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Headache and neck pain are common problems that affect millions of men and women around the world. If you suffer from this type of problem, you're not alone. The good news is that chiropractic is the best way to not only treat these common issues, but also help prevent future episodes.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Neck Pain and Headaches

For many years, people with neck and headache pain in Woburn & Chelmsford, MA have been helped by the chiropractic care of Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin. Our success is backed up 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 report looked at 15 studies from 1990 to 2015 and found that conservative treatment comprised of chiropractic adjustments, exercises, and stretches was suggested before resorting to drugs or more invasive treatments.

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

We Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Neck Pain and Headaches

If you're troubled with neck pain or headaches, Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin and our staff are here to help you feel better. Give our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office a call today at (781) 460-0939 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 headaches that start in your neck.

Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin sees a lot of people in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office who are struggling with recurring headaches. Thankfully, chiropractic can usually help, potentially reducing these types of headaches by 50 percent, and research confirms it.

Research Proves 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 objective was to discover how effective chiropractic care was for this type of head pain, as well as to determine the number of treatment sessions required to achieve a positive effect.

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

We Can Help Clients Find Relief From Head Pain

Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has helped many people who were suffering from headache pain in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office. Call us today at (781) 460-0939 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. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin sees many people weekly in our busy Woburn & Chelmsford, MA chiropractic office who are looking for relief from the pain and suffering 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 problems.

Don't Suffer! Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin 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, reduced range of motion, and sensory issues bad enough to keep them off work.

Over the course of the research study, the individuals were treated using one of two common chiropractic techniques: traction for herniated discs in the cervical area or flexion distraction for the people who had herniation issues in the lumbar area.

Each person was seen four or five times per week for the first two weeks, then three times weekly, and then as needed for the rest of the study. Depending on the seriousness of the disc herniation, therapy ranged anywhere from six weeks to six months, with MRIs being performed at a variety of stages to determine what effect, if any, the chiropractic care was having in regard to the disc herniation.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Herniated Disc

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

If you have a herniated disc and suffer from chronic back pain and are near Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin in Woburn & Chelmsford, MA, 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.

In our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office, we see a large number of patients who are suffering from back pain, and a few of these patients have been advised they might need surgery to recover. Thankfully, Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has helped many people get pain relief without the need for any type of operation. The scientific research confirms the success we see in our office. One study published in the academic journal Spine found that seeing a chiropractor as your first move in overcoming with your back pain may literally keep you off of the operating table.

In this study, medical researchers from Dartmouth analyzed statistics from about 1,900 workers from the state of Washington who first saw either a surgeon or a chiropractic doctor for their back pain issues. They then looked at three years' worth of follow-up medical data to ascertain whether the individuals ended up having back surgery in an attempt to correct the issue.

What the researchers found was that about 43% of the men and women who first saw a surgeon for their back pain ended up in surgery in that 3-year time frame, whereas only 1.5 percent of those who first saw a chiropractor had the same fate. The authors wrote:

"Even after controlling for injury severity and other measures, workers with an initial visit for the injury to a surgeon had almost nine times the odds of receiving lumbar spine surgery compared to those seeing primary care providers, whereas workers whose first visit was to a chiropractor had significantly lower odds of surgery."

These are impressive findings. Seeing a chiropractor considerably decreases your odds of having back surgery, plus the chiropractic patients in this scientific study "had lower odds of chronic work disability" and they also had fewer expensive MRI tests.

Let's also consider this important point: this study was performed by orthopedic surgeons from Dartmouth College, and published in the world's most prestigious medical publication on spinal injuries.

The Risks of Surgery

Any surgery has risks, but a major problem linked to spinal surgery is that there's a very high rate of failure. In an important analysis in the European Spine Journal, researchers wrote:

"Failed back surgery is a problem that has become sufficiently widespread to even warrant its own special conferences, with recent reviews reporting failure rates ranging from 5 to 50%."

The authors of this same study concluded:

"It is extremely difficult to identify unequivocal predictor factors that can be used to accurately predict the outcome of surgery."

As a chiropractor, Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin is convinced that surgery should be the absolute last resort for treating back pain. Chiropractic works to restore your spine to its normal function--without risky surgery or drugs--and many research studies have established the usefulness of chiropractic for back pain.

If you live in Woburn & Chelmsford, MA and you need relief for your back pain, give our office a call today at (781) 460-0939 for a consultation or an appointment. We'll help get you back on the road to a pain-free life!

Studies

• Keeney BJ, Fulton-Kehoe D, Turner JA, Wickizer TM, Chan KC, Franklin GM. Early predictors of lumbar spine surgery after occupational back injury: results from a prospective study of workers in Washington State. Spine 2013;38(11):953-964.
• Mannion AF, Elfering A. Predictors of surgical outcome and their assessment. European Spine Journal 2006;15(Suppl 1):S93-S108.
  

