How many times have you heard someone complain about having “knots” in my neck or shoulders? The use of the term knots is a pretty close description.

Those knots are actually trigger points.  “ A trigger point is like a mini-spasm within a muscle,” according to Dr. Steven Read, chiropractor and Clinic Director of Ortega Chiropractic and Medical Rehab in Jacksonville, Florida. “They are typically very tender and can even refer pain to other areas when you press them,” added Dr. Read.

While trigger points are indeed associated with myofascial pain syndromes, it is important to understand that is very different from fibromyalgia. Trigger points tend to be more acute and localized, where fibromyalgia is more widespread and chronic. It is very possible for fibromyalgia sufferers to also have trigger points though.

A recent research project evaluated the effect of chiropractic treatment has on trigger points and pain in the neck and shoulder areas. This study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed that there is “strong evidence to support the use of manual therapies (chiropractic) in providing immediate relief of trigger points.” The study also concluded that chiropractic treatment was shown to be highly effective in reducing the pain associated with muscle spasms in the neck and middle back.

“The vast majority of patients I see with muscle related pain syndromes have some type of associated trigger points,” explained Dr. Jeff Ruterbusch, Doctor of Osteopathy and Medical Director of Ortega Chiropractic and Medical Rehab. “Fortunately our patients get the best of all worlds in our office. I can provide trigger point injections for the severe cases while Dr. Read provides chiropractic treatment. We also use physical and massage therapy to help to totally alleviate these muscular trigger points,” said Dr. Ruterbusch. “It is good to know that our team can provide our patients with the best possible treatment options,” he said.

Author Bio :

Dr. Read is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic and has been practicing in Jacksonville for over 20 years. His practice, Ortega Chiropractic and Medical Rehab, is located on Roosevelt Boulevard just north of NAS Jax. He can be reached at 904-425-4545 or for more information visit his website at www.FreeExamJacksonville.com.

Dr. Ruterbusch is an osteopathic physician that is board certified in Sports Medicine and Anti-Aging Medicine. He is also a nationally known expert on fitness and nutrition. He also see patients at Ortega Chiropractic and Medical Rehab in Jacksonville. For more information call 904-425-4545 or visit www.OrtegaChiropractic.com

Hans-On Therapies are the Top rated for Back Pain

A recent study in Consumer Reports shows that Chiropractors had the highest level of satisfaction form patients compared to any other type of health care provider.

Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center conducted a survey of over 14, 000 people who had received different types of treatment for their back pain. Fifty-nine (59) percent of these back pain sufferers  said the were “highly satisfied” with their chiropractors, while only 34% said they were highly satisfied with their primary care physician. It has been estimated that nearly 805 of Americans suffered from back pain at some point.

Forty-five percent of these patients that took prescription medication said the medication helped. The majority of these patients received a narcotic opiate pain reliever even though there is very little research to show that their use outweighs the risks involved.

Consumer Reports also conducted a separate survey of back pain patients that underwent spinal surgery. The results were quite mixed.  More than 50% of the patients surveyed  reported complications with their recovery. These ranged from more severe pain too a much longer than expected healing process. Twenty percent of these patients said they had no relief or even became worse.

Consumer Reports suggested that whenever a person is advised to have back surgery, they should have a second or even third opinion by a physician that is not a surgeon. One of these should be by a Doctor of Chiropractic.

A Doctor of Chiropractic will exam a patient and review all their previous medical records and diagnostic testing and make treatment recommendations. Typically a chiropractor will initiate a short treatment program for 2-4 weeks to see if any progress can be made without surgery. If satisfactory progress has been made, a more aggressive treatment plan can be determined with a possible emphasis on strengthening and rehab.

About the Author:

Dr. Steven Read is a 1988 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic. He has been practicing in Jacksonville, FL for over 20 years. He is the clinic director for Ortega Chiropractic and Medical Rehab.  Go to www.FreeExamJacksonville.com for more details. He can be reached by calling 904-425-4545.

New research shows that 74% of back surgeries fail.

A recent study published by the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine showed that patients that received spinal fusion surgery actually had a large increase in the use of painkillers compared to those with similar symptoms that did not receive surgery. This study also concluded that only 26% of those that received surgery returned to work, while nearly 70% that did not receive surgery where able to return to work.

Another study in the British Journal of Medicine recommends that every potential spinal surgical candidate try manual medicine, chiropractic and physical therapy for a minimum of two years before undergoing surgery.

