Chronic Muscle Pain Relief

Patients often ask me how soon after an adjustment will they start to feel some improvement in their pain.  Of course the answer varies based on the diagnosis and overall health status of the patient.  Recent research shows that the answer to the question could be “immediately.”

A team of researchers at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada looked at how quickly pain levels dropped following chiropractic adjustments. The researchers looked at chronic muscle pain in one of the shoulder muscles and one of the gluteal muscles.  Using an algometer device, pressure pain in these muscles was measured following the adjustments.  The results are pretty exciting.  Pain was decreased in the chiropractic group and there was no change in the sham group.

Although the decrease in pain was temporary in this particular study, the evidence scientifically showed that there was an improvement using chiropractic care.   Those improvements in pain levels can help a patient return to activity and return to work faster.

Dr. Andrew White | St George Chiropractor

image courtesy of Stuart Miles and freedigitalphotos.net

Reference:

Immediate Effects of Spinal Manipulative Therapy on Regional Antinociceptive Effects in Myofascial Tissues in Healthy Young Adults
Srbely, John Z. et al.
Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics , Volume 36 , Issue 6 , 333 – 341

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