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As trauma to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is often quite painful, we do our best to help our Juneau, AK patients find relief as quickly and effectively as possible. In fact, Dr. Messerschmidt will tell you that the research shows just how much chiropractic care can help ease pain in the TMJ.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With TMJ Pain and Discomfort

For instance, one study published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice included 15 patients with TMJ pain who were managed with neck adjustments, middle-back adjustments, and trigger point therapy via dry needling. Individuals were examined prior to these treatments and at 15 days and two months post-treatment. The clinicians reported positive results such as reduced pain, greater jaw mobility, and lower impairment at both follow-ups.

Another clinical study carried out a review of almost 800 papers involving manual and manipulative therapy for disorders such as TMJ and discovered similar results. They concluded that there is a "fair...level of evidence" that chiropractic care can help ease symptoms associated with TMJ and other upper extremity disorders.

This is great news since the causes of TMJ are largely unknown. While trauma to the jaw or neck can cause pain symptoms, there are other sources to consider as well, such as grinding teeth, arthritis, and clenching of the jaw due to tension.

Dr. Messerschmidt Can Help Clients Find Comfort From TMJ Pain

No matter what is making your jaw ache, call Dr. Messerschmidt now and make an appointment to come into our Juneau, AK location. We'll do our best to help you smile pain-free!

References

• Gonzalez-Iglesias J et al. (2013, November). Mobilization with movement, thoracic spine manipulation, and dry needling for the management of temporomandibular disorder: a prospective case series. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice;29(8):586-95
• Brantingham J et al. (2013, March-April). Manipulative and multimodal therapy for upper extremity and temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;36(3):143-201
• Oral Care. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders-tmd on November 2, 2015

We come across a lot of sports injuries in our Juneau, AK clinic, and Dr. Messerschmidt is often able to help these athletes. Stanford Children’s Hospital states that more than 3.5 million children aged 14 and below are hurt each year while playing sports. Add that to the almost 2 million adults injured each year while participating in sports-related activities, as reported by statistics collected by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and you can start to see the necessity of minimizing these types of widespread injuries. One way to possible achieve that goal, as reported by a study published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, is to engage in regular chiropractic treatments.

In Australian Rules football, hamstring and other leg injuries are common, frequently sidelining the players and impacting their team's likelihood of securing a win. One particular study was conducted using 59 semi-elite Australian Rules footballers to see if chiropractic could diminish these injuries and help keep them in the game.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps in Treating Sports Injuries

For this study specifically, all of the participants got medical treatment. Additionally, half of them also engaged in chiropractic treatments at the rate of 1 session each week for the first six weeks, biweekly treatments for the next three months, and one treatment per month for the final three months of the study. The remaining half had no chiropractic intervention whatsoever and were used as the control group to determine the benefits of chiropractic.

Following twenty-four matches, specialists noted a diminished amount of lower limb muscle strains in the group that had been given chiropractic care. Furthermore, that same group also missed fewer matches connected to non-contact knee injuries. This lead the researchers to come to the conclusion that chiropractic should be made an addition to sports training programs to effectively lessen the amount of leg injuries.

Dr. Messerschmidt Can Help People Find Comfort From Sports Injuries & Help You Recover Quicker

If you or your child are active in sports and you would like to ensure more time is spent on the field versus on the bench, call our Juneau, AK office at (907) 789-1344 and schedule an appointment today. We will do our best to keep you in the game!

References

• Hoskins, W, & Pollard, H. (2010, April 8). The effect of a sports chiropractic manual therapy intervention on the prevention of back pain, hamstring and lower limb injuries in semi-elite Australian Rules footballers: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 11(64), doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-64
• Misra, A. (2014, March 17). Common sports injuries: Incidence and average charges. Department of Health & Human Services.
• Stanford Children’s Hospital. (n.d.). Sports injury statistics.

Dr. Messerschmidt sees many back pain patients in our busy Juneau, AK chiropractic office. Many of these people have some type of spinal condition that is causing them pain and discomfort. Fortunately, Dr. Messerschmidt finds that spinal decompression treatment is a great way to help these people.

What is Spinal Decompression and How Can it Help Me?

Non-surgical spinal decompression is a treatment approach that takes all of the positive benefits that one normally gets from chiropractic adjustments, traction, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, and myofascial release and merges them all into one.

The objective of this technique is to keep you away from the surgeon's knife, and that is precisely what it's achieved for a number of men and women, as it has a documented 85% success rate.

Some of the symptoms spinal decompression helps with include generalized back pain, sciatic nerve pain, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, compression fractures, and joint pain.

