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We tend to a large number of patients in our Harleysville, PA office, and Dr. Szilagyi has helped many people overcome a variety of health issues. However, one worry that seems to stop a lot of women and men from pursuing treatment is whether or not chiropractic is safe. Fortunately, according to three separate studies (out of many on the issue), the answer to this question is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first research paper(1) was published in Spine and involved 183 men and women between the ages of 20 and 85. Each test subject reported affected by spine-related pain, and half of the people received actual chiropractic care visits whereas the other half received two sham chiropractic adjustments. Data was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to identify whether or not any unfavorable reactions were caused by the genuine chiropractic adjustments.

Researchers found that no one reported any significant unfavorable side effects in any way after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some people did report that they got a headache (9% of patients) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) after treatment, but the effects were not of a serious nature.

National Survey Reports that Chiropractic is Safe

A second article(2), also published in the distinguished medical journal, Spine, was done in an attempt to establish the safety of chiropractic. The study group was much larger as it involved just under 20,000 individuals. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.

Once again, the experts discovered no serious adverse side effects. The experts determined the risk of total side effects to be about 6 out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. Plus, just as with the first study, some people did report non-serious, milder, side effects such as dizziness (about 1.6%) or a headache (4%), and this prompted the researchers to conclude that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Care Is Safe for Children

This third study(3) is different from the first two reports, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this case, the researchers investigated data reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic treatment sessions.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic appointments made for the children, chiropractors responding to the survey reported only three cases where there were adverse reactions. When parents were surveyed, they indicated only two adverse side effects out of 1,735 visits. Furthermore, both chiropractors and parents reported "a high rate of improvement with respect to the children's presenting complaints."

Based on studies like these, chiropractic care has been found to be safe and effective for everyone. To find out what chiropractic care can do for you, call our Harleysville, PA office and make an appointment today at (215) 256-4345.

References

1. Walker BF, Hebert JJ, Stomski NJ, Clarke BR, Bowden RS, Losco B, French SD. Outcomes of usual chiropractic. The OUCH randomized controlled trial of adverse events. Spine 2013;38(20):1723-9.
2. Thiel HW1, Bolton JE, Docherty S, Portlock JC. Safety of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine: a prospective national survey. Spine 2007;32(21):2375-8.
3. Alcantara J, Ohm J, Kunz D. The safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic: a survey of chiropractors and parents in a practice-based research network. Explore NY 2009;5(5): 290-5.

When you're trying to sustain your family, take care of your household, and pay all of your bills on time, every day at your job counts. Work injuries can be a big problem for many people, and we see many of these types of injuries in our Harleysville, PA office. Dr. Szilagyi appreciates your situation and is here to help.

The benefits of chiropractic for work injuries are well-documented. A 2013 research paper involving 651 adults who were suffering with either back or neck pain found that the individuals who didn't see a chiropractor missed work at twice the rate of those who were seeing a chiropractor.

So, why don't more people use Chiropractic Care?

According to the respondents in this study, two of the major factors were that they thought they needed a medical referral for chiropractic care (which is typically no longer true) and they overestimated the costs associated with chiropractic treatment sessions by almost 70 percent.

The truth is, chiropractic patients actually spend less on care than medical patients, plus they are less likely to use drugs for their symptoms.

Dr. Szilagyi Can Help People Find Comfort From Chronic Pain

If you live in Harleysville, PA and you've been injured at work, we can help. Give our office a call today at (215) 256-4345 for an appointment.

Resources

"Thousands of Minnesotans with Back and Neck Pain Don't Seek Treatment." (2013, June 12). ChiroCare.

Because trauma to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is often quite painful, we do our best to help our Harleysville, PA patients find relief as quickly and effectively as possible. In fact, Dr. Szilagyi will tell you that the medical literature shows just how much chiropractic care can help ease pain in the jaw.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With TMJ Pain and Discomfort

For instance, one study published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice involved 15 patients with temporomandibular disorders who were treated with neck adjustments, middle-back manipulation, and trigger point therapy via dry needling. Individuals were examined prior to these treatments and at two weeks and two months post-treatment. The clinicians reported positive outcomes such as reduced discomfort, greater jaw movement, and lower disability at both follow-ups.

