WHO Investigates Neck Pain Big-Time

Persistent neck pain makes life miserable for millions of people worldwide, and all too often the advice of conventional physicians is to seek help through surgery. But a huge, years-long international study shows the best way to treat most instances of neck pain is through far less drastic approaches, such as chiropractic.

"This study validates that interventions such as spinal manipulation or spinal adjusting that promote regaining function and a return to work are more beneficial than usual care, sham or alternative interventions," says Gerard W. Clum, president of California-based Life Chiropractic College West and speaking on behalf of the not-for-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress.

The study, conducted by the international Neck Pain Task Force of the Bone and Joint Decade of the United Nations' World Health Organization, concluded that surgery is rarely advised - unless the neck pain is marked by consistent radiating pain to the shoulder or arm. The researchers, who worked six years to review more than 1,000 studies, came from 19 medical professions, eight collaborating universities and four countries.

Their report is perhaps the largest on neck pain ever put forth. They propose a new system to classify neck pain, with the vast majority of problems falling into Grade I and Grade II. In Grade III and Grade IV, the problems rise to the truly dangerous level, and are caused by fractures, tumors or spinal cord disease. "A pain in the neck is a common adage for a good reason - it is a widespread, annoying, aggravating and disabling problem affecting up to 70 percent of the population annually," says Clum.

"While this type of condition does not carry the life-or-death reality of a heart attack or cancer, it often undermines a person's quality of life over decades. People often say that time heals all wounds, but neck pain may be an exception that does not resolve well over time. In fact, it tends to worsen over time unless addressed effectively and efficiently."

Back Pain: Causes and Treatments

There's a good chance you or someone you care about has suffered with back pain that lasts a long time. Back pain is the second leading symptom seen by doctors in the United States. Now, one might think a powerful group of pain medicines can help relieve the agony. But it appears, their effectiveness, at least with back pain, might be overblown. Chronic back pain--meaning, pain that lasts more than three months--is reported in 19 percent of working adults. That's one in five! Thambal Yima will tell you first hand how debilitating it can be. She suffered five herniated discs, and two fractures a couple of years ago. “I went through all kinds of medical treatments. I was in so much pain to get up on the examination table I would scream.” She came in in intractable pain, certainly, sounding like someone, if there was someone, who would benefit from opioid pain medicines…drugs in the morphine family. These are drugs like fentanyl, percocet, oxycontin, and vicodin. They are powerful pain killers. But according to new research in the annals of internal medicine, the difference in pain relief between these medicines and placebo was not significantly different long term, believe it or not.

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Rapid Rise in "Complementary" Medical Services

Have you been to a practitioner besides your family physician? Whether chiropractic care, acupuncture, yoga or homeopathy, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has become increasingly common in the United States, and 72% of adults use some form of CAM therapies according to the US National Centers for Disease Control and US National Center for Health Statistics. A recent cover story in The New York Times Magazine highlighted how chronic pain tends to be under treated because doctors worry about over prescribing medications, and being liable for malpractice or even criminal penalties. Many doctors fear entering the field of pain management at all. Many patients are also concerned about becoming dependant on medication or about the invasiveness and dangers of surgery and anesthesia. CAM therapies, which are able to treat pain and help manage diseases without medication or surgery, are rapidly growing services as people search out better, safer approaches. So how effective are Complementary and Alternative Medicine therapies? (Read more)

Chiropractic Can Relieve Rising Economy-Related Stress

Stress, and the tension in the spine, nervous system, back and neck that it breeds, is rising like a tide in America today along with the economic woes afflicting the nation – and chiropractors are well positioned to tackle the problems.

A survey done not too long ago by the American Psychological Association (APA) revealed that economy-related stress is making Americans angry, sleepless and anxious. Seventy-two percent of respondents pointed to money as a major source of stress, and 69 percent cited the economy, according to the APA.

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