European Society of Cardiology, September 2016 Investigators recently examined the association between serious illness in earlier life and the risk of pain in old age. Using data from a large national survey in the United Kingdom that included 2,401 participants, researchers found that 10.5% of participants reported chronic widespread pain. Furthermore, those who experienced serious…

Chiropractic Patients Get Back to Work Faster. Does the type of healthcare provider you see first have an effect on how quickly you can recover from back pain following a work injury? An analysis of data from 5,511 workers injured in 2005 revealed that those who initially consulted with a doctor of chiropractic for their…

Risk Factors for Low Back Pain In US Workers. Researchers analyzed data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey and found the prevalence of self-reported low back pain was 25.7% among workers in the United States (US). Additionally, they found significant associations between low back pain and psychosocial factors such as work-family imbalance, exposure to…

Women with Chronic Migraines Have Altered Neck Muscle Activity. A recent study investigated neck muscle activity in women with chronic migraines. Researchers used surface electromyography to monitor the neck muscles of 31 subjects with episodic migraines, 21 with chronic migraines, and 31 healthy individuals. The results revealed that women with chronic migraines exhibited greater activity…

Dizziness May Be Caused By Dysfunction in the Neck… Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense where its various parts are in relation to one another for purposes of movement and balance. Cervicogenic dizziness is a musculoskeletal disorder in which neck pain is associated with disequilibrium; however, according to researchers, “The pathophysiology is unclear and…

Manual Therapies Help Seniors with Cervicogenic Headaches. In this study, researchers compared the effects of manual therapies, such as those delivered in a chiropractic setting, with usual care in the treatment of older adults whose headaches are the result of cervical dysfunction. Participants in the manual therapy group reported significant reductions in headache frequency following…

Musculoskeletal Pain Reduced By An Activity-Based Work Environment. A recent study investigated the effect of an activity-based work (ABW) office environment on physical activity and sedentary behavior, work ability, and musculoskeletal discomfort. ABW is based on the premise that employees do not have an assigned workstation; instead, they are provided with a variety of predetermined…

Lumbar Mobility Affected By Chronic Pain Among Seniors. In a recent study, researchers compared the mobility of 108 older adults, of whom 54 suffered from chronic low back pain. The investigators found that the older adults with chronic low back pain had more lumbar mobility impairments. This is of concern as loss of mobility can…

Spinal Manipulations Reduce Myofascial Pain Sensitivity. A study that included 26 participants recently assessed effects of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) on myofascial pain sensitivity. Investigators found that participants who received two consecutive SMT interventions 30 minutes apart experienced significant decreases in the pressure sensitivity of the associated myofascial tissues. The finding suggest the effects of…

Spinal Manipulative Therapy & Home Exercise Beneficial to Those with Chronic Neck Pain. Chronic neck pain is a common and disabling condition among older adults, but little is known regarding the cost-effectiveness of commonly used treatments. A recent study investigated the cost-effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy, supervised exercise, and home exercise among a group of…