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Chiropractic Care Ranks #1 in Back Pain Relief According to Consumer Reports Reader Survey

A recent reader survey by Consumer Reports rated chiropractic care as the most effective of 23 different treatment options for the provision of back pain relief. When the 14,000 back pain sufferers who responded were asked about satisfaction with their care provider, 59% described themselves as ‘highly satisfied’ with their chiropractor for treatment. The next runners up were physical therapists at 55% and acupuncturists at 53%. Specialist physicians followed at 44%, with only 34% of respondents finding their general practitioners as ‘highly satisfactory’ for helping with back pain relief.

Chiropractic Treatment the Clear Favorite of Readers

When it came to actual back pain treatments employed, chiropractic treatments came in the clear favorite with 58% favoring this option. This survey showed a strong preference for hands-on treatment for best lower back pain relief. Massage and physical therapy treatments received good reviews at 48% and 46% respectively. Spinal injections of various types were helpful to 51% of readers and 33% got relief from prescription pain medicines. Although almost all said they took some form of over-the-counter pain reliever, very few received significant relief of their low back pain.

Over the years in our New York City chiropractic center, I have been gratified to see so many patients find relief from their chronic back pain symptoms through a custom plan of chiropractic treatment including spinal adjustment. Many of my patients have been to five or more different health care providers and tried everything from prescription painkillers to intense physical therapy in their quest for effective back pain relief.

Reaching and Educating the Public

As chiropractic care has become a more accepted treatment option (by both insurance companies and the medical community) gradually more patients are turning to our Manhattan chiropractic services as a first or second line back pain treatment, rather than as a last resort. Ongoing research and documentation of actual, measurable relief from both chronic and acute muscular-skeletal injuries will enlighten the public about the very real advantages of getting professional chiropractic care early in the care seeking process.

Orly Avitzur M.D., Consumer Reports Medical Advisor and practicing neurologist, discussed the “wide variation in the management of lower-back pain” among practitioners and even from region to region. He cited the Dartmouth Atlas Project which showed a seven time higher incidence of back-fusion surgery among back pain patients in Bradenton, FL as compared to Newark, NJ! Dr. Avitzur cited this wide disparity of treatment methods as the inspiration for the Consumer Reports back pain treatment survey.

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Speak Their Language

A powerful tool for reaching the public is through experiential research that describes how the patient actually ‘experiences’ a treatment in relation to symptom relief. Back pain sufferers are looking for treatment options that work and often will relate better to ‘real people’ who have been in their position. While controlled clinical trials are essential to reinforcing the legitimacy of the profession, large scale surveys such as this Consumer Reports readers poll speak directly to the main concerns of the chronic back pain suffer: What is my best option for getting real relief from my problem? Who should I see and what therapies work best? Do a lot of people with my problem get help from this treatment? Can this treatment really help with my pain and will I be able to get my quality of life back?

Many survey respondents mentioned their regret for not using back strengthening exercises and other preventive spinal health measures earlier. This may indicate a willingness to participate more actively in the recovery process and to take measures to prevent recurrence of the problem in the future.

Dr. Orly Avitzur seems to hold education of the medical consumer in the same high esteem as I do, stating that “having informed patients is the best medicine, since the work involved in getting better takes time, effort, trust, and cooperation.” Our prescription for effective relief: Exceptional chiropractic care teamed with a well-motivated patient armed with the facts.

The Author

For more about current happenings in chiropractic care, please visit www.new-york-city-chiropractor.com. The author, Dr. Paul M. Salinas, is a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in the treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of neuro-muscular skeletal injuries. His New York chiropractic practice is Park Avenue Spine, located in Manhattan. In addition to his practice, Dr. Salinas is an adjunct professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Berkeley College, as well as a lecturer for corporate wellness programs. Contact Park Avenue Spine via the website or call 212.685.9123 for information or an appointment.

Blackberry® Thumb

Paul M. Salinas, D.C., A.R.T.

A noticeable emergence of new physical conditions seems to arise with the invention of any new and popular technology.  For example, computer mouse usage led to the familiarity of the condition called Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), characterized by wrist and hand pain, as well as numbness and in more severe cases, weakness of the afflicted hand.  As overall awareness increased and ergonomic improvements were made to the design of the mouse, there seemed to be a decrease in the number of complaints of CTS. 

Allergic to Blackberries?

ENTER the Blackberry®.  The invention of the Blackberry® and its ever increasing popularity has led to a new era of increasing wrist and hand pain.  If you’ve heard the term, but still don’t know exactly what this popular fruit is, the Blackberry® is a handheld smart phone with built in personal digital assistant (PDA), and famous for its wireless email handling feature. It’s been referred to tongue-in-cheek as the ‘Crackberry’ related to its highly addictive nature.

Just look around you at your next meeting or during your next subway ride and take notice of how many people are clicking away at their Blackberry®.  At my New York City chiropractic office, I see patients in the waiting room thumbing away at their Blackberry® all day long.  Even when they are in a treatment room, coming in complaining of severe hand and wrist pain, they occasionally will interrupt their medical history to check their Blackberry®.  In some extreme cases, patients will even thumb out emails while receiving physiotherapy.   

Chronic Repetition is the Problem

Many doctors, ranging from primary care doctors to chiropractors and physical therapists, are noticing an alarming increase in patients complaining about pain in their hands, especially in their thumb region.   Most of us began to name the condition “Blackberry® Thumb”.  Blackberry® thumb is characterized by pain in the thenar region of the hand, which are the muscles that move the thumb.  The chronic irritation of these muscles due to overuse can be classified as a Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD) or a Repetitive Motion Injury, much like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or the old ‘Tennis Elbow’. 

As a certified provider of Active Release Techniques® (A.R.T.), I identify and treat many forms of CTDs on a regular basis.  Dr. P. Michael Leahy, D.C., the creator A.R.T. relates the CTD to changes in muscles and the soft-tissue affected by the repetitive motion involved, in this particular case overuse of the thumb.  The muscles and soft-tissue can accumulate thick and dense scar tissue that eventually restricts the normal movement of the area affected. As the scar tissue continues to build up, the affected muscles and tendons can become short and weak, which may result in conditions such as tendonitis, and nerve entrapments.  This build-up of scar tissue may result in a reduction of the normal range of motion, as well as a loss of strength and pain in the area.  If there is nerve involvement, people may also complain of numbness and tingling. 

Active Release Technique® Provides Relief

As a chiropractor, I treat many patients utilizing Active Release Technique®.  Active Release helps to reduce the scar tissue and fibrous adhesions that have formed due to injury to restore function and decrease pain in the area of chronic injury. However, if patients do not alter the habits that resulted in the cause of this “Blackberry® Thumb” condition, the problem may likely reoccur.  Since it is highly unlikely that my patients who have become dependent on these devices will stop using them, I strongly recommend participation in daily stretches to their thumb and wrist muscles.  Self stretching may help reduce some of the chronic tightness that leads to these problems, as well as a way to avoid these difficult conditions from beginning at all.  It is recommended that if you already experience chronic hand, wrist or thumb pain, that you should seek out a professional medical opinion before beginning any self treatment program. 

To learn more about this condition, chiropractic treatment options and other health-related issues, please visit www.parkavenuespine.com.

Dr. Paul Salinas is a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic, specializing in the treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of neuro-muscular skeletal injuries. His New York chiropractic practice is Park Avenue Spine and Sports, locate on Park Avenue in Manhattan. In addition to his practice, Dr. Salinas is an adjunct professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Berkeley College, as well as a lecturer for corporate wellness programs.