Recent Posts

According to experts, around 2-5 percent of the population will experience painful problems like frozen shoulder syndrome at some point in their lives. That makes shoulder-related pain a common problem and one that Dr. Mulholland sees in our Anchorage clinic on a regular basis.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Shoulder Pain

Usually, this issue is more common for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and it tends to affect women more frequently than men. While ice, heat, and gentle stretches can sometimes help alleviate the pain, so too can chiropractic care.

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

The doctors found that almost all of the study participants fared very well with chiropractic care. Here are the results:

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

We Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Shoulder Pain

Let Dr. Mulholland help you decrease your pain by contacting our Anchorage 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

Dr. Mulholland works with many sciatica patients here in our Anchorage office, and many of these patients were afraid that they might require surgery to eliminate their pain. The most recent research indicates that many people don't require surgery for this widespread issue, and that chiropractic is more effective at resolving sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians examined 80 patients with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

Forty patients were then randomly sorted into one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.

Both groups improved; however, no obvious difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. In addition, around sixty percent of the participating subjects who could not find pain relief from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic offered the same positive benefits as surgery without needing to undergo the greater levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often associated with that type of treatment method. Additionally, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery ought to be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Anchorage and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Mulholland a call today at (907) 770-5700. We'll help identify the start of your pain and work hard to get you relief.

References

• McMorland, G et al. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(8):576-584.
• Solberg TK, Nygaard OP, Sjaavik K, Hofoss D, Ingebrigtsen T. The risk of "getting worse" after lumbar microdiscectomy. European Spine Journal 2005;14(1):49-54.
  

While many women automatically assume that pregnancy and back pain go hand in hand, they are often surprised when they discover that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, chiropractic adjustments can often help alleviate persistant back pain for pregnant women by as much as 85 percent.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Pregnancy

We've worked with many pregnant women suffering from back pain in our Anchorage office.

One piece of research published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies involved 115 women who were pregnant (most of which were in their third trimester) and reported pain in their low back, pelvic area, or both. Data was gathered prior to the study, as well as one week, one month, three months, and one year after treatment commenced. At each subsequent point in time, the participants were asked to rate their level of pain based on a 7-point scale to determine whether it was better, worse, or stayed the same. The results?

More than half reported that their pain was better after one week of chiropractic treatment. After one month, that amount jumped up to 70 percent, climbing even more to 85 percent showing improvement at the three month mark. Positive effects were still reported at six months post-treatment, which was generally after childbirth, and continued to the final data collection one year after treatment commenced.

There are also many additional advantages of chiropractic care during pregnancy. Not only does it effectively relieve back pain, but it does it in a completely natural and non-invasive way. This means that you don't have to worry about taking any drugs or undergoing any type of treatment that could potentially harm your unborn child.

Dr. Mulholland Can Help Patients Find Comfort From Back Pain During Pregnancy

Additionally, it makes your time spent carrying your child more pleasant. When you're not sidetracked with aches and pains, you can enjoy the experience even more as you prepare your home and your life for all of the fun and exciting changes that lie ahead.

You don't have to suffer from back pain during pregnancy. We're here in Anchorage to help with natural chiropractic care. Give us a call today at (907) 770-5700 to make an appointment.

Peterson CK, Muhlemann D, & Humphreys BK. Outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment: a prospective cohort study with short term, medium term and 1 year follow-up. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2014;22(15):doi:10.1186/2045-709X-22-15.

According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, more Americans suffer with chronic pain than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. In addition, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by back pain and headaches.

Not surprisingly, many patients come to our Anchorage office seeking neck pain care, and Dr. Mulholland has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart choice, as some studies have shown that over 90 percent of neck pain patients improve with chiropractic care.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Effective for Neck Pain

A report published in The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy involved 64 men and women who were suffering with neck problems. Approximately half were placed in an experimental group and the other half were designated to a comparison group. Both received chiropractic adjustments of the neck as well as a home exercise plan, whereas the experimental group also received thoracic spine adjustments.

Data was collected before treatment began and one week after the adjustments. Researchers found that 94 percent of the experimental group reported "significantly greater improvements" in regard to pain and disability in their neck symptoms. Just 35% of the individuals who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, illustrating that evaluating the entire spinal column is an important part of restoring the body's normal function.

Another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 adults who reported suffering with neck pain. Each person was randomly assigned to one of two groups--thoracic spine thrust manipulation or non-thrust manipulation--with follow-up exams occurring two and four days after the treatments.

Researchers discovered that the study participants who received the thrust manipulations (the same manipulations that offered such positive results in the first report) "experienced greater reductions in disability" than the group that received the non-thrust adjustments. Their pain was lower as well, which shows that this type of approach offers many benefits.

