Musculoskeletal Risk Factors for Back Pain. A recent research review set out to identify musculoskeletal risk factors that can be treated clinically before the onset of lower back pain (LBP). Investigators found twelve articles that evaluated musculoskeletal risk factors for the development of lower back pain, which included a total of 5,459 participants. The researchers…

How Often Do Children Have Back Pain? Spinal pain is a common condition among children and adolescents. In this study, researchers monitored school children ages eight to fifteen for three years and found 55% experienced one or more episodes of back pain during that time. Though most children had only a few short-lasting episodes of…

Many People Choose Manual Therapies for Headaches. Utilizing data from 35 published studies, a new report finds that about a third (32.3%) of headache patients utilize manual therapies to help manage their condition. The report notes the most common reasons headache patients seek out manual therapies include pain relief, perceived safety, and dissatisfaction with drug-based…

Neck Pain Is a Major Problem in the Dental Field… An analysis of health questionnaires completed by dentists, dental assistants, and dental technicians reveals that neck pain is a surprisingly common complaint in dental offices. While nearly 76% of the dentists, almost 91% of dental assistants, and 40% of dental technicians experience cervical discomfort, only…

Manual Therapy Effective for Neck Pain. This study included 92 patients who received manual therapy to treat their non-specific neck pain two times per week for three weeks. At the end of the study, the participants reported that manual therapy both reduced their neck pain and improved their physical function. Chiropractors are known for using…

Neck Pain and Muscle Function. A new study investigated the effect of unilateral posterior neck pain (UPNP) on neck motion and muscle activation. The study included 20 patients with UPNP and 20 individuals without neck pain to serve as a control group. Investigators measured neck motion during prone neck extension as well as muscle activity…

Soft Tissue Manipulation Benefits COPD Sufferers. A new study measured the immediate effect of soft tissue manual therapy on the lung function of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The researchers measured residual volume, inspiratory capacity, and oxygen saturation (SpO2) of twelve severe COPD participants immediately before and after administration of a soft tissue…

Neck Stiffness and Headaches. A recent study investigated upper cervical spine stiffness among patient with either migraine or tension-type headaches. Regardless of headache type, the participants in the study exhibited a reduced cervical range of motion, suggesting a “likely link between the cervical discomfort and these pathologies.” The findings confirm what chiropractors have noted for…

Joint pain and arthritis affect more than 100 million individuals in the United States. A new study set out to investigate differences in medical costs between patients with arthritis and joint pain and those not suffering from such ailments. The results of the investigation revealed that mean medical expenditures were nearly $6,774 greater each year…

Hip Issues Common in Low Back Pain Sufferers. In a recent study, over one-hundred back pain patients received a physical examination and completed questionnaires on spinal pain, hip pain, and physical function. The findings revealed that hip dysfunction is common in patients presenting with low back pain, and patients with both low back pain and…