Another clinical study conducted an analysis of almost 800 papers involving manual and manipulative therapy for conditions such as TMJ and discovered similar findings. The authors concluded that there is a "fair...level of evidence" that chiropractic care can help ease symptoms associated with TMJ and other upper extremity disorders.

This is great news since the triggers of TMJ are largely unknown. While injury to the jaw area can cause pain symptoms, there are other factors to consider as well, such as bruxism, osteoarthritis, and clenching of the jaw due to stress.

Dr. Szilagyi Can Help Clients Find Relief From TMJ Pain

No matter what is making your jaw hurt, call Dr. Szilagyi today and schedule an appointment to come into our Harleysville, PA location. We'll do our best to help you smile pain-free!

Studies

• Gonzalez-Iglesias J et al. (2013, November). Mobilization with movement, thoracic spine manipulation, and dry needling for the management of temporomandibular disorder: a prospective case series. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice;29(8):586-95
• Brantingham J et al. (2013, March-April). Manipulative and multimodal therapy for upper extremity and temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;36(3):143-201
• Oral Care. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders-tmd on November 2, 2015

We encounter a lot of sports injuries in our Harleysville, PA office, and Dr. Szilagyi is generally able to help these athletes. Stanford Children’s Hospital states that more than 3.5 million children aged 14 and younger are hurt each year when playing sports. Add that to the almost 2 million adults hurt annually while engaged in sports-related activities, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and you can begin to see the importance of preventing these types of widespread injuries. One approach to possible achieve that goal, as stated in a study published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, is to engage in regular chiropractic treatments.

In Australian Rules football, hamstring and other leg traumas are commonplace, often sidelining the players and affecting their team's likelihood of securing a win. One specific study was administered using 59 semi-elite Australian Rules footballers to see whether chiropractic could diminish these injuries and help keep them playing.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps in Treating Sports Injuries

For this study particularly, all of the participants received medical treatment. Additionally, half of them also received chiropractic sessions at the rate of 1 session per week for the first six weeks, biweekly sessions for the following three months, and one treatment per month for the remaining 3 months of the study. The other half had no chiropractic intervention at all and acted as the control group to assess the benefits of chiropractic care.

Following 24 matches, specialists noticed a reduced number of lower limb muscle strains in the group that had received chiropractic care. Additionally, that very group also missed fewer matches correlated to non-contact knee injuries. This lead the researchers to conclude that chiropractic ought to be made an addition to sports training programs to dramatically lessen the quantity of leg injuries.

Dr. Szilagyi Can Help Patients Find Comfort From Sports Injuries & Help You Recover Quicker

If you or your child plays sports and you would like to make sure more time is dedicated on the field versus on the sidelines, call our Harleysville, PA office at (215) 256-4345 and make an appointment today. We will do our best to keep you in the game!

References

• Hoskins, W, & Pollard, H. (2010, April 8). The effect of a sports chiropractic manual therapy intervention on the prevention of back pain, hamstring and lower limb injuries in semi-elite Australian Rules footballers: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 11(64), doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-64
• Misra, A. (2014, March 17). Common sports injuries: Incidence and average charges. Department of Health & Human Services.
• Stanford Children’s Hospital. (n.d.). Sports injury statistics.

We work with many back pain patients in our Harleysville, PA chiropractic office, and Dr. Szilagyi and our staff uses an assortment of techniques to help get you out of pain and restore your spine's normal, healthy function. We find spinal decompression to be an effective approach.

Understanding Spinal Decompression Therapy

To help you better understand spinal decompression therapy, think of the discs in your spine like water balloons filled with jello. When you compress them (which occurs due to normal living, sustaining an injury, or other medical conditions), they can protrude, placing pressure on the nerves in your spinal column. This affects your brain's ability to communicate with tissues in the rest of your body.

If the force on the discs becomes too high, they can herniate or bulge. This removes the cushion between your vertebrae and can cause pain. The goal of spinal decompression therapy is to lessen this pressure to help increase your body's function and also reduce your level of pain.

Can Spinal Decompression Therapy Help Me?

