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Massage has been used for thousands of years as a natural pain relief approach. We use massage therapy in our Juneau, AK office, as it works great in conjunction with the chiropractic care that Dr. Messerschmidt provides. Massage treatment does much more than just feel great. It also offers many benefits as well. Some are physical and others are psychological, and here are medically documented benefits:

• Pain reduction (back, neck, shoulder, legs, arm, and headache pain)
• Increased range of motion and mobility
• Improved blood flow
• Improved immune system function
• Enhanced sports performance
• Reduced depression or anxiety
• Increased levels of energy
• Lower levels of fatigue
• Improved sleep
• Easier labor and delivery for expecting mothers
• Fewer stretch marks
• Reduced scar tissue

We Can Help Clients Find Relief From Neck Pain and Headaches with Massage Therapy

Benefits such as these have been discovered to be especially helpful for individuals who suffer with chronic conditions such as arthritis and asthma. Therapeutic massage has also proven advantageous for burn injury patients, people with higher than healthy blood pressure, and women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome. Even preterm infants have shown benefits with massage therapy as they have better levels of weight gain.

To learn more about the massage therapy services we offer in Juneau, AK, give our office a call today at (907) 789-1344.

Knee pain is a frequent problem for people in our Juneau, AK chiropractic practice, and Dr. Messerschmidt has happily provided many of these men and women relief. This is largely because chiropractic care has been found to help with many forms of knee pain.

For example, some patients experience pain in and around the knee tissues due to degenerative arthritis. Research has demonstrated that this ailment responds very well to chiropractic--and rather quickly, too. In fact, one study published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that men and women with osteoarthritis in their knees felt considerable pain relief and improved function after just two weeks of chiropractic care.

If your knee pain is as a result of a medial meniscus tear, chiropractic could likely help with that as well. One study found that combining chiropractic with soft tissue treatment, rest, ice, and compression on the affected knee helped lower the intensity of the pain.

Of course, sometimes a knee replacement surgery is necessary in order to correct the issue, and if that's the case, chiropractic can also help improve the outcome. How?

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Knee Pain

Medical research has shown that patients with low back pain often have less positive results after knee surgery. Therefore, dealing with your back pain through chiropractic prior to having a total knee arthroplasty can assist with your post-surgery healing.

No matter what your knee issue, Dr. Messerschmidt can likely help. Call our Juneau, AK practice today and find out what we can do for you!

Studies

• Pollard H et al. (2008, December). The effect of a manual therapy knee protocol on osteoarthritic knee pain: a randomised controlled trial. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association;52(4):229-42
  Boyle J et al. (2014, March). Influence of low back pain on total knee arthroplasty outcome. Knee;21(2):410-4
• Jarosz B & Ames R. (2010, December). Chiropractic management of a medial meniscus tear in a patient with tibiofemoral degeneration: a case report. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine;9(4):200-8

There are many different kinds of headache, but one of the most common types is known as "cervicogenic headache," or those that originate in your neck.

Dr. Messerschmidt sees a lot of people in our Juneau, AK office who are struggling with frequent, reoccurring headaches. Thankfully, chiropractic adjustments can usually help, potentially reducing these types of headaches by 50%, and research confirms it.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Cervicogenic Headaches

A study was conducted involving 80 participants who reported experiencing at least five cervicogenic headaches during the prior three months. The goal was to discover how effective chiropractic was for this type of head pain, as well as to determine the number of treatment sessions required to achieve a positive effect.

The individuals were split into four separate groups, so that each group was similar in age, gender, number of cervicogenic headaches, and their intensity. Of the four groups, two engaged in chiropractic treatments and two received light massage. Furthermore, one group assigned to each treatment received eight sessions and the other group received double that amount.

Each patient was assessed based on head pain, neck pain, and disability prior to the study and 12 and 24 weeks after treatment was complete. The researchers found that those who received chiropractic as opposed to massage reported fewer headaches at the conclusion of the study. Furthermore, improvements were maintained when checked six months after treatment ended.

Furthermore, individuals who were taking medications for their headaches were able to lower their intake after completing the study. Those who received chiropractic adjustments had lower medication usage 24 weeks post-study.

