Who hasn’t had neck pain at one time or another? What’s more, many of us have experienced on-going neck troubles at some point during our lives. Looking at human anatomy, it’s no wonder pain strikes us so often in this vulnerable area. While the neck structure gives us an amazing range of movement with which to see our environment, it also leaves us prone to injury of the muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. But by making regular visits to the chiropractor, paying attention to posture and doing regular stretching and strengthening exercises, our necks can be pain-free.
Moderate and acute neck pain is one of the most frequent reasons for trips to primary care doctors, prompting millions of visits every year. For patients, it can be a difficult problem to navigate. In some cases the pain and stiffness crop up without explanation, and treatment options are varied.
A new study published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds Chiropractic and exercise more effective at relieving neck pain than pain medication. This is exciting and ground breaking research as it reinforces the use of conservative care options as a first line of defence against pain.
The new study is one of the few head-to-head comparisons of various treatments for neck pain, a problem that affects three quarters of us at some point in our lives but has no proven, first-line treatment.
The study divided the participants into three groups Chiropractic patients, pain medication patients and exercise patients. 57% of the Chiropractic and exercise groups reported an overall reduction in pain of at least 75% as compared to only 33% of the pain medication group.
What were even more impressive were the long term results.
After one year, approximately 53% of the drug-free groups reported the same reduction in pain at 75% reduction as compared to just 38% of the pain medication users. It clearly shows for short AND long term pain relief, Chiropractic care is the better option!
In addition to their limited pain relief, the medications had at least one other downside: people kept taking them. The people in the medication group kept on using a higher amount of medication more frequently throughout the follow-up period, up to a year later. The worry is running into more systemic side effects like gastrointestinal problems with long term usage of pain relievers.
Doctors of chiropractic have long cautioned against the overuse of medication to treat musculoskeletal pain. Chiropractors continue to promote drug-free, conservative interventions for neck pain patients before referral for medical management that may result in side effects.
Dr. Eric Kelly is a Doctor of Chiropractic at Glanmire Chiropractic Clinic. The Clinic specialises in the treatment, management, and rehabilitation of all forms of physical pain and injury, including back pain, neck pain, headache, sports injuries, arthritis, joint and muscle pain, postural problems, and much more.