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Knee pain is a frequent problem for patients in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA chiropractic practice, and Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has successfully provided many of these people relief. This is largely because chiropractic care has been found to help with many forms of knee pain.

For example, some people encounter pain in and around the knee tissues due to osteoarthritis. Research has demonstrated that this ailment responds very well to chiropractic--and rather quickly, too. In fact, one article published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that men and women 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 study reported that combining chiropractic with soft tissue treatment, rest, ice, and compression on the affected knee helped lower the intensity of the pain.

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

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Knee Pain

Medical research has shown that people with low back pain often have less positive results after knee surgery. Thus, dealing with your back pain through chiropractic before having a total knee arthroplasty can assist with your post-surgery healing.

No matter what your knee issue, Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin can likely help. Call our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA 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 individuals with headaches in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office, and Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has been able to support many of them. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one half of all adults have difficulty with some kind of headache problems, so this certainly isn’t a surprise. One of the most frequent kinds of headaches which our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can generally help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that starts from a problem in the cervical spine. It could be caused by a condition with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be attributable to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine brings about constriction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache pain.

How can you find out if the headache you are enduring is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally accompanied by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is initiating them is corrected, it is vital to get treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that offers a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study printed in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers evaluated 80 people who had recurring cervicogenic headaches. Half of them received chiropractic care and the other 50% underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic delivered the most beneficial results.

In particular, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more pain relief and decreased the frequency of headaches that occurred. Additionally, it also reduced the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin can do for you and your headaches, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you deserve!

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/

We see many patients in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office with ankle sprains but Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has had a lot of success helping them heal more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can chiropractic help?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), approximately 25,000 men and women in the US sprain their ankles daily. In fact, these injuries make up nearly half of all sports injuries, causing people to spend time away from the activities they enjoy most.

Like any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most common is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can occur due to one forceful movement, or it can develop over a period of time, and exercises that increase the risk for this type of ankle sprain include running and jumping. You're also at risk if you have pre-existing ankle injuries, poor posture or balance, weak muscles, and reduced range of motion.

How Can Chiropractic Treatments and Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin Help?

A report printed in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to determine chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. The authors enrolled 33 people between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a history of ankle inversion sprains, who were reporting tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the area in the previous six weeks.

18 of the participants were assigned to receive rehabilitation and the other 15 patients received chiropractic in addition to rehab. Each individual had five full weeks of therapy, with the rehabilitation group receiving therapies seven days a week and the rehab plus chiropractic group receiving therapy six out of the seven days.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Ankle Sprains

The study found that the people who participated in both rehabilitation and chiropractic fared the best at the 4-week mark when it came to pain and joint restriction. In addition, no adverse effects were reported, showing that chiropractic is safe.

If you're near our location in Woburn & Chelmsford, MA and you're recovering from an ankle injury, give us a call. We'll do what we can to keep you up and running... literally!

Articles

• American College of Sports Medicine. (n.d.). Ankle sprains and the athlete. Retrieved from https://www.acsm.org/docs/current-comments/anklesprainstemp.pdf
• Lubbe, D et al. (2015, January). Manipulative therapy and rehabilitation for recurrent ankle sprain with functional instability: a short-term, assessor-blind, parallel-group randomized trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 38(1), 22-34, doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2014.10.001

If you are afflicted by fibromyalgia, you are not alone, as Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin sees many patients with this particular condition in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA chiropractic clinic. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly two percent of all adults in the US have fibromyalgia. Thankfully, chiropractic is one treatment option that can provide positive results.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps Fibromyalgia

In a medical study released in mid-2015, 215 women and men with fibromyalgia were evaluated based on factors ranging from pain to quality of sleep to the levels of depression or anxiety they felt. Then they were divided into two groups with one group receiving a multi-modal therapy plan for three months and the second group receiving the same program plus chiropractic adjustments (specifically, to the upper neck tissues) for the same length of time.

The individuals who received chiropractic adjustments combined with the multi-disciplinary treatment approach reported greater benefits in all areas (pain, sleep, depression, and anxiety) at 12 weeks post-treatment when compared to the study participants who received multi-modal treatment without chiropractic. Furthermore, those positive benefits were lasting as the subjects reported continued improvement one full year later.

Fibromyalgia can substantially decrease your quality of life, both mentally and physically. If you're struggling with fibromyalgia, we might be able to help.

You don't have to suffer! To see what Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin can do for your fibromyalgia pain, call our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA chiropractic office today.

References

• Fibromyalgia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm on November 2, 2015.
• Moustafa I & Diab A. (2015, July). The addition of upper cervical manipulative therapy in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. Rheumatology International;35(7):1163-74.

Regrettably, quite a few of our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA patients know the pain associated with a herniated disc all too well. Fortunately, Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has helped many people with disc pain, and a number of research studies have confirmed that chiropractic care can help people recover from this kind of condition.

Research on Herniated Discs and Chiropractic

In one report, doctors from Switzerland selected 148 patients who were coping with pain in their low back and legs due to a herniated disc (which was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI). Each individual then received chiropractic adjustments that focused on the location of his or her disc problem.