Spinal decompression works by reversing the influences of wear, tear, and gravity that compresses the intervertebral discs in your spine. The movie below demonstrates how it works to eliminate pressure on your back and helps decrease pain and disability.

Dr. Messerschmidt Can Help People Find Relief From Chronic Back Pain

If you live in Juneau, AK and you're suffering with back pain, spinal decompression therapy might be the answer. Call Dr. Messerschmidt today at (907) 789-1344 for a consultation or appointment.

According to research, around 5 percent of the population will suffer from painful issues like frozen shoulder syndrome at some time in their lives. That makes shoulder pain a common problem and one that Dr. Messerschmidt sees in our Juneau, AK office on a regular basis.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Shoulder Pain

In general, this ailment is more common for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and it tends to affect women more often than men. While ice, heat, and gentle stretching can often times help relieve the pain, so too can chiropractic care.

As an example, one study released in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine looked at 50 people with frozen shoulder who received chiropractic care. The length of care varied from 11 days to 51 days, with 28 days being the average.

The authors found that almost all of the patients fared very well with chiropractic care. The authors found:

8 of the subjects reported 50-75 percent improvement
25 indicated improvement ranging from 75- 90 percent
1 participant had complete resolution of their frozen shoulder pain

Only one of the original 50 reported an improvement of 50 percent or less, so reports like this demonstrate just how effective chiropractic can be when it comes to decreasing shoulder pain and improving quality of life.

We Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Shoulder Pain

Let Dr. Messerschmidt help you decrease your pain by contacting our Juneau, AK office and scheduling your appointment today.

Resources

Murphy F et al. (2012, December). Chiropractic management of frozen shoulder syndrome using a novel technique: a retrospective case series of 50 patients. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine;11(4):267-272

Dr. Messerschmidt works with many sciatica patients here in our Juneau, AK office, and many of these individuals were afraid that they might require surgery to alleviate their pain. The latest research reveals that many people don't require surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more successful at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists looked at 80 women and men with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

Forty patients were then randomly sorted into one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.

Both groups improved; however, no apparent difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, about 60 percent of the participating patients who could not find pain relief from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic offered the same positive benefits as surgery without having to undergo the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often associated with that particular treatment method. Plus, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Juneau, AK and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Messerschmidt a call today at (907) 789-1344. We'll help identify the start of your pain and work hard to get you relief.

References

• McMorland, G et al. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(8):576-584.
• Solberg TK, Nygaard OP, Sjaavik K, Hofoss D, Ingebrigtsen T. The risk of "getting worse" after lumbar microdiscectomy. European Spine Journal 2005;14(1):49-54.
  

While many women automatically assume that carrying a child and severe pain in the lower back go hand in hand, they are often surprised when they discover that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, chiropractic care can often help reduce persistant back pain for pregnant women by as much as 85 percent.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Pregnancy

Dr. Messerschmidt has helped many pregnant women with back pain in our Juneau, AK office.

A research study published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies involved 115 women who were pregnant (most of which were in their third trimester) and presented with pain in their lower back region, pelvic area, or both. Data was gathered prior to the study, as well as one week, one month, three months, and one year after treatment commenced. At each subsequent point in time, the participants were asked to rate their level of pain based on a 7-point scale to determine whether it was better, worse, or stayed the same. The results?

More than half reported that their pain was better after one week of chiropractic treatment. After one month, that amount jumped up to 70 percent, climbing even more to 85 percent showing improvement at the three month mark. Improvement was still reported at six months post-treatment, which was generally after childbirth, and continued to the final data collection one year after treatment commenced.

There are also many additional benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy. Not only does it effectively relieve back pain, but it does it in a completely natural and non-invasive way. This means that you don't have to worry about taking any medications or undergoing any type of treatment that could potentially harm your unborn child.

Dr. Messerschmidt Can Help Clients Find Relief From Back Pain During Pregnancy

Additionally, it makes your time spent carrying your baby more pleasant. When you're not sidetracked with pain, you can enjoy the experience even more as you prepare your home and your life for all of the fun and exciting changes that lie ahead.

You don't have to suffer from back pain during pregnancy. We're here in Juneau, AK to help with natural chiropractic care. Give us a call today at (907) 789-1344 to make an appointment.

Peterson CK, Muhlemann D, & Humphreys BK. Outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment: a prospective cohort study with short term, medium term and 1 year follow-up. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2014;22(15):doi:10.1186/2045-709X-22-15.