According to experts, approximately 5 percent of the population will experience painful ailments like frozen shoulder syndrome at some time in their lives. That makes shoulder-related pain a common problem and one that Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin sees in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA practice 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 stretching can sometimes help relieve the discomfort, so too can chiropractic adjustments.

For example, a study released in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine looked at 50 people with frozen shoulder who were given chiropractic care. The duration of care ranged from 11 days to 51 days, with 28 days being the average.

The authors found that almost all of the study participants fared very well with chiropractic care. The study found:

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 effective chiropractic care can be when it comes to decreasing shoulder pain and improving quality of life.

We Can Help People Find Relief From Shoulder Pain

Let Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin help you decrease your suffering by contacting our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA 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. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin works with many sciatica patients here in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office, and many of these individuals were afraid that they might need surgery to alleviate their pain. The most recent research shows that a large number of people don't need surgery for this widespread issue, and that chiropractic is more effective at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists 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 received chiropractic care.

Both groups got better; however, no obvious difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, around sixty 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."

Simply put, chiropractic delivered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to undergo the greater levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often associated with that particular treatment choice. 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 Woburn & Chelmsford, MA and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin a call today at (781) 460-0939. 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 carrying a child and severe pain in the lower back go hand in hand, they are often pleasantly surprised when they discover that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, chiropractic adjustments can often help relieve persistant back pain for pregnant women by as much as 85%.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Pregnancy

In our busy Woburn & Chelmsford, MA chiropractic office, it isn't uncommon for pregnant women to reach out to Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin for help relieving their back pain.

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 low back, 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?

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 advantages 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 drugs or undergoing any type of treatment that could potentially harm your unborn child.

Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin Can Help Clients Find Relief From Back Pain During Pregnancy

Furthermore, it makes your time spent carrying your baby more pleasant. When you're not distracted with pain, 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.

You don't have to suffer from back pain during pregnancy. We're here in Woburn & Chelmsford, MA to help with natural chiropractic care. Give us a call today at (781) 460-0939 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. On top of that, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by back problems and headache.

Of course, many patients come to our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office seeking neck pain care, and Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart choice, as some research indicates that over 90 percent of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic care.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic's Positive Effects

A report published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy involved 64 individuals who were suffering with neck problems. Roughly half were placed in an experimental group and the other half were assigned to a comparison group. Both received chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as a home exercise plan, while the experimental group also received adjustments of the thoracic spine.

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

Yet another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who reported suffering with neck pain. Each man or woman 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.

Researchers discovered that the study participants 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

Another study even found the same kind of positive results after thoracic adjustments in a woman who had a failed neck surgical procedure. This particular case involved a 46-year-old patient who had recently had neck surgery but still reported neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The woman reported decreased 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 scientific studies like these that demonstrate the advantages of chiropractic care, even if you've already attempted medical procedures that didn't provide relief. So, if you are suffering with neck pain and would like to find a solution that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the relief you're looking for.

We're located in Woburn & Chelmsford, MA and Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (781) 460-0939.

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 people in the United States (more than asthma and diabetes put together), it's not surprising that Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin sees a lot of headache sufferers in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office. While some people choose to relieve migraine pain with drugs, chiropractic is a great, all-natural approach that often produces positive results.

Research Supports Chiropractic Care Helps With Migraines

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

What the researchers discovered is that spinal manipulation therapy reduced the frequency, duration, and disability of the migraine headaches when compared with the control group who didn't receive chiropractic. Furthermore, this enabled them to take less medication for the pain, offering them an all-natural solution for a chronic problem.

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

If you have migraine pain and are looking for relief, call Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin today and request an appointment in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA chiropractic office. We'll do what we can to help you become pain-free!

Resources

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

Therapeutic massage has been used for thousands of years as a natural pain relief solution. We use massage therapy in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office, as it works great in conjunction with the chiropractic care that Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin provides. Massage therapy does much more than just feel great. It also offers many positive effects 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)
• Improved range of motion and flexibility
• Improved cardiovascular function
• Greater immune system function
• Enhanced sports performance
• Decreased depression or anxiety
• Increased levels of energy
• Lower levels of fatigue
• Easier time getting and staying asleep
• Easier labor and delivery for expecting mothers
• Fewer stretch marks
• Less scar tissue

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

Benefits such as these have been found to be extremely helpful for individuals who suffer with chronic conditions such as arthritis and asthma. Therapeutic massage has also proven advantageous for burn injury patients, people with high blood pressure, and women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome. Even preterm infants have shown benefits with massage therapy as they have better levels of weight gain.

To learn more about the massage therapy services we offer in Woburn & Chelmsford, MA, give our office a call today at (781) 460-0939.