Recent Posts

When you're trying to support 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 serious problem for many folks, and we see many of these types of injuries in our Portland office. Dr. Helton understands your situation and is here to help.

The benefits of chiropractic care for work injuries are well-documented. A 2013 survey involving 651 adults who were suffering with either back or neck pain found that the people 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?

According to the participants 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 reality is, chiropractic patients actually spend less on care than medical patients, plus they are less likely to use drugs for their symptoms.

Dr. Helton Can Help Patients Find Comfort From Chronic Pain

If you live in Portland and you've been injured at work, we can help. Give our office a call today at (503) 771-1974 for an appointment.

Sources

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

We come across a good deal of sports injuries in our Portland clinic, and Dr. Helton is generally able to assist these athletes. Stanford Children’s Hospital states that more than 3.5 million children of the ages 14 and younger are injured each year while playing sports. Add that to the close to 2 million adults hurt every year while engaged in sports-related activities, according to statistics collected by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and you can begin to see the importance of minimizing these sorts of widespread injuries. One approach to possible achieve that goal, according to a study released in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, is to engage in routine chiropractic care.

In Australian Rules football, hamstring and other leg traumas are common, often sidelining the players and impacting their team's chance at securing a win. One particular study was administered using 59 semi-elite Australian Rules footballers to see how well chiropractic could reduce these injuries and help keep them playing.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps in Treating Sports Injuries

For this study particularly, all of the participants got medical treatment. Additionally, half of them also were given chiropractic sessions at the rate of 1 treatment per week for the first 6 weeks, biweekly sessions for the following three months, and one session a month for the final three months of the study. The other participants had no chiropractic intervention whatsoever and were used as the control group to assess the benefits of chiropractic.

After 24 matches, researchers reported a diminished number of lower limb muscle strains in the group that had been given chiropractic care. Additionally, that very group also missed fewer matches related to non-contact knee injuries. This lead the researchers to come to the conclusion that chiropractic should be added to sports training programs to effectively reduce the quantity of leg injuries.

Dr. Helton Can Help Clients Find Relief From Sports Injuries & Help You Recover Quicker

If you or your child are active in sports and you would like to ensure more time is dedicated on the field versus on the bench, call our Portland office at (503) 771-1974 and schedule 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.

According to experts, about 2-5 percent of the population will suffer from painful ailments like frozen shoulder syndrome at some point in their lives. That makes shoulder-related pain a common occurrence and one that Dr. Helton sees in our Portland office on a regular basis.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Shoulder Pain

In general, this issue is more prevalent 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 relieve the discomfort, so too can chiropractic care.

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

The doctors found that nearly all of the study participants fared very well with chiropractic care. The authors 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 beneficial chiropractic 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. Helton help you relieve your pain by contacting our Portland 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. Helton works with countless sciatica patients here in our Portland office, and many of these patients were nervous that they might need surgery to relieve their pain. The latest research indicates that many people don't need surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists looked at 80 women and men with sciatica who were referred for this operation.

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

Both groups improved; however, no apparent difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, about sixty percent of the participating patients who could not find relief from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Simply put, chiropractic delivered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to endure the greater amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment method. Additionally, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery ought to be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Portland and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Helton a call today at (503) 771-1974. We'll help determine the source 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 learn that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, chiropractic care can often help alleviate persistant back pain for pregnant women by as much as 85%.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Pregnancy

Dr. Helton has helped many pregnant women with back pain in our Portland 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 presented with 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. Improvement was still reported at six months post-treatment, which was generally after delivery, and continued to the final data collection one year after treatment commenced.

There are also many additional benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy. Not only does it efficiently 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. Helton Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Back Pain During Pregnancy

Additionally, it makes your time spent carrying your baby 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 Portland to help with natural chiropractic care. Give us a call today at (503) 771-1974 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. On top of that, neck pain is the third most documented type of pain, beat out only by back pain and headaches.

Not surprisingly, many people come to our Portland office seeking neck pain treatment, and Dr. Helton has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart decision, as some studies have shown that over 90 percent of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Works

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

Information was collected before treatment began and one week post-treatment. 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 patients who received neck adjustments showed the same level of improvement, showing that looking at the entire spinal column is an important part of restoring the body's normal function.

