Seating Position Affects Whiplash Risk. Most studies that seek to examine the effect of whiplash injuries on the cervical spine involve subjects seated with their back and head against the seatback and headrest. This study sought to identify what impact might result from the body leaning forwards ten degrees from the seatback and/or the head…

Try Drug-Free Options First, Say Experts. New treatment guidelines from the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommend that people with a new episode of low back pain should try drug-free therapies before considering medication. In general, the guidelines recommended that those with back pain that has lasted less than twelve weeks should consider non-drug therapies…

Myofascial Pain Syndrome Common Among Neck Pain Sufferers. Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a regional pain syndrome described as myofascial trigger points in skeletal muscle that can refer pain to nearby regions. A recent study discovered the presence of MPS in a group 224 patients with chronic non-specific neck pain. The investigators found the most…

Surgery No More Effective Than Conservative Care for Disk Herniations in the Long-Term. A recent study sought to compare the effectiveness of surgical and conservative treatment for patients with a lumbar disk herniation in regards to sciatica symptom severity and quality of life. Researchers followed 370 lumbar disk herniation patients for 104 weeks and found…

Stabilization Exercises Help Reduce Pain. Core stabilization has long been recommended to aid in the management of low back pain. A recent study set out to examine the effects of lumbopelvic stabilization training on pain threshold and pain intensity in comparison to passive automated cycling and a control intervention among a sample of 25 patients…

Obesity Increases Risk of Chronic Pain. In the United States, 25 million adults experience daily chronic pain. In this study, researchers analyzed a sample of 6,079 middle-aged women and found that obese individuals were 2.06 times more likely to experienced chronic pain than those who fell within the normal weight range. Gynecological Endocrinology, January 2017

Goodbye Heel Pain. A recent case involved a 44-year-old patient with a one-year history of heel pain. An examination led to a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis and weakness of the hip muscles. The patient received ten sessions of hip strengthening and manipulative therapy over a period of three months. After the conclusion of care, the…

Nurses Often Suffer from Musculoskeletal Pain. Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is the most common cause of incapacity among nurses. A recent study investigated the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among hospital nurses and found that the overall prevalence of MSP was 70% in the past year and 64% in the past month, with low back and neck…

Inflammatory Markers and Back Pain. A recent study followed 155 elderly women for a year following an episode of acute low back pain. The researchers found that the women with lower levels of a pro-inflammatory cytokine called IL-6 reported less pain at the conclusion of the study. This finding suggests a relationship between inflammation and…

Preexisting Cervical Disk Degeneration May Not Slow Whiplash Recovery. Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) is a common injury following motor vehicle accidents and has a wide range of prognoses. A recent study set out to determine whether preexisting cervical disk degeneration is a prognostic factor in WAD. The study involved 45 patients with advanced disk degeneration and…