Spinal decompression therapy relieves disc pressure through the use of a specially designed table that gently elongates your spinal column through slow and controlled movements. This decreases the pressure placed on your discs. Some studies report an increase in disc height by as much as 1.3 millimeters after just six weeks of spinal decompression therapy.

If you're wondering if spinal decompression therapy could help you feel and function better, simply call our Harleysville, PA office and schedule an appointment with Dr. Szilagyi today. Your optimal health is our number one priority!

Resources

Apfel CC, Cakmakkaya OS, Richmond C, et al. Restoration of disk height through non-surgical spinal decompression is associated with decreased discogenic low back pain: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010;11(155). doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-155

Since injury to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is frequently rather painful, we do our best to help our Harleysville, PA patients find relief as quickly and effectively as possible. In fact, Dr. Szilagyi will tell you that the research shows just how much your chiropractor can help ease discomfort in the jaw.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With TMJ Pain and Discomfort

For instance, a study published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice included 15 patients with TMJ pain who were managed with neck adjustments, middle-back manipulation, and trigger point therapy via dry needling. Individuals were assessed prior to these treatments and at two weeks and two months post-treatment. The authors reported positive outcomes such as reduced discomfort, greater jaw movement, and lower disability at both follow-ups.

Another research study conducted a review of almost 800 papers involving manual and manipulative therapy for conditions such as TMJ and found similar results. The authors concluded that there is a "fair...level of evidence" that chiropractic care can help ease pain associated with TMJ and other upper extremity disorders.

This is great news since the causes of TMJ are largely unknown. While injury to the jaw or neck can cause pain symptoms, there are other factors to consider as well, such as grinding teeth, osteoarthritis, and clenching of the jaw due to stress.

Dr. Szilagyi Can Help Patients Find Comfort From TMJ Pain

No matter what is making your jaw ache, call Dr. Szilagyi now and make an appointment to come into our Harleysville, PA practice. We'll do our best to help you smile pain-free!

References

• Gonzalez-Iglesias J et al. (2013, November). Mobilization with movement, thoracic spine manipulation, and dry needling for the management of temporomandibular disorder: a prospective case series. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice;29(8):586-95
• Brantingham J et al. (2013, March-April). Manipulative and multimodal therapy for upper extremity and temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;36(3):143-201
• Oral Care. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders-tmd on November 2, 2015

Dr. Szilagyi sees many back pain patients in our busy Harleysville, PA chiropractic office. Many of these people have some type of spinal condition that is causing them pain and discomfort. Fortunately, Dr. Szilagyi finds that spinal decompression treatment is a highly effective way to help these individuals.

What is Spinal Decompression and How Can it Help Me?

Non-surgical spinal decompression is a treatment method that takes all of the positive benefits that one normally gets from chiropractic, traction, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, and myofascial therapy and combines them all into one.

The objective of this technique is to keep you out of the operating room, and that is exactly what it's achieved for a number of people, as it has a documented 85% success rate.

Some of the issues spinal decompression helps with include generalized back pain, sciatica, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, compression fractures, and joint pain.

Spinal decompression works by reversing the influences of wear, tear, and gravity that compresses the intervertebral discs in your spine. The movie below shows how it works to decrease stress on your back and helps decrease pain and disability.

Dr. Szilagyi Can Help People Find Comfort From Chronic Back Pain

If you live in Harleysville, PA and you're struggling with back issues, spinal decompression therapy might be the fix. Call Dr. Szilagyi today at (215) 256-4345 for a consultation or appointment.

According to experts, around 5 percent of the population will experience painful problems like frozen shoulder syndrome at some time in their lives. That makes shoulder-related pain a common problem and one that Dr. Szilagyi sees in our Harleysville, PA practice on a regular basis.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Shoulder Pain

By and large, this condition is more common for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and it tends to affect women more often than men. While ice, heat, and gentle stretching can sometimes help relieve the discomfort, so too can chiropractic adjustments.

For instance, one study released in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine looked at 50 patients with frozen shoulder who were given chiropractic care. The duration of care ranged from 11 days to 51 days, with 28 days being the average.