We Can Help People Find Relief From Head Pain

Dr. Messerschmidt has helped many people who were suffering from headaches in our Juneau, AK office. Call us today at (907) 789-1344 for more information or for an appointment.

Reference

Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson D, Aickin M, Vavrek D. Dose response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. The Spine Journal 2010; 10: 117-128.

We see a large number of folks with headaches in our Juneau, AK office, and Dr. Messerschmidt has been able to aid many of them. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 50% of all adults have difficulty with some kind of headache problem, so this certainly isn’t shocking. One of the most typical varieties of headaches that our patients suffer from is cervicogenic headache which, luckily, chiropractic can generally help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that comes from problems in the cervical spine. It might be thanks to a problem with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be brought on by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine creates constriction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can generate headache pain.

How do you identify if the headache you are suffering from is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare specialist, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes combined with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever problem is inducing them is remedied, it is essential to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that can provide a great deal of relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers followed 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent received chiropractic care and the other 50% engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic offered the most beneficial results.

Specifically, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments offered patients more significant pain relief and lessened the number of headaches that occurred. In addition to that, it also reduced the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Messerschmidt can do for you and your headaches, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you deserve!

References

• Haas M, Schneider M, Vavrek D. Illustrating risk difference and number needed to treat from a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010 18(9).
• World Health Organization. (2012, October). Headache disorders. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/

We see many patients in our Juneau, AK office with ankle sprains but Dr. Messerschmidt has had a lot of success helping them recover more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can chiropractic help?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), an estimated 25,000 men and women in the US sprain their ankles daily. In fact, these injuries make up almost half of all sports injuries, causing people to spend time away from the activities they enjoy most.

Like any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most frequent is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can occur due to one forceful movement, or it can develop over a period of time, and exercises that increase the risk for this type of ankle sprain include running and jumping. You're also at risk if you have previous ankle injuries, poor posture or balance, weak muscles, and reduced range of motion.

How Can Chiropractic Treatments and Dr. Messerschmidt Help?

A paper printed in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to discover chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. The authors recruited 33 people between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a history of ankle inversion sprains, who were reporting tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the ankle in the previous six weeks.

Eighteen of the participants were assigned to receive rehabilitation and the other 15 patients received chiropractic in addition to rehabilitation. Each person had five full weeks of treatment, with the rehab group receiving therapies seven days a week and the rehab plus chiropractic group receiving therapy six out of the seven days.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Ankle Sprains

Researchers found that the people who participated in both rehab and chiropractic fared the best at the 4-week mark when it came to pain and joint restriction. Additionally, no negative effects were reported, showing that this treatment option is safe.

If you're near our office in Juneau, AK and you're recovering from an ankle injury, give us a call. We'll do what we can to keep you up and running... literally!

References

• American College of Sports Medicine. (n.d.). Ankle sprains and the athlete. Retrieved from https://www.acsm.org/docs/current-comments/anklesprainstemp.pdf
• Lubbe, D et al. (2015, January). Manipulative therapy and rehabilitation for recurrent ankle sprain with functional instability: a short-term, assessor-blind, parallel-group randomized trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 38(1), 22-34, doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2014.10.001

If you suffer with fibromyalgia, you are not alone, as Dr. Messerschmidt sees many people with this particular condition in our Juneau, AK chiropractic office. Actually, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that roughly two percent of all adults in the US have fibromyalgia. Thankfully, chiropractic care is one treatment option that can provide positive results.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps Fibromyalgia

In a medical study published in mid-2015, 215 women and men with fibromyalgia were assessed based on factors ranging from pain to quality of sleep to the levels of depression symptoms and anxiety they felt. Then they were split into two groups with one group receiving a multi-modal therapy program for three months and the second group receiving the same program plus chiropractic adjustments (specifically, to the upper neck tissues) for the same length of time.

The subjects who received chiropractic care in addition to the multi-disciplinary therapy program reported greater results in all areas (pain, sleep, depression, and anxiety) at 12 weeks post-treatment when compared to the study patients who received multi-modal therapy without chiropractic. Furthermore, those positive outcomes were lasting as the individuals reported continued improvement one full year later.

Fibromyalgia can greatly decrease your quality of life, both mentally and physically. If you're dealing with fibromyalgia, we might be able to help.