Failed back surgery syndrome is so prevalent that physicians and insurance companies have developed a diagnosis code to describe this condition (722.83). Diagnosis codes are basically just an easier way for the way a doctor to communicate with insurance companies.

As a chiropractor with Ortega Chiropractic Clinic in Jacksonville, I have had to refer a handful of patients to a surgeon for back surgery. This is only after all other conservative measures have been exhausted. In over 20 years of practice, I would estimate that far less than 1 out of 1000 patients of mine require back surgery. These are typically cases when neurological deficits progress to a point where there are no other options. Lower extremity muscle wasting and loss of bladder control are just a few of the things I take into consideration when referring a patient for back surgery. I also have my patients perform extensive specific exercises to help strengthen their backs.

Generally, I will treat a patient for two to four weeks before re-evaluating their conditions. If my patient has not made satisfactory progress, I will refer them first for interventional pain management. Typically, this might include injections into the spine in hopes of reducing inflammation helping to relieve pain.

About the Author:

Dr. Steven Read is a 1988 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic. He has been practicing in Jacksonville, FL for over 20 years. He is the clinic director for Ortega Chiropractic and Medical Rehab. It is the city’s only facility featuring chiropractic, medicine, neuropsychology, physical therapy and massage therapy. It is located on Jacksonville’s Westside near NAS Jax. He treats patients from Orange Park, Riverside, Green Cove Springs, Oak Leaf Plantation, Argyle and all throughout Jacksonville.  For more information, go to www.FreeExamJacksonville.com for more details. He can be reached by calling 904-425-4545.

Whiplash is an injury in the neck that is caused as a result of sudden forward or backward motion of the neck typically during auto accidents, falls or sports related activities. The sudden head movement due to an accident, can cause damage to the joints and ligaments, or can badly affect spinal tissues creating spinal joint problems. In severe cases, even the intervertbral disc can be damaged. The nervous system response can get affected by the injury in deeper spinal tissue and may result in fixation of spinal joints. Some of the common symptoms which Whiplash patient may face are -

•    Neck pain
•    Headache
•    Stiffness in neck muscle and decrease in the range-of-motion of neck.
•    Shoulder pain
•    Dizziness
•    Difficulty in eating and swallowing
•    Blurred Vision
•    Low back pain or pain in upper back
•    Pain in jaw, teeth or entire face
•    Numbness in arms and hands

One of the dangerous things with Whiplash is that the symptoms go undiagnosed for years. The most common methods used to diagnose a Whiplash injury are X-ray to find out any fracture or dislocation and CT scan or MRI to check the detailed images of the neck. Although, various forms of treatments are available for Whiplash, still chiropractic treatment is the only proven effective care for Whiplash. A person experiencing the above mentioned symptoms should go for a chiropractic checkup. Chiropractic can treat almost all the aspects of mechanism of neck sprain and hence is a good choice for treatment of Whiplash. During Whiplash treatment the chiropractor optimizes motion in spine, reduces muscle spasm, and improves muscular strength.

Every Whiplash patient has his own symptoms and it is therefore difficult to summarize the chiropractic treatment for Whiplash in one category. However, depending upon the symptoms, there are few common procedures used by chiropractors to treat Whiplash. The chiropractor will first examine your injury and decide the procedures depending upon the problem discovered. You might require multiple visits to chiropractor depending upon the severity of your Whiplash injury.

Spinal manipulation is often used by chiropractor to deal with the joint issues.  Some chiropractors also use different forms of physical therapy or massage therapy. Once your spine is properly aligned and your muscle injuries are healed, the chiropractor may provide you with some exercises to increase the strength of your disc and reduce the chances of it becoming misaligned again Once your Whiplash injury is treated, the chiropractor will provide you guidance to carry out your daily activities and hobbies without causing any stress and damage to the injury area again. The chiropractor might also suggest you to visit any other health professional if required. Research study after study has proven that Chiropractic treatment for Whiplash is one of the most effective forms of treatment. Should you make the wise decision and turn to chiropractic treatment for a Whiplash injury, always ask your prospective chiropractor about their experience and expertise with Whiplash injuries. These types of injuries require very specific treatment and should only be treated by those that are experienced in treating them.

A chiropractor spends much of his education learning to evaluate and treat spinal subluxations. While there is much debate within the chiropractic profession as to the effects of subluxations, the majority of the profession does agree to what a subluxation actually is.

