Chiropractic treatment found to be more effective in reducing pain compared to physical therapy |

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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