You don't have to suffer! To see what Dr. Messerschmidt can do for your fibromyalgia pain, call our Juneau, AK chiropractic office today.

References

• Fibromyalgia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm on November 2, 2015.
• Moustafa I & Diab A. (2015, July). The addition of upper cervical manipulative therapy in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. Rheumatology International;35(7):1163-74.

Regrettably, many of our Juneau, AK patients are familiar with the pain caused by a herniated disc all too well. On a positive note, Dr. Messerschmidt has helped many people with disc pain, and a number of medical studies have confirmed that chiropractic can help people recover from this kind of problem.

Research on Chiropractic and Disc Herniations

In one report, a group of doctors from Switzerland recruited 148 patients who were coping with pain in their low back and legs due to a disc herniation (which was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI). Each individual then received chiropractic adjustments that focused on the area of his or her disc herniation.

Results were gathered after the initial treatment session at set intervals--namely, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year--to ascertain what kind of short-term and long-term effects, if any, chiropractic care offers when it comes to treating this particular problem. Among the data collected was the individual's self-reported changes in both back and leg pain.

Researchers found that, as a whole, the patients reported "significant improvement" for both types of pain every time the results were collected. In fact, over 90% of the study participants claimed that their pain "improved" within the first three months, with 88% still citing improvement one year after their first treatment session.

Even those test subjects who were defined as "chronic" still claimed an improvement in pain at a rate of 89 percent one year beyond when treatment first began. This is the same positive effect that was found in the following case study.

Case Study Results

In this report, a 26-year-old male had presented with disc herniation symptoms such as pain in the lower back, left leg, and left groin area, along with left foot drop and muscle weakness. He had suffered with these issues for more than two years after sustaining an athletic injury, and his herniated disc was confirmed via MRI.

After receiving chiropractic care, "The patient responded favorably and his multi-symptom complex resolved within 90 days of treatment." Furthermore, the patient was still experiencing relief one year after the chiropractic intervention.

Studies like these show how helpful chiropractic can be when it comes to alleviating herniated disc pain and reducing the symptoms they bring about. So, if you are suffering from back ache caused by a herniated disc and want to find some relief, chiropractic might be an effective solution.

Don't suffer from chronic herniated disc pain. Give our Juneau, AK office a call today at (907) 789-1344 for a consultation or appointment.

References

• Leemann S, Peterson CK, Schmid C, Anklin B, Humphreys BK. Outcomes of acute and chronic patients with magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed symptomatic lumbar disc herniations receiving high-velocity, low-amplitude, spinal manipulative therapy: a prospective observational cohort study with one-year follow-up. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2014;37(3):155-163.
• Polkinghorn BS, Colloca CJ. Treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation using activator methods chiropractic technique. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1998;21(3):187-196.
  

We see quite a few people with back pain in our Juneau, AK office, and Dr. Messerschmidt has been able to help many of them find relief through various chiropractic techniques. At the same time, recovering from back pain doesn't necessarily mean having to decide between chiropractic care and medical care, as many individuals use both types of care with great results.

Study Confirms Chiropractic and Medical Treatment Work Well with One Another

In a report published by the medical journal Spine researchers¹ looked at a group of active-duty military personnel between the ages of 18 and 35 who were suffering from both acute discomfort and limited function due to back symptoms. Some of the study participants engaged in treatment via standard medical therapy, while the rest were given chiropractic adjustments in addition to standard medical care, as researchers wanted to determine which group fared better.

Researchers observed that the group that received standard medical care along with chiropractic care scored "significantly better" than the group that got medical care alone; 73 percent reported positive benefits compared to just 17% of the medical treatment only group who indicated the same amount of improvement. This was true regarding both pain and level of function at the two- and four-week marks.

Accordingly, combining these two forms of treatment can greatly benefit you--the patient--offering benefits when compared to medical care alone. However, while chiropractic and medicine can work alongside each other, chiropractic offers some distinct advantages over medical therapy.

Where Chiropractic Care Pulls Ahead

Although it might seem as if each method plays a 50/50 role, there is one major benefit that chiropractic has over medical treatment and that is in patient satisfaction. In fact, one bit of research conducted at UCLA² that was printed in the American Journal of Public Health found that, on average, chiropractic patients are generally more satisfied with their recovery than people undergoing medical treatment.

