The survey, reported in the publication’s May 2009 issue, found that more than half of the respondents had “pain (that) severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred throughout the year.” The report stated that while many go to a primary care physician first for diagnosis and treatment, the majority were disappointed with the results.

On the other hand, 59 percent reported that they were “highly satisfied” with the care they received from chiropractors. The next highest rated practitioners were physical therapists (55 percent) and acupuncturists (53 percent), followed by “specialized” physicians (44 percent) and primary care physicians (34 percent).

Respondents were also asked to rate the types of treatments they received. Again, chiropractic/spinal manipulation got top honors, with 58 percent rating it as “helping a lot.” Spinal injections were next highest, rated at 51 percent, followed by massage (48 percent) and physical therapy (46 percent). Other highly rated treatments included prescription medications (45 percent), yoga (44 percent), movement therapy and acupuncture (both 41 percent).

According to a Dynamic Chiropractic article on that report, “chiropractic ranked first out of 11 treatments, including massage, acupuncture, and exercise, in its ability to treat back pain. More readers said that chiropractic ‘helped me feel much better’ than any of the other therapies.” Prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs ranked eighth and 10th, respectively.

So, if you’ve been “highly satisfied” with your chiropractic care, you’re not alone! In fact, more and more people are turning to chiropractic treatment not only for back pain relief, but for a wide variety of painful conditions from sports and repetitive stress injuries to arthritis.

A public version of the report can be found on the Consumer Reports Web site

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When your body is forced to stop abruptly and without warning, there are going to be reverberations. You might be offered a clean bill of health by an emergency room attendant if you haven’t broken any bones, and you may be given a prescription for medication to relax the muscle spasms that you are surely experiencing due to the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you received from the impact. But, your condition could go from bad to far worse unless you’re treated for the bodily trauma you’ve sustained. In fact, many individuals experience problems years after an auto accident due to the fact that they didn’t get the help they needed in the first place.

Your Colorado Springs Chiropractor absolutely understands what your body experiences during a car accident. Chiropractic techniques include treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics impairment. And your chiropractor is an expert in rehabilitation strategies.

If you’ve experienced a minor auto accident, although your car may not require much repair, no doubt, you do. Neck and back injuries are not only painful in the regions in which they happen, but they can also produce pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and create headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.

chiropractic care will provide you with a drug-free, natural road back to feeling good again.  It will go a long way in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – behind you. Furthermore, because your chiropractor has experience communicating effectively with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you experience less physical stress, but less emotional stress, as well!

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Oftentimes back pain is a mystery to many of the people who experience it, and chiropractors are experts at solving the puzzle. Why is it that most back pain sufferers have not had any trauma, accidents, or major injuries prior to the onset of their condition? The answer is that the cumulative effects of improper sitting posture, bad work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of routine exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related influences cause most back pain. These factors eventually add up and produce stresses and imbalances on the spine causing subluxations that can turn into serious back problems. The process is similar to the front end of your car being out of alignment. As you continue to drive, there is disproportionate wear and tear on your tires. If you ignore the problem, the situation would, no doubt, get worse until you “blew” a tire. The health of the spine is threatened when your spine is misaligned. In other words, it’s not only a problem waiting to happen, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as seemingly benign as reaching down to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that generates back injury. The surrounding back muscles go into spasm when thistakes place to safeguard the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

With regard to knowledge of conditions of the spine, chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors. They offer expert diagnosis and effective treatment for all muscular-skeletal dysfunctions. In addition to providing welcomed relief to those suffering from back pain, but they are knowledgeable about what will assist you in avoiding further back pain. Along with effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your chiropractor will offer to you an individual exercise strategy and recommend other healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.

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Anatomy

To understand back pain, it is important to understand the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the lower back are comprised of posterior joints called facets that join vertebrae to one another and serve to direct the action of the spine. The inter-vertebral discs connect the bodies of the vertebrae and are composed of a form of strong cartilage that encases a soft material in the center, called the nucleus. The discs act as shock absorbers and spacers between the vertebrae. Ligaments and muscles also connect the vertebrae. The wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of the spine is the sacrum and is joined to the two pelvic bones at the sacroiliac joint. In a canal located between the body and the facets of the vertebrae is the spinal cord. The spinal nerves exit the spine between the vertebrae.

