Chiropractic treatment found to be more effective in reducing pain compared to physical therapy
CHIROPRACTIC HELP OR EXERCISE…
THAT IS THE QUESTION
A question often arises for people considering a visit to a Chiropractor for
assistance with a sports injury or a life discomfort.
And that question is this: Do I really need Chiropractic help, or will a well
designed exercise and stretching program bring the relief that I’m looking to
find?
An investigation recently sought an answer to that question regarding a
common type of problem involving pain in the back region. Persons with
spinal disc problems experiencing a pain that often traveled down to the
lower leg were invited to participate in a study aimed at investigating levels of
relief.
The study involved a widely-used Chiropractic technique known as flexion-
distraction. Flexion refers to the stretching of the affected area and distraction
involves hand-pumping motions delivered by the chiropractor to
decompress a region of the spine. The technique is delivered with the patient
lying face down on a specialized bench that facilitates stretching and is available
in many Chiropractic offices.
The 235 persons involved were divided into two study groups. One group
received Chiropractic treatment in the form of flexion-distraction. The second
group participated in an exercise-physical therapy program. The progress
of all subjects was followed for one year with questionnaires to assess levels of
pain and dysfunction.
While both groups reported improvements, subjects who received
Chiropractic care had significantly lower pain scores than those who received
physical therapy. These results brought the authors to the following conclusion:
Chiropractic treatment was found to be more effective in reducing pain
for one year when compared to the physical therapy.
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