Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC – ” Chiropractic Better than Medication for Neck Pain “

Neck pain is a very common complaint I see in clinical practice. The causes are varied but can range from a night of poor sleep to sports related trauma. More and more, I am also seeing the culprit being postural overload. That is to say, our society requires many of us to spend a lot of time working on computers. The position that many of us adopt in front of computers is actually harmful over long periods and forces undue strain on the joints of our necks. Many of us recognize the familiar tightness in the back of our necks, the stiffness and maybe even headaches that is a result of neck tension. If the situation isn’t addressed, the next likely progression is pain.

Many patients see me for relief of pain in their necks. The relief is almost immediate in most cases but also function is improved. That is to say, a lot of neck pain sufferers report a lack of motion or stiffness in the neck. This can make everyday activities very difficult, even dangerous if you think about the inability to shoulder check when driving. I have seen first hand patients being able to move better and turn their heads after a Chiropractic treatment.

Today I’d like to discuss a common, alternative treatment for neck pain; Pain Killers. Many people resort to the good ‘ol Tylenol or Advil for relief of neck pain. Admittedly, these medications will offer many people the relief they are looking for however, it’s only temporary. 

If your neck pain lasts more than a couple of days, I’m sure you will start to be concerned about how many pills you need to take just to make it through your day. Well, the good news is there is an alternative! According to this recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, it appears that Chiropractic adjustments for neck pain is a better option for neck pain than medication!

This study included over 270 participants from a wide range of ages (18 -65) that had been suffering from neck pain lasting from at least 2 weeks to as much as 12 weeks. What the researchers did was assign different people different therapies including, Chiropractic (Spinal Manipulative Therapy) and medication. The participants were re-evaluated at regular intervals to see how they were doing throughout. 

The study concluded that participants who received Chiropractic treatments for their neck pain improved faster and were more satisfied with their improvements compared to those who took medication alone. Another finding from the study was that those who took only medication for relief, found their improvements were limited. To make matters worse, despite their limited relief, these sufferers continued to take HIGHER amounts of medication for longer. Thus posing other problems such dependency, liver toxicity, ulcers and overdose. 

As this study shows, there are very effective and natural treatments for neck pain like, Chiropractic. In fact, as more evidence is showing, Chiropractic is an even better option than medication alone for the treatment and relief of neck pain. If you have any questions, please leave them below. Remember if you’re in the Commercial Drive area of East Vancouver, stop by the office or visit my website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!

References;

Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise With Advice for Acute and Subacute Neck Pain,A Randomized Trial,Annals of Internal Medicine, Bronfort et al., January 3, 2012 vol. 156 no. 1 Part 1 1-10

 

 

Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC – “Is Chiropractic Safe?”

I often times see patients in my practice who have never been to a Chiropractor before. Now besides the understandable apprehension with trying something ‘new’, patients also ask the question, “is it safe?”

Now of course I am going to tell you that Chiropractic treatment is safe. But I’d also like to expand on that and not only prove that it’s safe but also why in certain situations, it may not be.

Chiropractic is a regulated health profession in Canada. Along with federal governing bodies there are also provincial associations that oversee Chiropractic and Chiropractors. Doctors of Chiropractic are primary health care providers which means similarly to Medical Doctors and Dentists, you don’t need a referral to see one.

Now more about Chiropractic safety. Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of back pain, neck pain, joint pain of the arms or legs, headaches, and other neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. In my practice the most common ‘side-effects’ patients occasionally report are soreness and stiffness. The soreness seems to appear after the first one or two sessions but eventually subsides and goes away completely. I advise all my patients on appropriate home/follow-up care to minimize any discomfort they may feel away from the clinic.

Most importantly though, some patients who are suffering from neck pain, headaches, shoulder stiffness etc. and who would benefit from a cervical adjustment are concerned about the possibility of stroke. I can tell you that yes it is possible a Chiropractor can cause damage to the vessels in your neck, that if compromised, can lead to a stroke. However, and this is very important, the scenario you see in movies where a unsuspecting ‘bad guy’ just collapses because the hero “snaps” his neck is unrealistic. That situation is just Hollywood at work, plain and simple.

Now in the real situation where patients are in my office for help and treatment, I will conduct a thorough history and physical exam. There are patients out there who should not have their neck adjusted, under any circumstance! That’s why a Chiropractor must do a thorough exam to rule out those patients. A good Chiropractor should be asking questions about family history, nature of pain, previous trauma, and other symptoms to identify patients who might be better off seeing another health care provider. In addition to this, a physical exam along with Orthopaedic testing can also bring to light “red flags” that should alert a Chiropractor to avoid neck adjustments.

As stated, for the vast majority of patients in almost all situations, a Chiropractic adjustment will offer them tremendous relief without the use of drugs or surgical intervention. But there will always be a small minority of cases where an adjustment might make matters worse. Hopefully this post will not dissuade anyone from seeking Chiropractic care. If anything, my desire for posting this is to make patients more aware so they have a frank and honest discussion with their health care provider be it Chiropractor or not.

In addition, Chiropractic will not be everybody’s cup of tea. The reasons for Chiropractic’s effectiveness anatomically and physiologically are universal but there is always patient’s preference. I’ll explain it this way. When you look at a car like a Porsche, a finely tuned, marvel of engineering. It has everything; luxurious interior, superior handling, speed and agility. In many’s minds, it’s the perfect car. However, there will always be those who prefer a Volkswagen or Toyota, regardless of cost. Go figure. That’s preference.

If you have any more questions for your Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC, please visit COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC HERE!!!!

Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC – “Chiropractic Rated #1 – According to Consumer Reports Survey”

A recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports found that respondents rated Chiropractic as #1 when asked, “Who Helped the Most?” regarding back pain.

As you may or may not know, about 80% of the population will suffer from back pain at least once in their lives, and “back pain” is in the top 5 reasons people go see their doctors. With back pain being so common and also affecting our economy as well as one’s own enjoyment of life, Consumer Reports wanted to know, “Who helped the Most?” when back pain sufferers went looking for relief.

The survey done on about 14,000 Consumer Reports subscribers came out with some surprising results. First off, more than half of respondents reported their back pain severely affecting their daily activities. 46% said it affected their sleep. 31% said it affected activity levels and their efforts to maintain a healthy weight. 24% said it affected their sex life and 88% reported their back pain recurred throughout the year!!

As Consumer Reports found, many people go to their family physicians for treatment and advice when it comes to back pain. However, Consumer Reports was surprised to discover that a significant number of their respondents were disappointed with what their family doctors could do to help. So, “Who Helped the Most?”

Professional – Highly Satisfied (% of Respondents)

- Chiropractors – 59%
- Physical Therapists – 55%
- Acupuncturists – 53%
- Physician, Specialist – 44%
- Physician, General Practitioner – 34%

The respondents of this survey tried an average of 5-6 different forms of therapy and these were the results.

As a Chiropractor, I can’t say I am totally surprised with these results. Especially when I hear from patients in my own practice how disappointed they were with what their family doctor had to offer. But to even my own surprise is the amount of dissatisfaction people felt with the care/advice they received from a specialist. Although respondents were significantly more satisfied with the care they received from a specialist compared to a general practitioner, it still trailed far behind the care from a Chiropractor.

I believe that as time goes on and more surveys and studies emerge regarding the efficacy and benefits of Chiropractic, these types of findings will become more commonplace. However, until that happens it is up to the patients to ask their doctors about Chiropractic and discuss with them the most effective form of therapy for back pain. If you were to believe a group of 14, 000 people, chances are good that you too will be happy with what a Chiropractor can do for you!

Contact Dr. Chan at COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC HERE!!!!