According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, more Americans suffer with chronic pain than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. Furthermore, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by back pain and headaches.

Of course, a lot of people come to our Juneau, AK office seeking neck pain treatment, and Dr. Messerschmidt has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart decision, as some studies have shown that over 90% of neck pain patients improve with chiropractic care.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Effective for Neck Pain

A report published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy included 64 people who were suffering with neck problems. Approximately half were placed in an experimental group and the other half were designated to a comparison group. Both received chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as a home exercise plan, whereas the experimental group also received thoracic spine adjustments.

Information was collected before treatment began and one week post-treatment. The authors found that 94 percent of the experimental group claimed "significantly greater improvements" in regard to pain and disability in their neck symptoms. Just 35% of the individuals who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, showing that evaluating the entire spinal column is an important part of restoring the body's normal function.

Yet another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 adults who reported dealing with neck pain. Each person was randomly assigned to one of two groups--thoracic spine thrust manipulation or non-thrust manipulation--with examinations occurring two and four days after the treatments.

Researchers discovered that the study participants who received the thrust manipulations (the same adjustments that provided such positive results in the first study) "experienced greater reductions in disability" than the patients who received the non-thrust manipulations. Their pain was lower as well, which shows that this type of approach offers many benefits.

Help After Failed Medical Procedures

One study even found the same sort of positive outcomes after thoracic adjustments in a patient who had a failed neck surgical treatment. This specific case involved a 46-year-old woman who had recently had neck surgery but still experienced neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The patient reported decreased pain in her neck and reduced headache intensity, right after the first chiropractic treatment session. After six weeks of care, which involved chiropractic, exercise, and patient education, the patient still rated her pain at a zero on a scale of 1 to 10. Her neck disability reduced as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

It is studies like these that demonstrate the advantages of chiropractic care, even if you've already attempted medical procedures that didn't provide relief. So, if you are suffering with neck problems and would like to find a solution that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the relief you're looking for.

We're located in Juneau, AK and Dr. Messerschmidt can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (907) 789-1344.

References

• AAPM facts and figures on pain. The American Academy of Pain Medicine.
• Masaracchio M, Cleland JA, Hellman M, Hagins M. Short-term combined effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation in individuals with mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2013;43(3):118-127.
• Cleland JA, Glynn P, Whitman JM, Eberhart SL, MacDonald C, Childs JD. Short-term effects of thrust versus nonthrust mobilization/manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Physical Therapy 2007;87(4):431-440.
• Salvatori R, Rowe RH, Osborne R, Beneciuk JM. Use of thoracic spine thrust manipulation for neck pain and headache in a patient following multiple-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a case report. The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2014;44(6):440-449.
  

Therapeutic massage has been used for many 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. Therapeutic massage does much more than just feel great. It also offers many health benefits as well. Some are physical and others are psychological, and here are just a few of each:

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

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

Benefits like these have been found to be particularly helpful for individuals who suffer with chronic conditions such as arthritis and asthma. Massage therapy 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 patients in our Juneau, AK chiropractic practice, and Dr. Messerschmidt has successfully provided many of these folks relief. This is largely because chiropractic care has been found to help with many forms of knee pain.

For instance, some patients encounter pain in and around the knee area due to degenerative arthritis. Research has demonstrated that this ailment responds very well to chiropractic--and rather quickly, too. In fact, one paper 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 caused by a medial meniscus tear, chiropractic could likely help with that as well. One article reported that combining chiropractic with soft tissue therapy, rest, ice, and compression on the affected knee helped lower the intensity of the pain.

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

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Knee Pain

Medical research has found that people with low back pain often have less positive outcomes after knee surgery. Therefore, dealing with your back pain through chiropractic before having a total knee arthroplasty can assist with your post-surgery recovery.

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

Resources

• 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

We see a large number of people with headaches in our Juneau, AK office, and Dr. Messerschmidt has been able to assist many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that one half of all adults have a problem with some manner of headache problem, so this actually isn’t shocking. One of the most prevalent kinds of headaches which our patients suffer from is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can usually help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that comes from an issue in the cervical spine. It could be as a result of a problem with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it may be caused by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine brings about compression or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache pain.

How do you recognize if the headache you are experiencing is a cervicogenic headache? Besides receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, 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

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is triggering them is corrected, it is essential to receive treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that can provide a great deal of headache pain relief.

In one study published in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists studied 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. One-half got chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was found that chiropractic offered the most beneficial effects.

Specifically, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments offered patients greater pain relief and diminished the frequency of headaches that occurred. On top of 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 our office 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/