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Dr. Messerschmidt sees many people weekly in our busy Juneau, AK chiropractic office who are searching for relief from the pain and suffering they feel due to herniated discs. Our experience isn't unique; the scientific literature verifies that chiropractic care is a great way to treat herniated disc problems.

Don't Suffer! Dr. Messerschmidt and Chiropractic Care Helps With Disc Herniation

One particular research study involved 27 people, 8 male and 19 female, who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirming a disc herniation in either their neck or lower back. The patients reported that they were experiencing pain, limited range of motion, and sensory issues bad enough to keep them off work.

During the course of the research period, the participants were treated using one of two common chiropractic methods: traction for herniated discs in the cervical area or flexion distraction for the people who had herniation issues in the lumbar area.

Each person was seen four or five times per week for the first two weeks, then three times each week, and then as needed for the remainder of the study. Depending on the seriousness of the disc herniation, treatment varied anywhere from six weeks to six months, with MRIs being performed at a variety of stages to determine what effect, if any, the chiropractic care was having in regard to the disc herniation.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Herniated Disc

The investigators reported that 80 percent of the patients obtained a "good clinical outcome," meaning reduced pain and a reduction in other issues, such as numbness. Furthermore, 77 percent of these men and women also showed MRI evidence that their disc herniation was either reduced or resolved completely. This resulted in 78 percent of the study participants being able to return to their place of work and led the authors to conclude that chiropractic care is both "safe and helpful" for disc herniations.

If you have a herniated disc and suffer from chronic back pain and are near Dr. Messerschmidt in Juneau, AK, contact our office today to see what chiropractic can do for you!

Reference
BenEliyahu, DJ. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical follow-up: study of 27 patients receiving chiropractic care for cervical and lumbar disc herniations. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1996;19(9):597-606.

In our Juneau, AK office, we see plenty of people who are suffering from back pain, and a few of these folks have been told they might need surgery to recover. Fortunately, Dr. Messerschmidt has helped many people get pain relief without the need for any type of operation. The science confirms the success we see in our office. One medical study published in the academic journal Spine found that consulting with a chiropractor as your first step in overcoming with your back issues may literally keep you off of the operating table.

In this report, medical experts from Dartmouth reviewed data from 1,885 workers from the state of Washington who first saw either an orthopedic surgeon or a chiropractic doctor for their back pain issues. They then used three years' worth of follow-up medical data to ascertain whether the individuals wound up having back surgery in an effort to correct the problem.

What the authors observed was that 42.7% of the people who first consulted with a surgeon for their back issues ended up with surgery in that 3-year time span, whereas only 1.5 percent of those who first consulted with a chiropractor had the same fate. The authors wrote:

"Even after controlling for injury severity and other measures, workers with an initial visit for the injury to a surgeon had almost nine times the odds of receiving lumbar spine surgery compared to those seeing primary care providers, whereas workers whose first visit was to a chiropractor had significantly lower odds of surgery."

These are impressive outcomes. Consulting with a chiropractor dramatically reduces your odds of getting back surgery, plus the chiropractic patients in this report "had lower odds of chronic work disability" and they also had fewer expensive MRI tests.

Let's also take note this important point: this study was carried out by orthopedic surgeons from Dartmouth College, and published in the world's most distinguished medical publication on spinal injuries.

The Problems with Surgery

Any surgical procedure has risks, but a serious downside linked to spinal surgery is that there's a very high rate of failure. In an important analysis in the European Spine Journal, researchers wrote:

"Failed back surgery is a problem that has become sufficiently widespread to even warrant its own special conferences, with recent reviews reporting failure rates ranging from 5 to 50%."

The authors of this same study concluded:

"It is extremely difficult to identify unequivocal predictor factors that can be used to accurately predict the outcome of surgery."

As a chiropractor, Dr. Messerschmidt believes that surgery should be the absolute last resort for treating back pain. Chiropractic care works to restore your spine to its normal function--without the need of high-risk surgery or drugs--and many studies have documented the usefulness of chiropractic for back pain.

If you live in Juneau, AK and you need relief for your back pain, give our office a call today at (907) 789-1344 for a consultation or an appointment. We'll help get you back on the road to a pain-free life!

Studies

• Keeney BJ, Fulton-Kehoe D, Turner JA, Wickizer TM, Chan KC, Franklin GM. Early predictors of lumbar spine surgery after occupational back injury: results from a prospective study of workers in Washington State. Spine 2013;38(11):953-964.
• Mannion AF, Elfering A. Predictors of surgical outcome and their assessment. European Spine Journal 2006;15(Suppl 1):S93-S108.
  

