Methods that are Really Fighting Neck Pain
Killing migraine-triggering neck pain – what’s the best way? A recent study looked at a related question.
Last week we were talking about the pain that comes along with migraine – of which neck pain is at the top of the list.. We also were talking about how other issues – painful issues, such as neck pain, can lead to migraine. A new study published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine (an academic journal published by the American College of Physicians) looked at three ways that people dealt with neck pain – and what worked the best.
The study looked at three groups of patients – those taking medication, those using exercise (therapeutic exercise done at home), and those taking chiropractic treatment.
After twelve weeks, here are the results. The chart below shows the % of patients who experienced at least 75% relief:
The clear winner was chiropractic, with 57%. Of those taking medication, only 33% found that much relief.
But there’s more. A year later, 53% of those who received chiropractic treatment still had 75% relief, and only 38% of those on medication.
My chiropractor always urged me to do exercise at home on top of regular adjustments. This study seems to suggest he was right. It would be interesting to see how people fared who used a combination of treatments.