Another study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who reported suffering with neck pain. Each individual was randomly assigned to one of two groups--thoracic spine thrust manipulation or non-thrust manipulation--with examinations occurring two and four days after the treatments.

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

Help After Failed Medical Procedures

One study also found the same kind of positive results after thoracic adjustments in a woman who had a failed neck surgical procedure. This particular case involved a 46-year-old woman who had recently had neck surgery but still reported neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The woman documented decreased pain in her neck and reduced headache intensity, right 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 reduced as well, with a rating score that represented that it was a "great deal better."

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

Our office is in Portland and Dr. Helton can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (503) 771-1974.

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 adults and children in the United States (more than asthma and diabetes put together), it's not surprising that Dr. Helton treats a lot of migraine patients in our Portland office. While some people choose to relieve migraine pain with medications, chiropractic is a terrific, all-natural approach that often provides positive results.

Research Proves Chiropractic Care Helps With Migraines

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

What the researchers discovered is that spinal manipulation therapy reduced the frequency, duration, and disability of the migraine headaches when compared with the control group who didn't receive chiropractic. Even better, this enabled them to take less medication for the pain, offering them an all-natural solution for a chronic condition.

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

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

Sources

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

If you live in Portland and you've been in a car accident, you need to know that you don't have to suffer from chronic pain.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Chronic Pain after an Auto Injury

We see a lot of auto injury sufferers in our Portland office, and several of these men and women are dealing with chronic pain caused by an old accident. In fact, research shows that a significant proportion of rear-end collisions lead to pain and disability even ten years after the initial trauma.

Dr. Helton is here to help you avoid developing chronic symptoms by helping to restore the natural function of your spine soon after a motor vehicle accident.

The most common causes of chronic problems are reduced mobility of your spinal column and the development of scar tissue in your spine. The ligaments of your neck and back can easily be injured during a crash, and chiropractic care works by reducing inflammation and restoring normal movement.

We Can Help With Chronic Pain and Auto Injury Recovery

If you're nearby our Portland office, and you've been injured in a crash, don't wait to get treatment. Dr. Helton is here for you. Give us a call today at (503) 771-1974 for an appointment or for more information.

Every year, there are millions of car crashes in the world, and a substantial number of people get hurt in a car wreck. While most crashes are "minor," chronic spine pain are still frequent health issues. The good news is that chiropractic is a fantastic way to address these kinds of injuries.

We've helped many auto accident patients in our Portland office, and Dr. Helton has been treating people with these types of injuries since 2005. During a collision, your body is exposed to large forces that it simply wasn't built to handle. These forces place stress and strain on your neck, shoulder, and back, and can result in damage to the ligaments that hold your spine together. A collision can cause a vast array of pain symptoms.

A ligament sprain in the neck can cause pain, swelling, and radicular problems in the arm and hand. Chiropractic works well for these types of injuries, because chiropractic focuses on restoring the healthy function and flexibility of the injured areas.

Dr. Helton Can Help People Recover From an Auto Accident

Dr. Helton, your Portland chiropractor, can help by lowering inflammation in the injured area and can help reduce the formation of scar tissue that can cause chronic pain and disability.

You don't have to suffer from auto injury pain. Learn more about how we can help you get well or call Dr. Helton today at (503) 771-1974.

If you are dealing with back pain after a car crash, don't worry. Dr. Helton sees this type of problem very often in our Portland office. What causes back pain after a car crash? How can a chiropractor help?

During a rear-end car crash, your car and car seat are quickly accelerated forward against your body. Since car seats don't perfectly align with the curve of your back, the car seat can put inconsistent force on your lower back. This can cause some of your spinal vertebrae to move in one direction while an adjacent vertebrae might move in another direction. This differential movement can sprain or strain the structures that hold your spine together. This type of injury can cause chronic back pain if not treated promptly. Fortunately, chiropractic is one of the most effective ways to treat back pain.

Dr. Helton is here in Portland to help you recover from back pain. We've been helping patients since 2005 and we can probably help you, too. Dr. Helton will first determine what's causing your pain and then work to restore your body to its natural functioning. Give our office a call today at (503) 771-1974 to make an appointment.