Why Consider A Car Wreck Chiropractor or Accident Chiropractic in Amarillo
Let’s talk about why you would need to see a car wreck chiropractor or try accident chiropractic in Amarillo.
We see people every week that have been in car wrecks in Amarillo. It’s a fact of life and it’s why they call them “accidents.” You don’t plan on them. That’s for sure.
OK, you got in a car wreck. Regardless of who’s fault it is, now what do you do?
Let’s play a game. Let’s pretend that you are taking a multiple choice test and this is one of the questions that you have to answer correctly.
After you get into a car wreck, and there are no broken bones or apparent “emergency,” which of the following makes the most sound decision for further treatment for pain and soreness that just will not seem to go away.
A. Go to the Emergency Room.
B. Sit at home and hope it goes away
C. Take your old pain pills and muscle relaxers
D. Visit a spine and whiplash expert specially trained
E. None of the above
If this were a real multiple choice exam, what is your answer?
I think that after an emergency has already been ruled out, then the best answer is ‘D’ because sitting at home waiting for something to go away can actually make things worse and taking your old medication is NOT recommended by anyone, anywhere.
OK, assuming that you should visit a spine and whiplash expert that is specially trained in your specific injury, where do you go to search out someone with those qualifications? That is exactly what we are doing here. We just happen to have your answer.
Doctors of Chiropractic are where you need to start your search. Chiropractors are considered experts in the spine and the biomechanics of the body. Doctors of Chiropractic have been trained in all of the basic sciences one would find at a medical school, but Chiropractors specialize in the spine.
To go further, some Doctors of Chiropractic go on to specialize and get credentialing as a car wreck chiropractor or specialize in accident chiropractic. The actual term would be Whiplash Expert. Our chiropractor here at Creek Stone is most definitely a car wreck chiropractor and practices accident chiropractic in Amarillo, TX.
Not only does Dr. Jeff Williams have the Advanced Certification in Whiplash Biomechanics and Traumatology and is recognized as an expert in Whiplash at the District Court level, he has been treating and managing car wreck injury cases effectively since 2007.
Dr. Williams has successfully treated and managed thousands of personal injury patients or car wreck patients in an evidence-based, research-backed manner.
Here at Creek Stone, we are accustomed to dealing with attorneys and gladly accept most letters of protections from the attorneys we are familiar with. We also work with the insurance companies to get everything handled in a way that there is most often little to no money required of the patient.
That’s a big deal when you are trying to recover from a car wreck injury.
So, remember the multiple choice test the next time you are unfortunate to be in a car wreck. FIRST, rule out an emergency. If it’s an emergency, get to the hospital.
If it is not an emergency, call your car wreck chiropractor in Amarillo. Call Dr. Jeff Williams at Creek Stone Integrated Care for accident chiropractic care.
Creek Stone
806-355-3000
3501 SW 45th St., Ste. T
Amarillo, TX 79109
Best Chiropractor in Amarillo
No, we are not claiming that our office has the best chiropractor in Amarillo. However, we would like to take a minute to describe all we do here at Creek Stone Integrated Care to get better and better every day, month, and year, striving toward being known as Best Chiropractor in Amarillo, TX.
We think it’s all of the little things that matter.
Isn’t that how it normally is? The little things done right and done consistently can add up to a really big deal. Here are some examples of what we mean when we say “the little things.”
Relationships
If we are ever going to be considered the best chiropractor in Amarillo, TX, then it starts with the relationships we have with our patients. This is #1 for us and we take is seriously. Our goal is for our patients to feel at home, feel comfortable, feel confident in our training, and feel at ease. It’s understandable that patients may not always feel amazing after every visit. After all, healing typically takes time. For this reason, it is not always of utmost importance a patient leaves feeling 100% better. What IS important is that our patients leave our office happy with their experience at Creek Stone and ready to go tell everyone they know that they think our office has the best chiropractor in Amarillo, TX. Patient satisfaction and patient relationships are the building blocks of our office.
Results
If we strive everyday to be the best chiropractor in Amarillo, then we had better be getting great results. It is this very reason that Dr. Williams attends so many continuing education hours each year. Chiropractors are required to receive 16 hours of continuing education every year. Dr. Williams attends 50+ hours of continuing education through an average year. He is constantly striving for more and more knowledge and training. It shows in the results we get at Creek Stone Integrated Care. While some chiropractors are looking to see a patient 40-50 times per year, it is our goal to see how few appointments we can solve a patient’s problem. If we could fix everyone in 1 visit, we would do it, but it usually takes between 5-10 visits depending on the problem.