Help After Failed Neck Surgery

One study even found the same kind of positive outcomes after thoracic adjustments in a patient who had a failed neck surgery. This specific case involved a 46-year-old woman who had recently had neck surgery but still experienced neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The patient reported decreased pain in her neck and reduced headache intensity, immediately after the first chiropractic adjustments. After six weeks of care, which involved chiropractic, exercise, and patient education, the patient still rated her pain at a zero on a scale of 1 to 10. Her neck disability improved as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

It is studies like these that prove the advantages of chiropractic techniques, even if you've already attempted medical procedures that didn't provide relief. So, if you are dealing with neck pain and would like to find a remedy that has a high success rate, try chiropractic. It may just be the help you're looking for.

We're located in Anchorage and Dr. Mulholland can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (907) 770-5700.

References

• AAPM facts and figures on pain. The American Academy of Pain Medicine.
• Masaracchio M, Cleland JA, Hellman M, Hagins M. Short-term combined effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation in individuals with mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2013;43(3):118-127.
• Cleland JA, Glynn P, Whitman JM, Eberhart SL, MacDonald C, Childs JD. Short-term effects of thrust versus nonthrust mobilization/manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Physical Therapy 2007;87(4):431-440.
• Salvatori R, Rowe RH, Osborne R, Beneciuk JM. Use of thoracic spine thrust manipulation for neck pain and headache in a patient following multiple-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a case report. The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2014;44(6):440-449.
  

With the Migraine Research Foundation reporting that migraine headaches affect 38 million people in the United States (more than asthma and diabetes put together), it's not surprising that Dr. Mulholland treats a lot of migraine patients in our Anchorage office. Although some folks try to relieve migraine pain with medications, chiropractic is a fantastic, all-natural approach that consistently provides positive results.

Research Proves Chiropractic Care Helps With Migraines

For instance, one study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics involved 127 participants ranging in age from 10 to 70-years-old who struggled with frequent (at least monthly) headaches. Each subject received up to 16 chiropractic sessions. The patients noted that their headache frequency, duration, and disability two months before the treatments began, during the duration of the sessions (which was two months), and two months post-treatment.

What the researchers discovered is that chiropractic reduced the frequency, duration, and disability of the migraine headaches when compared with the control subjects who didn't receive chiropractic. In addition, this enabled them to take less medication for the pain, offering them an all-natural answer for a chronic condition.

Another report found that a combination of chiropractic and neck massage reduced migraine headaches almost 68%.

If you have migraine headache pain and are looking for relief, call Dr. Mulholland today and request an appointment in our Anchorage chiropractic office. We'll do what we can to help you become pain-free!

Studies

Migraine Fact Sheet. Migraine Research Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.migraineresearchfoundation.org/fact-sheet.html on November 2, 2015
Noudeh Y et al. (2012). Reduction of current migraine headache pain following neck massage and spinal manipulation. International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork;5(1):5-13
Tuchin P et al. (2000, February). A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;23(2):91-5

Knee pain is a frequent problem for patients in our Anchorage chiropractic practice, and Dr. Mulholland has successfully provided many of these folks relief. This is mostly because chiropractic care has been found to help with many forms of knee pain.

For instance, some individuals feel pain in and around the knee tissues due to osteoarthritis. Research has demonstrated that this ailment responds very well to chiropractic--and rather quickly, too. In fact, one study published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that men and women with osteoarthritis in their knees felt considerable pain relief and improved function after just two weeks of chiropractic care.

If your knee pain is because of a medial meniscus sprain, 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 necessary in order to correct the issue, and if that's the case, chiropractic can also help improve the outcome. How?

Research Shows 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 before having a total knee arthroplasty can help with your post-surgery healing.

No matter what your knee issue, Dr. Mulholland can likely help. Call our Anchorage 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 great number of people with headaches in our Anchorage office, and Dr. Mulholland has been able to aid many of them. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that half of all adults have difficulties with some manner of headache disorder, so this certainly isn’t unexpected. One of the most prevalent kinds of headaches that our patients experience is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic can commonly help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Defined

A cervicogenic headache is one that stems from problems in the cervical spine. It might be due to a problem with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it may be brought on by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine produces constriction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How do you determine if the headache you are struggling with is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is sometimes coupled with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Chiropractic to the Rescue

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is initiating them is remedied, it is important to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that provides a considerable amount of relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists looked at 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent received chiropractic care and the other fifty percent underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was discovered that chiropractic provided the best effects.

In particular, this study noted that chiropractic adjustments offered patients better pain relief and decreased the number of headaches that occurred. Furthermore, it also diminished the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Mulholland can do for you and your headaches, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you need!

