A Single Chiropractic Session Can Reduce Neck Pain

Multiple studies have confirmed the benefits of chiropractic care for neck pain. However, little is known about how long it may take for patients to begin to experience pain relief after beginning chiropractic treatments. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the response can vary significantly from patient to patient. At Rivano Chiropractic Health Center, many of our patients do report improvements following their very first treatment session.

Can patients truly benefit from a single session of chiropractic care? A 2008 literature review sought to analyze the prognosis of patients with neck pain who underwent one session of manual therapy to investigate how a single spinal adjustment session affects patients' reported pain levels. The review involved nine clinical trials of patients with chronic neck pain. Six of the studies involved spinal manipulation, four used spinal mobilization or non-manipulative manual therapy, and the last utilized manual trigger point therapy.

Following a review of all nine studies, the authors found moderate to high evidence that a single session of spinal adjustment leads to immediate and clinically significant improvements. The patients reported an average pain score decrease of 18.9 on a 100-point scale, suggesting the magnitude of change possible from a single chiropractic session. The evidence for trigger point therapy and spinal mobilization is less substantial, though still present.

While patients can expect to feel significant relief in their first view sessions, your recovery time is highly dependent on the nature of your symptoms and personal health history. Florham Park chiropractor Dr. Rivano will work with you to establish an efficient treatment plan to get you out of pain as soon as possible.

This literature review provides strong support for the benefits of chiropractic care for patients with neck pain. If you are looking into chiropractic care to alleviate your pain, contact Florham Park chiropractor Dr. Rivano today.

Reference

Vernon H, Humphreys BK. Chronic mechanical neck pain in adults treated by manual therapy: a systemic review of change scores in randomized controlled trials of a single session. The Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy 2008; 16(2): E42–E52.