Data was gathered after the initial treatment session at set intervals--namely, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year--to establish what type of short-term and long-term effects, if any, chiropractic care offers when it comes to resolving this particular problem. Among the information obtained was the person's self-reported changes in both back and leg pain.

Investigators found that, as a whole, the study participants reported "significant improvement" for both types of pain every time the results were collected. In fact, over 90% of the patients reported that their pain "improved" within the first three months, with 88% still citing improvement one year after their first treatment session.

Even those test subjects who were defined as "chronic" still claimed an improvement in pain at a rate of 89% one year beyond when treatment first began. This is the same positive result that was found in the following case study.

Disc Herniation and Chiropractic: A Case Study

In this study, a 26-year-old male had presented with disc herniation symptoms such as pain in the low back, left leg, and left groin area, along with left foot drop and muscle weakness. He had endured these problems for more than two years after sustaining a sports injury, and his herniated disc was confirmed via MRI.

After receiving chiropractic care, "The patient responded favorably and his multi-symptom complex resolved within 90 days of treatment." In addition, the patient was still enjoying relief one year after the chiropractic intervention.

Studies like these show how helpful chiropractic can be when it comes to alleviating herniated disc pain and relieving the symptoms they cause. So, if you are suffering from back pain caused by a herniated disc and wish to find some relief, chiropractic may well be an effective solution.

Don't suffer from chronic herniated disc pain. Give our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office a call today at (781) 460-0939 for a consultation or appointment.

References

• Leemann S, Peterson CK, Schmid C, Anklin B, Humphreys BK. Outcomes of acute and chronic patients with magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed symptomatic lumbar disc herniations receiving high-velocity, low-amplitude, spinal manipulative therapy: a prospective observational cohort study with one-year follow-up. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2014;37(3):155-163.
• Polkinghorn BS, Colloca CJ. Treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation using activator methods chiropractic technique. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1998;21(3):187-196.
  

Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin sees a lot of people struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome in our busy Woburn & Chelmsford, MA chiropractic office. While some people think that the origin of this wrist-related pain is muscular, it's actually a syndrome that arises from the nerves--and not just the nerves in your hands.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Recent research published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy assessed 71 women between the ages of 35 and 59 who were diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Upon studying the subjects' neck range of motion, the doctors found that the women had reduced cervical mobility when compared to a healthy control group.

Furthermore, it was also discovered that the level of the women's reported carpal tunnel pain was related to the lateral flexion of the cervical spine. In short, the less range of motion in the neck, the greater the level of pain.

This study is extremely important, as you cannot effectively treat a condition until you fully understand its source. By realizing that the root of carpal tunnel issues is in the neck, this means that natural approaches such as chiropractic can often restore normal function, reducing the need for risky operations.

If you have carpal tunnel pain, call our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office and ask how Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin can help you get relief!

References

De-la-Llave-Rincon A et al. (2011, May). Women with carpal tunnel syndrome show restricted cervical range of motion. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy;41(5):305-10.
Simon H. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. University of Maryland Medical Center. Updated May 6, 2012. Retrieved from https://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/carpal-tunnel-syndrome on November 2, 2015.

We see a number of back pain patients in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office, and Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has been able to help many of them get relief with chiropractic care. However, recovering from back pain doesn't necessarily mean having to make a choice between chiropractic care and medical treatment, as many individuals use both types of care with great results.

Research Confirms Chiropractic and Medical Treatment Work Well with One Another

In a report published by the academic journal Spine researchers¹ looked at a group of active-duty military personnel between the ages of 18 and 35 who were suffering from both acute soreness and restricted function due to back symptoms. Some of the patients received treatment via standard medical therapy, while the remainder received chiropractic care along with standard medical care, as researchers wanted to determine which group fared better.

Researchers found that the patients who received standard medical care in combination with chiropractic scored "significantly better" than the group that got medical care alone; 73% reported positive benefits in comparison to just 17 percent of the medical care only group who indicated the same amount of improvement. This was true regarding both pain and level of function at the two- and four-week marks.

Therefore, incorporating these two forms of treatment can greatly benefit you--the patient--offering advantages when compared to medical care alone. However, while chiropractic care and medical approaches can work together, chiropractic offers some unique strengths over medical treatment.

Where Chiropractic Care Is Successful

Although it may seem as if each approach plays a 50-50 role, there is one significant benefit that chiropractic care has over medical care and that is in patient satisfaction. In fact, a piece of research from UCLA² that was printed in the American Journal of Public Health reports that, on average, chiropractic patients are generally more satisfied with their recovery than those undergoing medical care.

According to the experts, the main aspects that patients liked over medical treatment were "self-care advice and explanation of treatment." This isn't surprising, as chiropractors frequently spend much more time advising their patients as to how they can improve their health on their own, as well as discussing more thoroughly what to expect from chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Care Offers a Holistic Approach

Without a doubt, the methods associated with chiropractic are quite different than those offered with medical therapy, but a great deal of the distinction is the fact that chiropractic is a natural approach to health and wellness. In contrast to focusing on simply relieving the symptoms, chiropractic means tracking down the primary cause of your pain, which often translates to greater improvement as you are tackling the problem at its source.