The researchers found that almost all of the study participants fared very well with chiropractic care. The study found:

8 of the subjects reported 50-75 percent improvement
25 indicated improvement ranging from 75- 90 percent
1 participant had complete resolution of their frozen shoulder pain

Only one participant reported an improvement of 50 percent or less, so studies like this show just how effective chiropractic can be when it comes to decreasing shoulder pain and increasing quality of life.

We Can Help Patients Find Comfort From Shoulder Pain

Let Dr. Szilagyi help you relieve your pain by contacting our Harleysville, PA office and scheduling your appointment today.

Resources

Murphy F et al. (2012, December). Chiropractic management of frozen shoulder syndrome using a novel technique: a retrospective case series of 50 patients. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine;11(4):267-272

Knee pain is a frequent problem for patients in our Harleysville, PA chiropractic office, and Dr. Szilagyi has happily provided many of these men and women relief. This is largely because chiropractic care has been found to help with many kinds of knee pain.

For example, some people experience pain in and around the knee tissues due to osteoarthritis. Research has shown that this condition responds very well to chiropractic--and rather quickly, too. In fact, one article published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that people with osteoarthritis in their knees felt significant pain relief and improved function after just two weeks of chiropractic care.

If your knee pain is due to a medial meniscus tear, chiropractic could likely help with that as well. One study found that integrating chiropractic with soft tissue treatment, rest, ice, and compression on the affected knee helped lower the intensity of the pain.

Clearly, sometimes a knee replacement surgery is required in order to fix the issue, and if that's the case, chiropractic care can also help improve the outcome. How?

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Knee Injuries

Research has shown that patients with low back pain often have less positive outcomes after knee surgery. So, dealing with your back pain through chiropractic prior to having a total knee arthroplasty can help with your post-surgery recovery.

No matter what your knee issue, Dr. Szilagyi can likely help. Call our Harleysville, PA location today and find out what we can do for you!

Resources

• Pollard H et al. (2008, December). The effect of a manual therapy knee protocol on osteoarthritic knee pain: a randomised controlled trial. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association;52(4):229-42
  Boyle J et al. (2014, March). Influence of low back pain on total knee arthroplasty outcome. Knee;21(2):410-4
• Jarosz B & Ames R. (2010, December). Chiropractic management of a medial meniscus tear in a patient with tibiofemoral degeneration: a case report. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine;9(4):200-8

We see a number of patients in our Harleysville, PA office with ankle sprains but Dr. Szilagyi has had a lot of success helping them heal more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can chiropractic care help?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), approximately 25,000 men and women in the US sprain their ankles every day. In fact, these injuries make up nearly half of all sports injuries, causing people to spend time away from the activities they enjoy most.

Like any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most frequent is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can occur due to one forceful movement, or it can develop over a period of time, and activities that increase the risk for this type of ankle sprain include running and jumping. You're also at risk if you have past ankle injuries, poor posture or balance, weak muscles, and reduced range of motion.

How Can Chiropractic Treatments and Dr. Szilagyi Help?

A report printed in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to identify chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. Researchers recruited 33 people between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a history of ankle inversion sprains, who were experiencing tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the ankle in the previous six weeks.

Eighteen of the participants were assigned to participate in rehabilitation and the remaining 15 individuals received chiropractic in addition to rehab. Each person had five full weeks of treatment, with the rehabilitation group receiving treatment seven days a week and the rehabilitation plus chiropractic group receiving therapy six out of the seven days.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Ankle Sprains

Researchers found that the individuals who participated in both rehab and chiropractic fared the best at the 4-week mark when it came to pain and joint restriction. Also, no undesirable effects were reported, showing that this treatment option is safe.

If you're near our location in Harleysville, PA and you're suffering from an ankle injury, give us a call. We'll do what we can to keep you up and running... literally!

Bibliography

• American College of Sports Medicine. (n.d.). Ankle sprains and the athlete. Retrieved from https://www.acsm.org/docs/current-comments/anklesprainstemp.pdf
• Lubbe, D et al. (2015, January). Manipulative therapy and rehabilitation for recurrent ankle sprain with functional instability: a short-term, assessor-blind, parallel-group randomized trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 38(1), 22-34, doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2014.10.001