Causes of Back Pain

More often than not, back pain happens without a trauma, an accident, or a major injury prior to the onset. The cumulative effects of improper sitting posture, poor work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of proper exercise, and other poor lifestyle-related factors cause most back pain.  These cumulative factors produce stresses and imbalances on the spine and, therefore, people may injure their back just by bending over to pick up a piece of paper. The instability of the spine makes it vulnerable to even the most simple movements, such as bending. When this comes about, the surrounding back muscles go into spasm to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back. Chiropractors are back pain specialists. Your **LINK** can help you to get out of pain quickly.

Disc Problems & Sciatica

Prolonged sitting, particularly in a awkward position creates increased pressure on the intervertebral discs and imbalances in the muscles around the spine. Eventually the lower spine loses its customary function and no longer is prepared for the normal day-to-day stresses in ones life. Ultimately, the intervertebral disc develops small fissures, or cracks, letting the soft nucleus to distend the disc outward. If the disc pushes on sensitive tissues, it creates the pain that is often referred to as a slipped disc. If the disc presses on the spinal nerve, one can develop sciatica, which is defined as pain, tingling, numbness, and sometimes weakness in the lower extremities. Regrettably, if the disc protrusion or herniation is large and the condition isn’t managed correctly, surgery may benecessary to dispose of the herniated disc material. With chiropractic adjustments and care, which often includes postural exercises, most disc challenges, including sciatica, can be mended. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms defined above, it is very important for you to seek chiropractic attention.

Spondylosis

Increased wearing away and weight-bearing stress on the spine occurs when there is repetitive assault to the discs, facet joints, and surrounding ligaments. This stress can adversely affect the cartilage around the joints and engender calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae, forming bone spurs. These spurs can compress adjacent nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue resulting in symptoms ranging from minor pain and numbness to gross sensory loss and muscular atrophy. This condition – known as Spondylosis – is a type of arthritis that seems to affect almost everyone at some point in life, as it is a common part of the aging process of the spine as well. Nevertheless, determinants such as previous trauma, unhealthy lifestyle, and repetitive stress injury influence the time of onset in life. Regular chiropractic treatment and overall chiropractic management is extremely beneficial in slowing the aging process of the spine, as well as assisting Spondylosis sufferers in managing their condition. Your **LINK** has treated many Spondylosis sufferers.

Sacroiliac Problems

The sacroiliac joints are a common area of dysfunction or injury in the low back. These weight-bearing joints link the upper part of the body to the lower pelvic portion and are normally very strong and stable. However with trauma such as falls, sports injuries, or lifting heavy objects, the joints can become unstable and move to an abnormal position.  This condition is called a sacroiliac subluxation. pregnancy can also cause this condition. The imbalances in the lower extremities caused by sacroiliac subluxation can cause a functional long and short leg. Pain occurs particularly with prolonged standing and walking, or during and after physical activity, and the individual may experience a lack of energy and feeling tired easily.  Often this imbalance can affect structures further up the spine and individuals can develop neck and shoulder pain, as well as headaches. Chiropractic adjustments and treatment are extremely effective in fixing this problem by establishing proper alignment of the joints.. Ask **LINK** how you can experience effective pain relief.

Spinal Subluxation

A commonplace disorder of the lower back, as well as the entire spine, is subluxated or misaligned facet joints. Subluxations can happen on their own or in conjunction with disc problems and Spondylosis. Subluxations are not only painful, but they can restrict the nerves as they exit the foramen (or spaces) between the vertebrae, creating paraesthesia. Paraesthesia is an alteration of sensation described as a tingling, burning or “funny feeling.” Paraesthesia in the upper extremities usuallyoriginates from nerve problems in the neck, while paraesthesia in the lower extremities is commonly associated with nerve challengesin the lumbar region (lower back). Visceral problems such as asthma and gastric conditions can also beassociated with, or complicated by, spinal subluxations and nerve compression. Subluxations are best eliminated by chiropractic adjustments.

Trauma

Damage such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury can cause trauma to the spine and lower back. Often these traumas create over-stretching or tearing of the tissues of the spine. When this happens a person can encounter considerable pain and immobility. In order to avoid long term disability or the development of any of the conditions listed above, chiropractic adjustments and treatment at the onset of symptoms is very important. If you experience a trauma, call your Colorado Springs Chiropractor as soon as possible.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is often associated with low back pain. Chiropractic care offers exceptional pain relief.

When it comes to the spine, chiropractors have more education and training than medical doctors. Your Colorado Springs Chiropractor provides state of the art diagnosis and expert treatment for any of the above-mentioned conditions of the spine and lower back.

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