Additionally, while medication is sometimes helpful for managing certain conditions, many health issues respond well to natural forms of treatment such as chiropractic care. This means fewer negative responses to drugs and lasting results.

You don't have to suffer from back pain or other health issues. Give our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA clinic a call today at (781) 460-0939. We'll do everything we can to help you get and remain free from back pain.

References

1. Goertz CM, Long CR, Hondras MA, Petri R, Delgado R, Lawrence DJ, Owens EF, Meeker WC. Adding chiropractic manipulative therapy to standard medical care for patients with acute low back pain: results of a pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness study. Spine 2013;38(8):627-634.
2. Hertzman-Miller RP1, Morgenstern H, Hurwitz EL, Yu F, Adams AH, Harber P, Kominski GF. Comparing the satisfaction of low back pain patients randomized to receive medical or chiropractic care: results from the UCLA low-back pain study. American Journal of Public Health 2002;92(10):1628-1633.

We tend to a large number of patients in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA clinic, and Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has helped countless people eliminate a range of health challenges. However, one concern that seems to prevent a lot of folks from seeking treatment is whether or not chiropractic care is safe. Luckily, according to three separate studies (out of many on the topic), the answer to this question is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first research paper(1) was published in Spine and included 183 women and men. Each individual was affected by spine-related pain, and half of the individuals received real chiropractic adjustments whereas the remaining patients received two fake chiropractic adjustments. Data was collected after each real or fake adjustment to identify whether or not any unpleasant reactions occurred as a result of the genuine chiropractic treatments.

The doctors reported that no participants reported any serious adverse adverse reactions whatsoever after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some individuals did report that they got a headache (9 percent) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) post-treatment, but the results were not of a serious nature.

National Survey Reports that Chiropractic Care is Safe

The second study(2), also published in the distinguished medical journal, Spine, was done in an effort to determine the safety of chiropractic. The test group was much larger -- 20,000 individuals. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.

Again, the investigators found no serious negative side effects. The authors computed the risk of total side effects to be about 6 out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. And, just as with the previous study, some participants did report non-serious, milder, unwanted effects such as dizziness (less than 2%) or a headache (4%), and this prompted the researchers to determine that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Is Safe for Children

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

Out of 5,438 chiropractic appointments made for the young ones, chiropractors responding to the survey reported only three cases where there were adverse effects. When parents were questioned, 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 care has been deemed safe and effective for everyone. To find out what chiropractic can do for you, call our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA clinic and make an appointment today at (781) 460-0939.

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.

When you're trying to sustain your family, take care of your home, and pay all of your bills on time, every day at your job counts. Work injuries can be a huge problem for many folks, and we see many of these types of injuries in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office. Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin appreciates your situation and is here to help.

The advantages of chiropractic care for work injuries are well-documented. A 2013 survey involving over 600 adults who were suffering with either back or neck pain found that the people who didn't see a chiropractor missed work at twice the rate of those who were seeing a chiropractor.

So, why don't more people use Chiropractic?

According to the respondents in this study, two of the primary reasons were that they thought they needed a medical referral for chiropractic care (which is typically no longer true) and they overestimated the costs associated with chiropractic treatment sessions by almost 70 percent.

The truth is, chiropractic patients actually spend less on care than medical patients, plus they are less likely to use drugs for their symptoms.

Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin Can Help People Find Relief From Chronic Pain

If you live in Woburn & Chelmsford, MA and you've been injured at work, we can help. Give our office a call today at (781) 460-0939 for an appointment.

References

"Thousands of Minnesotans with Back and Neck Pain Don't Seek Treatment." (2013, June 12). ChiroCare.

Since trauma to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is frequently rather painful, we do our best to help our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA patients find relief as quickly and effectively as possible. In fact, Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin will tell you that the medical literature shows just how much chiropractic can help ease discomfort in the jaw.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With TMJ Pain and Discomfort

For instance, a study published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice involved 15 participants with jaw pain who were treated with neck adjustments, middle-back manipulation, and trigger point therapy via dry needling. Patients were examined prior to these methods and at two weeks and two months post-treatment. They reported positive outcomes such as reduced pain, greater jaw mobility, and lower impairment at both follow-ups.

Another research paper carried out an analysis of almost 800 papers involving manual and manipulative therapy for conditions such as TMJ and found similar findings. The group concluded that there is a "fair...level of evidence" that chiropractic care can help ease symptoms associated with TMJ and other upper extremity disorders.

This is great news since the origins of TMJ are largely unknown. While injury to the jaw area can cause pain symptoms, there are other factors to consider as well, such as grinding teeth, arthritis, and clenching of the jaw due to tension.

Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin Can Help Patients Find Comfort From TMJ Pain

No matter what is making your jaw ache, call Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin today and schedule an appointment to come into our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA practice. We'll do our best to help you smile pain-free!

Studies

• 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