protocol on osteoarthritic knee pain: a randomised controlled trial. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association;52(4):229-42
  Boyle J et al. (2014, March). Influence of low back pain on total knee arthroplasty outcome. Knee;21(2):410-4
• Jarosz B & Ames R. (2010, December). Chiropractic management of a medial meniscus tear in a patient with tibiofemoral degeneration: a case report. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine;9(4):200-8

We see a considerable number of men and women with headaches in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL office, and Select Health and Wellness has been able to help many of them. Actually, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that 50 percent of all adults struggle with some kind of headache problems, so this really isn’t shocking. One of the most prevalent varieties of headaches which our patients experience is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic can often help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that comes from an issue in the cervical spine. It might be attributable to a problem with either the spine itself (primarily, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it might be attributed to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine can cause compression or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How can you recognize if the headache you are experiencing is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from being given a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes followed by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is causing them is remedied, it is critical to receive treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective approach, and one that provides a considerable amount of relief.

In one study released in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts studied 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. One-half were given chiropractic care and the other fifty percent underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was discovered that chiropractic offered the best effects.

Specifically, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments offered patients enhanced pain relief and lessened the number of headaches that occurred. Furthermore, it also mitigated the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Select Health and Wellness can do for you and your headaches, call our office today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you need!

References

• Haas M, Schneider M, Vavrek D. Illustrating risk difference and number needed to treat from a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010 18(9).
• World Health Organization. (2012, October). Headache disorders. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/