We treat many auto injury cases in in our Juneau, AK office, and a widespread symptom we see in our patients is shoulder pain. Let's look at the root cause of shoulder pain after an auto injury and see how chiropractic care can help.

There are at least two different ways that you can develop shoulder pain after a crash: by direct injury to the shoulder or by radiating pain from the neck.

Direct injury can be caused by hitting your shoulder on a hard surface in the car during the impact, or can occur if you have a tight grip on the steering wheel during a rear end impact. With this type of trauma, you'll often be aware of the pain shortly after the wreck.

More commonly, Dr. Messerschmidt finds that shoulder or arm pain doesn't immediately appear after a crash, but begins a few days or weeks after the trauma. This type of shoulder discomfort actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured soft tissue in your neck can squeeze nerves in your neck, causing numbness, tingling, or soreness in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've treated many types of shoulder pain in our Juneau, AK office. This approach involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural mobility and home exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

If you've been injured in a car crash and you're experiencing shoulder pain, Dr. Messerschmidt is here to help. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your symptoms and then we will determine an appropriate treatment approach. Ready to make an appointment? Give us a call at (907) 789-1344 and we'll get you back on the road to health.

We care for a large number of patients in our Juneau, AK clinic, and Dr. Messerschmidt has helped countless people overcome a range of health problems. However, the primary issue that seems to prevent a lot of folks from seeking care is whether or not chiropractic is safe. Fortunately, according to three separate studies (out of many on the subject), the answer to this question is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study

The first study(1) was published in Spine and involved 183 men and women between the ages of 20 and 85. Each participant reported affected by some kind of back pain, and half of the people received real chiropractic adjustments while the other half received two sham chiropractic treatments. Information was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to see if any unfavorable reactions occurred as a result of the genuine chiropractic adjustments.

The authors found that nobody reported any significant undesirable adverse reactions whatsoever after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic. Some individuals did state that they experienced a headache (9 percent) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) after treatment, but the results were not of a serious nature.

National Survey Finds that Chiropractic Care is Safe

A second research study(2), also released in the influential publication, Spine, was done in an effort to establish the safety of chiropractic. The study group was much larger -- 20,000 people. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.

Once again, the researchers discovered no serious adverse side effects. The experts calculated the risk of total adverse reactions to be approximately six out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. Plus, just as with the previous study, some participants did report non-serious, milder, unwanted effects such as dizziness (about 1.6%) or a headache (4%), and this prompted the authors to determine that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Is Safe for Children

This third study(3) is different from the first two reports, as it focuses on the safety of chiropractic care for kids. In this case, the researchers analyzed results reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic adjustments.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic appointments made for the young ones, chiropractors answering the survey documented only three cases where there were adverse side effects. When parents were surveyed, they indicated only two adverse side effects out of 1,735 visits. Furthermore, both chiropractors and parents reported "a high rate of improvement with respect to the children's presenting complaints."

Based on these three studies (and many more!), chiropractic has been judged safe and effective for everyone. To learn what chiropractic care can do for you, call our Juneau, AK clinic and make an appointment today at (907) 789-1344.

References

1. Walker BF, Hebert JJ, Stomski NJ, Clarke BR, Bowden RS, Losco B, French SD. Outcomes of usual chiropractic. The OUCH randomized controlled trial of adverse events. Spine 2013;38(20):1723-9.
2. Thiel HW1, Bolton JE, Docherty S, Portlock JC. Safety of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine: a prospective national survey. Spine 2007;32(21):2375-8.
3. Alcantara J, Ohm J, Kunz D. The safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic: a survey of chiropractors and parents in a practice-based research network. Explore NY 2009;5(5): 290-5.

When you're trying to sustain your family, take care of your home, and pay all of your bills on time, every day at your job counts. Work injuries can be a serious problem for many people, and we see many of these types of injuries in our Juneau, AK office. Dr. Messerschmidt appreciates your situation and is here to help.

The advantages of chiropractic care for work injuries are well-established. A 2013 survey involving over 600 adults who were troubled with either back or neck pain found that the individuals who didn't see a chiropractor missed work at twice the rate of those who were seeing a chiropractor.

So, why don't more people use Chiropractic Care?

According to the participants in this study, two of the primary factors were that they thought they needed a referral for chiropractic care (which is typically no longer true) and they overestimated the costs associated with chiropractic treatment sessions by almost 70 percent.

The fact is, chiropractic patients actually spend less on care than medical patients, plus they are less likely to use drugs for their symptoms.

