 | Stop Allowing Pain to Interfere With Your Busy Life!
Chiropractic and Massage Therapy – A Perfect Combination for Better Health
By: Dr. Michael Glaskin-Clay
Back and neck pain are major leading causes of disability for Americans under the age of 45. Astonishing as it may seem, scientific studies have concluded that at least eight out of ten adults in the United States will encounter a problem such as low back or neck pain at some point in their lives. Of this group of people, most individuals will have more than one single episode of acute low back pain. Another study revealed that one third of people may become disabled for more than two weeks due to the chronic pain.
Statistics do not lie. We are all at risk for neck or low back pain at some point in our lives. To protect ourselves from this possibility, prevention is the key. Really, who wants to roll the dice and play the odds against an 80% probability for future pain? With the economy being the way it is, who really could afford missing time off work due to a debilitating back pain?
Most people are caught completely off guard when feeling that sudden lightening bolt of pain shooting down their lower back or neck. Some people even experience symptoms such as numbness, muscular weakness and tingling when experiencing the pain.
With our lives so busy juggling careers and families, the last event anyone needs is to handle all of those daily responsibilities while in pain! Life is tough enough as it is!
Standard medical management of back and neck pain may include prescription painkillers and muscle relaxers. Although the drugs may alleviate and temporarily mask the pain, the damage to the muscles and spinal joints causing the pain may never be corrected. Besides, long term usage of some pharmacological drugs may cause complicating and unwanted side effects such as irreversible damage to the kidneys and liver. Some people even require hospitalization and perhaps even resort to surgical intervention just to attempt eliminating the pain.
In 1994, a federal government report was issued from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. The study concluded that chiropractic care is the safest, drug-free initial form of treatment for acute low back pain in adults. Furthermore, the authors of the study recommended that low back pain sufferers should pursue conservative treatments such as spinal correction adjustments and manual massage therapy before scheduling a surgical procedure.
In addition to the multiple studies demonstrating the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment for low back and neck pain, massage and physical therapy services have also been scientifically investigated. In a recent study by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), the effectiveness of massage therapy for low back pain was analyzed. Based on the results of this study, the CMA informed its medical doctors in a published report that patients with low back pain benefited from massage therapy. Perhaps even more exciting, is the possibility that therapies such as massage seem to be useful in the management of chronic illnesses. In 2001, the medical journal Diabetes Spectrum, published a study suggesting that massage “may have a positive effect on blood glucose levels and symptoms of diabetic neuropathy”.
Clearly, the positive health benefits from chiropractic and massage are finally being realized and appreciated by the medical healthcare community.
Even with the marvelous technology available to doctors, it can be very challenging to accurately identify the specific cause of pain in the lower back or neck. Culprits that cause pain often are poor spinal posture, daily stress, muscle tension or spasm, and sprain/strain of ligament soft tissues. Correct spinal alignment and posture is critical for prevention of pain. Because the vertebrae (spinal bones) protect the nerves which are channeled through the spinal column, the slightest disturbance to the spine can significantly aggravate and signal pain through compression of a delicate nerve.
The conservative treatment approach to treating neck and low back pain is often successful when utilizing chiropractic and manual massage therapy. Chiropractors identify the problem causing the pain and establish a sensible treatment plan to correct the damage and thus in turn, eliminate the pain symptoms. By correcting the source of the problem, the body is allowed to heal itself naturally without nerve interference. In particular, lower back and neck pain (often accompanied by migraine episodes) often respond dramatically to the restoration of a normal spinal position through chiropractic management and relaxation of spastic muscular tissues via manual massage therapy.
When pain is severe, problems with your spine cannot be ignored. Immediately on your list of “Things to Do” should be written at the very top – STOP THE PAIN! Poor posture, falls, car accidents, exercise strains, sports injuries, lifting, or repetitive work may all be causes of pain. Almost always, it is easier to treat these problems as early as possible, preferably within the first week symptoms are noticed. It is critical to prevent an acute pain symptom from becoming chronic.
At the Buffalo Grove Chiropractic Center, we understand the trials and tribulations of unwanted interruptions due to pain symptoms. We are very proud to have the capability of providing comprehensive conservative healthcare treatment that incorporates appropriate diagnostic testing, chiropractic, massage therapy, physical therapy, clinical nutrition and neuromuscular rehabilitation services all designed to help eliminate the pain and correct the damage as quickly as possible. It is our policy that all pain symptoms be properly evaluated prior to any administration of treatment. We strongly believe that every patient has the right to a treatment plan customized for that particular person. We understand that everyone is different and may not respond to a “one treatment for all” format.
We do not just treat an ache or pain here or there.
We treat people.
Chiropractic and massage therapy for low back and neck pain have been proven and demonstrated over and over again to be effective and safe. Should you experience any of these pain problems mentioned, do not hesitate to give us a call (1-847-279-8860). The sooner you seek treatment, the sooner you will find relief from your pain. There is no reason continuing to suffer.
Dr. Michael Glaskin-Clay is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and National College of Chiropractic. He is the chief executive officer and clinic director of the Buffalo Grove Chiropractic Center.
Dr. Glaskin-Clay is currently accepting new patients on a limited time basis at 1006 Weiland Road in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. He can be contacted at (847) 279-8860 or via email at DrMike@ChiroOnline.net. Ask about our special first time complimentary appointment opportunity. If medically appropriate, a therapeutic massage session with Alla or Mark (certified licensed massage therapists) can be included as part of your first visit.
Dr. Glaskin-Clay is currently developing a second clinic to be located in the Mundelein community to better serve the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin regions. The new clinic is scheduled to be opened in 2005.
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