Chiropractic Health & Wellness Blog
Patient satisfaction rate was 94%
March 5, 2012
Acute Neck Pain (Torticollis), Disability
and Chiropractic:
Patient Satisfaction Results
The overall patient satisfaction rate was 94%
By
Mark Studin DC, FASBE (C), DAAPM, DAAMLP
William J. Owens DC, DAAMLP
The “real life” issue for the patient who either wakes up with this debilitating pain or is in an accident that causes it, is that taking drugs without narcotics is insufficient for relieving the pain. With the narcotics, one can be severely hampered and may not be able to go about his/her life. It is often a double-edged sword; take strong drugs and compromise your life or don't take drugs, receive no chiropractic care and suffer.
A 2006 study examined "...the extent to which a group of patients with acute neck pain managed with chiropractic [adjustments]...and the degree to which they were subsequently satisfied...A total of 115 patients were contacted, of whom 94 became study participants, resulting in 60 women (64%) and 34 men. The mean age was 39.6 years...The mean number of visits was 24.5...Pain levels improved significantly from a mean of 7.6...before treatment to 1.9...after treatment...The overall patient satisfaction rate was 94%" (Haneline, 2006, p. 288).
"There were reductions in disability recorded during the study that were statistically significant. Approximately 84% of the patients related that their activities were restricted before chiropractic treatment because of their neck pain, whereas only 25% still had activity restrictions at the time of the interview. Furthermore, 57% of those with physical restrictions described their disabilities as moderately severe or greater before treatment, whereas at the time of the interview, just 12% did (Haneline, 2006, p. 294).
"When comparing trauma with no-trauma cases, Trauma cases received more than 3 times as many visits. This difference may be related to tissue damage that often accompanies trauma, which, many times, heals imperfectly. In addition, patients with this type of problem may have ensuing long-term pain and physical impairment, which further shows that trauma complicates the recovery of acute neck pain (Haneline, 2006, p. 294).
This study along with many others concludes that a drug-free approach of chiropractic care is one of the best solutions to acute neck pain and returning to a normal life.
Lyn Lake Chiropractic would like to share this research with you since we see a great deal of neck pain. Many patients come in with pain neck especially when they wake up with neck pain.