Benefits of Continued Richmond Chiropractic Care for Back Pain
“Doc, must I see you for a long time?”
“No, but you might well want to!”
Researchers are stating support for chiropractic care in the short and long term also known as maintenance care. Benefits include pain relief and return of function in the short term and continued pain relief, continued function, and greater confidence in taking part in activities of daily living. Johnson Chiropractic leaves it up to our Richmond chiropractic clients who know themselves and their bodies best.
CHIROPRACTIC RELIEF: TIME, VISITS AND WORSE PAIN, FUNCTION RETURN
A RAND Human Subjects Protection Committee-approved study of chronic back pain (1362) and chronic neck pain (1214) patients analyzed how quickly they improved with chiropractic care and how much functional improvement they felt. These patients were documented as suffering with mild pain for the most part. Back and neck pain reduced, and function recovered gradually over three months of chiropractic care. When frequency of chiropractic visits was blended into the analysis, those with the worst pain had more visits. Only visits more than once a week for chronic low back pain patients impacted the outcome toward greater improvement. (1) Studies like this can assist patients with their expectations and payers with their treatment plan decision-making for coverage. Johnson Chiropractic is so glad to see these types of studies published to share with our Richmond back pain patients.
TREATMENT PLANNING FOR BACK PAIN RELIEF: Chiropractic Maintenance Care
Not all back pain patients are the same. Richmond back pain has biological, social, and psychological influences]30] that should be taken into consideration, too. A collection of back pain patients’ response to chiropractic care alone versus multidisciplinary care found a relatively small difference in outcome which makes sense that adding ancillary care boosts the outcomes. (2) Same with continued chiropractic care. Patients who kept to the maintenance care recommendations noted fewer pain days and fewer activity-limited days. (3) Back pain patients who adhered to recommendations for maintenance care valued its being patient-centered. Cost, low availability, and fear of treatment were factors they thought prevented them from following recommended maintenance care. (4) A patient with a 13-year history of chiropractic once-monthly maintenance care incorporating cervical spine long-y distraction for cervical radiculopathy and associated retrolisthesis (backward slipping of one spinal vertebral bone on its spinal neighbors) kept the patient asymptomatic, sustained the spine functioning as best as possible, and brought about a gradual reduction in the cervical spine retrolisthesis. Older neck pain patients who got long-term chiropractic care and exercise for neck pain reported greater improvement in pain, function, balance, and self-efficacy (confidence in doing daily activities and such). Chiropractic care was thought to improve pain and control symptoms while exercise bolstered self-efficacy and confidence to be able to keep active and mobile and in being able to self-manage their condition. (6) Johnson Chiropractic carefully creates a treatment plan for each unique patient for optimal outcomes for each.
CONTACT Johnson Chiropractic
Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Robert Borzone on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the effectiveness of continued chiropractic care with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for his patient with a disc herniation.
Schedule your next Richmond chiropractic appointment with Johnson Chiropractic. Our back pain and neck pain patients don’t have to see us, but many do because they feel good and want to stay that way.