According to the experts, the main aspects that patients preferred over medical care were "self-care advice and explanation of treatment." This isn't surprising, as chiropractors typically spend much more time advising their patients as to how they can improve their health on their own, as well as explaining more carefully what to expect from chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Offers a Non-Invasive Approach

Certainly, the methods associated with chiropractic are quite different than those offered with medical therapy, but a great deal of the difference is the fact that chiropractic is a natural approach to health and well-being. In contrast to focusing on simply relieving the symptoms, chiropractic care means finding the primary cause of your pain, which often means greater improvement as you are tackling the problem at its source.

Additionally, while medication is sometimes helpful for treating certain conditions, many health issues respond well to a natural approach like chiropractic. This means fewer negative side effects from prescriptions and lasting recovery.

You don't have to endure back pain or other health problems. Give our Juneau, AK clinic a call today at (907) 789-1344. We'll do everything we can to help you get and continue to be free from back pain.

References

1. Goertz CM, Long CR, Hondras MA, Petri R, Delgado R, Lawrence DJ, Owens EF, Meeker WC. Adding chiropractic manipulative therapy to standard medical care for patients with acute low back pain: results of a pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness study. Spine 2013;38(8):627-634.
2. Hertzman-Miller RP1, Morgenstern H, Hurwitz EL, Yu F, Adams AH, Harber P, Kominski GF. Comparing the satisfaction of low back pain patients randomized to receive medical or chiropractic care: results from the UCLA low-back pain study. American Journal of Public Health 2002;92(10):1628-1633.

If you live in Juneau, AK and you've been in a motor vehicle accident, you have to know that you don't have to suffer from chronic injuries.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Chronic Pain after an Auto Injury

We work with several auto injury sufferers in our Juneau, AK office, and a lot of these men and women are experiencing chronic pain caused by an old crash. In fact, research shows that a significant percentage of rear-end collisions lead to pain and disability even ten years after the original injury.

Dr. Messerschmidt is here to help you avoid developing chronic symptoms by helping to restore the natural function of your spine soon after a crash.

The most frequent causes of chronic pain are reduced flexibility of your spinal column and the formation of scar tissue in your spine. The ligaments of your neck and back can easily be injured during a crash, and chiropractic works by decreasing inflammation and restoring normal movement.

We Can Help With Chronic Pain and Auto Injury Recovery

If you're near our Juneau, AK office, and you've been hurt in a crash, don't wait to get care. Dr. Messerschmidt is here for you. Give us a call today at (907) 789-1344 for an appointment or for more information.

Most of us suffer from back pain at some point in our lives. Experts estimate that nearly 1 out of 3 adults deal with some kind of regular spinal pain. Dr. Messerschmidt and our talented staff see many back pain cases in our Juneau, AK office, and we've found that chiropractic care is an effective way to not only help you heal from back pain, it's also a great way to prevent future episodes.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Chronic Back Pain

A recent study from the University of Utah confirms what our Juneau, AK patients have reported: your Juneau, AK chiropractor is the best first choice for an episode of back pain.

In this article, 747 patients were treated for low back pain. Each patient was evaluated based on the first person they sought treatment with, whether it was a primary care physician, a chiropractor, or a physiotherapist.

What the authors found is that the subjects who first saw a chiropractor had fewer advanced imaging tests and fewer surgical procedures.

Other studies have found the same results. A 2012 study reported that chiropractic patients had the best functional recovery and pain relief for chronic back pain.

Chiropractic works by restoring the natural, pain-free function of your spine. Dr. Messerschmidt and our team help your body heal with gentle chiropractic adjustments that don't use drugs or risky surgical procedures.

Dr. Messerschmidt Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Back Pain

If you live near our Juneau, AK office and would like to get out of pain, give our office a call today at (907) 789-1344 for an appointment.

Reference

Fritz JM, Kim J, Dorius J. Importance of the type of provider seen to begin health care for a new episode of low back pain: associations with future utilization and costs. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 2015(Sep 29).

Cecchi F, et al. Predictors of functional outcome in patients with chronic low back pain undergoing back school, individual physiotherapy or spinal manipulation. European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2012;48:371-8.