References

• Haas M, Schneider M, Vavrek D. Illustrating risk difference and number needed to treat from a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010 18(9).
• World Health Organization. (2012, October). Headache disorders. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/

We see quite a few patients in our Anchorage office with ankle sprains but Dr. Mulholland has had a lot of success helping them heal more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can chiropractic help?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), approximately 25,000 people in the US sprain their ankles every day. In fact, these injuries make up almost 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 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. Mulholland Help?

A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to determine chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. The authors recruited 33 individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a history of ankle inversion sprains, who were reporting tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the ankle in the previous six weeks.

18 of the subjects were assigned to receive rehabilitation and the other 15 subjects received chiropractic in addition to rehab. Each person had five full weeks of therapy, with the rehab group receiving therapies 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

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

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

Studies

• 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

If you suffer with fibromyalgia, you are not alone, as Dr. Mulholland sees many people with this particular problem in our Anchorage chiropractic clinic. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that roughly two percent of all adults in the United States have fibromyalgia. Thankfully, chiropractic care is one treatment option that can provide positive results.

Research Shows Chiropractic Eases Fibromyalgia

In a paper released in mid-2015, 215 women and men with fibromyalgia were evaluated based on factors ranging from pain to quality of sleep to the levels of depression symptoms and anxiety they felt. Then they were split into two groups with one group receiving a multi-modal therapy plan for three months and the second group receiving the same program with the addition of chiropractic adjustments (specifically, to the upper neck area) for the same length of time.

The individuals who received chiropractic care in conjunction with the multi-modal therapy approach reported greater benefits in all areas (pain, sleep, depression, and anxiety) at three months post-treatment when compared to the study patients who received multi-modal therapy without chiropractic care. Additionally, those positive results were lasting as the patients reported continued improvement one full year later.

Fibromyalgia can substantially decrease your quality of life, both psychologically and physically. If you're dealing with fibromyalgia, we might be able to help.

You don't have to suffer! To see what Dr. Mulholland can do for your fibromyalgia pain, call our Anchorage chiropractic office today.

References

• Fibromyalgia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm on November 2, 2015.
• Moustafa I & Diab A. (2015, July). The addition of upper cervical manipulative therapy in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. Rheumatology International;35(7):1163-74.

Regrettably, a large number of our Anchorage patients know the pain caused by a herniated disc all too well. On a positive note, Dr. Mulholland has helped many people with disc pain, and a number of research studies have confirmed that chiropractic can help people recover from this kind of condition.

Research on Chiropractic and Disc Herniations

In one study, researchers from Switzerland selected 148 patients who were suffering with pain in their lower back and legs due to a disc herniation (which was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI). Each individual then received chiropractic adjustments that focused on the area of his or her disc problem.

Results were gathered after the first treatment session at set intervals--namely, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year--to establish what kind of short-term and long-term effects, if any, chiropractic care offers when it comes to resolving this particular problem. Among the data gathered was the individual's self-reported changes in both lumbar and leg pain.

Investigators found that, as a whole, the patients reported "significant improvement" for both types of pain every time the results were collected. In fact, over 90% of the patients claimed that their pain "improved" within the first three months, with 88% still citing improvement one year after their first treatment session.

Even those test subjects who were defined as "chronic" still reported an improvement in pain at a rate of 89% one year beyond when treatment first began. This is the same positive result that was found in the following case study.

Disc Herniation and Chiropractic: A Case Study

In this study, a 26-year-old man had presented with disc herniation symptoms such as pain in the lower back, left leg, and left groin area, along with left foot drop and muscle weakness. He had suffered with these issues for more than two years after sustaining a sports injury, and his disc herniation was confirmed via MRI.

After receiving chiropractic care, "The patient responded favorably and his multi-symptom complex resolved within 90 days of treatment." Furthermore, the patient was still experiencing relief one year after the chiropractic intervention.

Studies like these show how beneficial chiropractic can be when it comes to alleviating herniated disc pain and reducing the symptoms they bring about. So, if you are suffering from back pain caused by a herniated disc and wish to find some relief, chiropractic may be an effective solution.

Don't suffer from chronic herniated disc pain. Give our Anchorage office a call today at (907) 770-5700 for a consultation or appointment.

References

• Leemann S, Peterson CK, Schmid C, Anklin B, Humphreys BK. Outcomes of acute and chronic patients with magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed symptomatic lumbar disc herniations receiving high-velocity, low-amplitude, spinal manipulative therapy: a prospective observational cohort study with one-year follow-up. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2014;37(3):155-163.
• Polkinghorn BS, Colloca CJ. Treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation using activator methods chiropractic technique. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1998;21(3):187-196.