The definition of a subluxation is: an incorrect movement or a position of bones within  the spine, resulting in abnormal and detrimental nerve pressure. A mechanical strain that results in wear and tear of other spinal muscles ligaments take place due to improper functioning of a vertebra. The other subsequent painful conditions caused due to subluxation are severe pain, tenderness of muscles, decreased mobility of spine, numbness in the extremities and inflammation. These all abnormal conditions are sufficient reasons that might require you to visit a doctor or a chiropractor. Read more…

Chiropractic has been proven good in the treatment of migraine headaches, and this has been proven true for past over 100 years. Although recently, a few reports by biased so-called medical experts indicate that chiropractic treatments for the cervical spine in certain ways, may result in possibility of strokes. Actually the statistics prove that chiropractic care sometimes is capable of decreasing the likelihood of ischemic strokes. Generally, migraine headaches are sometimes seen in connection with increased chances of ischemic strokes. Read more…

Chiropractic techniques are well known when it comes to the treatment of joints, bones and muscles. The chiropractic treatments involve adjustments manually done to correct several abnormal physical conditions. The result of this treatment reflects in the entire body and the symptoms and pain due to the said abnormalities are eased with chiropractic care. Not only the joint pains and muscle pains, chiropractic care is very effective for the patients who complain about their severe and repetitive headaches. Chiropractic treatment is something that helps chronic headaches with the least side effects, highest safety and the maximum positive effects.

There are a number of kinds of headaches that, if treated with chiropractic care, can be cured efficiently. Following are the types of such headaches: Read more…

Chiropractic as we know it started 114 years ago in Davenport Iowa by D.D. Palmer. Since then the profession has established itself as the leading drugless healing profession in the United States.

While most people think that chiropractic treatment is simply for back pain, studies have show that chiropractic is very effective at treating most pain related conditions.

We get great results treating headaches, neck pain, sports related injuries to name just a few.

In order to celebrate our 114th birthday, we have a present for the community of Jacksonville. For a limited time, you can go to our new web site www.FreeExamJacksonville.com and instantly download a certificate for a FREE initial evaluation. This includes an examination and x-rays if neccessary. This “Birthday” gift has a value of up to $295.

Our chiropractic clinic is located on Jacksonville’s west side just north of NAS Jacksonville. Our chiropractors have over 20 years of expereince helping the people of Jacksonville. We have helped people with back and neck pain, headaches, auto accident related pain, fibromyagia and many other conditions. So just click on the link, www.FreeExamJacksonville.com and let us help you too.

In light of a new survey showing that chiropractic spinal manipulation is the top-rated treatment for people suffering with back pain, patients should consider a consultation with a doctor of chiropractic, says the American Chiropractic Association.

The Consumer Reports Health Rating Center released the survey results of more than 14,000 Americans on April 6.

The survey rated doctors of chiropractic as the top practitioner, with survey respondents noting that they were more likely to be “highly satisfied” with the care received from their doctor of chiropractic (59 percent) than their primary care physician (34 percent).

To compare which treatments helped most, Consumer Reports asked its subscribers to rate a comprehensive list of potential remedies along with their satisfaction with the health care professionals they visited. Most survey respondents had tried five or six different treatments on average, and many found that their back pain interfered with their daily activities, including sleep and their sex life.

Doctors of chiropractic provide drug-free, non-invasive treatment options for many types of pain and inflammation. For example, chronic back pain, neck pain, joint pain and headaches can often be reduced with the appropriate combination of chiropractic manipulation, rehabilitative exercises and lifestyle counseling – all of which are offered by doctors of chiropractic in a patient’s personalized treatment plan.

A significant amount of evidence has shown that the use of chiropractic care for certain conditions can be more effective than traditional medical care, with many patients feeling improvement shortly after their first chiropractic visit.

“I work closely with a lot of medical doctors,” explained Dr. Steven Read, clinic director of Ortega Chiropractic Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. “It is always in the patient’s best interest to cooperate with other doctors,” he added. The Jacksonville Chiropractor continued, ” I started a new website FreeExamJacksonville.com. This site will allow a person to sign up for a free initial chiropractic evaluation, to see if chiropractic can help with their low back pain.”

As a practicing Chiropractor in Jacksonville Florida, the majority of my time is spent treating low back pain. Here are a few facts about back pain in the United States:

• Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on treatment for low back pain.

• One half of all Americans will experience some form of back pain this year.

• It is the second most common reason for doctor’s visits.

• Major studies have shown chiropractic to be the most effective form of treatment in most cases.

I have been a Chiropractor in Jacksonville for over 20 years and have seen thousands of cases of low back pain. These cases range from simple localized low back pain to severe radiating low back pain. Some of the severe cases only responded to chiropractic treatment after exhausting all other types including surgery. Read more…