June 2023 Healthy News from Vancouver Disc Centers Benefit of Chiropractic for Neck Pain Relief and of Breathing and Physical Exercise

picture of chiropractic Cox® Technic for Neck Pain

RELIEF FOR LIFESTYLE-CONNECTED NECK PAIN VIA NERVOUS SYSTEM CALMING

Chronic neck pain is very widespread today with lifestyle issues like cellphone use, stress, and telecommuting. A meta-analysis of published randomized clinical trials regarding the effectiveness of manual manipulative therapy reported that it has been described as and demonstrated to be a safe, less painful, and common way to reduce chronic neck pain and related neck disabilities. (1) And a paper that was just published on June 1, 2023, reported that long-standing neck pain treated with manual therapy statistically significantly improved and reduced heart rate variability consistent with decreased sympathetic tone (a positive outcome!) and patient-perceived pain. (2) Sympathetic tone is the ‘fight or flight’ response to stressful (like long-standing, chronic neck pain) or dangerous situations and is part of the autonomic nervous system (the system of functions you do not have to think about controlling like blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, sweating, urination, etc.). These autonomic signals begin in the spinal cord and continue out throughout the body. Calming sympathetic tone can go far in managing neck pain. The chiropractic treatment technique we use at Vancouver Disc Centers termed Cox® Technic spinal manipulation has been well-tested and documented to manage neck pain, too. It’s been shown to lessen intradiscal disc pressures which are seen with neck pain. (3) NIH and HRSA funded studies have demonstrated clinician proficiency in learning and delivering proper Cox® protocols after training. (4,5,6) Additionally, case studies have been published displaying decrease in pain and disability with Cox® Technic like one case of severe neck and arm pain that was relieved in 15 visits in 10 weeks and another with 10 treatments in 4 weeks. (7,8) Let us calm your nerves and ease your neck pain! They are all spine connected!

TIP OF THE MONTH: Add Breathing Exercise with Physical Exercise

Do you think about breathing? How about when you are exercising? Most of us don’t. Breathing just happens. As described in the above article, breathing is part of the autonomic nervous system that makes sure these kinds of functions persist without our thinking. A study looked at how chronic neck pain patients breathed and if better breathing exercise could help. 68 chronic neck pain patients were split into 2 groups: one with breathing re-education exercise or routine physical therapy. The breathing group showed significant improvement in neck flexibility, extension, endurance, and strength of neck flexors and extensors. (9) Since this breath work seems to help neck pain patients, studies are now in the works for chronic low back pain patients. One that will study how conscious connected breathing may help highlighted how closely connected the respiratory system is throughout the body and “bidirectionally related” to emotion, stress, and pain. (10) Another study will have back pain patients do exercise with specific breathing techniques and without and compare outcomes related to pain, disability, anxiety, sleep, quality of life, health status, and more. (11) Breathing more consciously and exercising appears to be an up-and-coming benefit for the treatment plan of chronic back and neck pain adn good additions to Vancouver chiropractic care!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Lee Hazen and Cheri Hazen on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as they explained their combined efforts in helping back pain patients attain less pain and enhanced function with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management and breath coaching.

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