Dr. Messerschmidt Can Help People Find Relief From Chronic Pain

If you live in Juneau, AK and you've been injured at work, we can help. Give our office a call today at (907) 789-1344 for an appointment.

References

"Thousands of Minnesotans with Back and Neck Pain Don't Seek Treatment." (2013, June 12). ChiroCare.

As injury to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is frequently rather 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 can help ease pain in the jaw.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With TMJ Pain and Discomfort

For example, one study published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice involved 15 participants with temporomandibular disorders who were treated with neck adjustments, middle-back adjustments, and trigger point therapy via dry needling. Subjects were examined prior to these treatments and at two weeks and two months post-treatment. The researchers reported positive results such as reduced pain, greater jaw movement, and lower impairment at both follow-ups.

Another research study carried out an analysis of almost 800 papers involving manual and manipulative therapy for conditions such as TMJ and discovered similar findings. The authors 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 triggers 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 bruxism, arthritis, and clenching of the jaw due to stress.

Dr. Messerschmidt Can Help Clients Find Relief From TMJ Pain

No matter what is making your jaw ache, call Dr. Messerschmidt today and make an appointment to come into our Juneau, AK practice. 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 see a large number of sports injuries in our Juneau, AK clinic, and Dr. Messerschmidt is generally able to help these athletes. Stanford Children’s Hospital reports that over 3.5 million children of the ages 14 and younger are injured each year when playing sports. Add that to the almost 2 million adults hurt every year while participating in sports-related activities, as reported by statistics collected by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and you can begin to see the necessity of minimizing these types of widespread injuries. One approach to possible realize that goal, as stated in a study released in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, is to engage in routine chiropractic treatments.

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

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps in Treating Sports Injuries

For this study in particular, every one of the players got medical treatment. In addition, half of them also received chiropractic sessions at the rate of 1 treatment each week for the first six weeks, biweekly treatments for the next three months, and one session per month for the last three months of the study. The other group had no chiropractic intervention whatsoever and were used as the control group to determine the benefits of chiropractic adjustments.

Following twenty-four matches, scientists noted a lessened number of lower limb muscle strains in the group that had received chiropractic care. Furthermore, that very group also missed fewer matches connected to non-contact knee injuries. This lead the researchers to conclude that chiropractic ought to be added to sports training programs to effectively lessen the amount of leg injuries.

Dr. Messerschmidt Can Help People Find Relief From Sports Injuries & Help You Recover Faster

If you or your child are active in sports and you want to make sure more time is spent on the field as opposed to 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 form of spinal disorder that is causing them pain and discomfort. Fortunately, Dr. Messerschmidt has found that spinal decompression therapy is a highly effective 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 therapy 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 accomplished for a number of folks, as it has a documented 85% success rate.

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

Spinal decompression works by reversing the influences of wear, tear, and the force of gravity that compresses the intervertebral discs in your spine. The movie below demonstrates how it works to relieve pressure on your back and helps lessen 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 problems, spinal decompression treatment might be the fix. Call Dr. Messerschmidt today at (907) 789-1344 for a consultation or appointment.

According to research, approximately 5 percent of the population will experience painful ailments like frozen shoulder syndrome at some point in their lives. That makes shoulder-related pain a common occurrence and one that Dr. Messerschmidt sees in our Juneau, AK office on a regular basis.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Shoulder Pain

By and large, this condition is more common for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and it tends to affect women more frequently than men. While ice, heat, and gentle stretches can sometimes help alleviate the discomfort, so too can chiropractic care.

For example, one study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine looked at 50 people with frozen shoulder who were given chiropractic care. The duration of care ranged from 11 days to 51 days, with 28 days being the average.

The doctors found that nearly all of the study participants fared extremely well with chiropractic care. Here are the results:

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 studies like this demonstrate just how beneficial chiropractic care can be when it comes to decreasing shoulder pain and increasing quality of life.

We Can Help People Find Relief From Shoulder Pain

Let Dr. Messerschmidt help you ease your suffering 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 quite a few of these patients were concerned that they might need surgery to eliminate their pain. The latest research reveals that a large number of people don't need surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at resolving sciatic nerve pain.

A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, researchers examined 80 patients with sciatica who were referred for this operation.

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

Both groups improved; however, no apparent difference in results was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. Furthermore, roughly 60 percent of the participating subjects 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."

Simply put, chiropractic offered the same positive advantages as surgery without having to undergo the increased amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that specific treatment choice. Additionally, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery ought to be the last option 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 determine the source 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.