Research & Guidelines
Not only does Dr. Williams base everything we do at Creek Stone on evidence and current research, Dr. Williams also teaches other chiropractors about the evidence and research by creating, writing, producing, and hosting The Chiropractic Forward Podcast every single week. Dr. Williams has been writing about research papers for over a decade and has even authored a yet-to-be-published book titled “The Truth About Chiropractic: A Unique Journey Into The Research.” With our protocols and treatment techniques being based firmly in what research has shown to be effective, we think we can make a good argument toward being the best chiropractor in Amarillo.
Giving Back
Not everything that is important about a business happens within the walls of the office itself. Dr Williams thinks that part of striving to be the best chiropractor in Amarillo also lies in what we can do to give back to our community. Dr. Williams has tried to do so in two ways. The first way is giving back 10% to charitable causes and faith-based groups here in the Amarillo area. We have consistently given 10% of all profits back to our community and are happy to do so. The second way we give back is through a philanthropic group Dr. Williams started here locally called 100 Men Who Give A Damn where men (AND WOMEN) come together 4 times per year to donate funds toward local small to mid-sized charities. We are here for more than just making a living. We are here to make the place better than we found it.
Being Patient-Centered
There are some healthcare offices that are clearly doctor-centered in the way they go about their business. One such hint that an office is doctor-centered is when they want to see their patients 40-50 times. It simply, in the majority of cases, does not take that long to resolve a condition. Those offices are typically attempting to “hit numbers” and certain goals. That in no way means they don’t care about their patients. But, sometimes, hitting numbers takes precedence. Alternatively, a Patient-centered office like Creek Stone Integrated Care makes sure they are following accepted treatment guidelines without attention to hitting numbers and striving for collections goals, etc. Basically, a patient-centered office does what is best for the patient, not what is best for the doctor.
Experience
Another aspect of trying to achieve the title Best Chiropractor in Amarillo is being seasoned and experienced. Knowing what one knows after 20 years in practice versus what was known in the first few years is basically night and day. There are so many things that can only be learned through experiencing them and simply cannot be taught in a class. It’s common sense. If a doctor is always learning and improving like Dr. Williams has over his 20+ year career, you can bet that the results are going to speak for themselves.
We could go on and on about all of the tiny things that go into making an office great or what makes our patient interactions great. However, these are the mainstays for us. What it boils down to for Dr. Jeff Williams and Creek Stone Integrated Care is this: if we are treating our patients like we would treat our brothers, sisters, moms, and dads, then we are ALWAYS going to be doing the right thing by them. And when you treat people right, the money and business growth just takes care of itself.
These are the things that we hope puts us into consideration for the title Best Chiropractor In Amarillo, TX! If we can help you, call us at 806-355-3000 and we can get you set up.
Creek Stone Integrated Care
3501 SW 45th St, Ste. T
Amarillo, TX 79109
Cold Laser Amarillo
One of the most popular Google searches right now in the Amarillo, TX region is the search for cold laser Amarillo. What does that mean exactly? It means that more and more people in our area are hearing about cold laser therapy. Cold laser is also known by the name “Low Level Laser.” So, why not call it one or the other? Why have it separated into cold laser or low level laser?
It is actually pretty smart when you think about it. Our common perception of the word “laser” is of a burning and cutting laser. Low level laser commonly used more and more by surgeons, chiropractors in Amarillo, and physical therapists is not a burning laser. It’s actually just enough to excite the tissues in the area without causing any tissue damage.
If the originators of the therapy wanted to avoid any negative connotation or association, they would need to make it sound much less threatening. Thus, the moniker Cold Laser was born.
Now, back to the search “cold laser Amarillo.” It appears that more and more folks are getting the word and getting interested in cold laser therapy in Amarillo. Therefore, more people are searching for those offices like ours, Creek Stone Integrated Care, that offer the service.
History of Cold Laser Treatment
Cold Laser treatment was originally born back in the 1967, when a Hungarian scientist named Dr. Endre Mester was doing some testing with mice and carcinogenesis and noticed an added benefit of the cold laser. Where the mice had been shaved for the experiment, the hair grew back faster in the population of mice that were treated with the cold laser. Pretty cool, right?
Since then, scientists, researchers, and companies have eagerly expanded on treatment with cold lasers to the point we are at today. Nowadays, the search term “cold laser Amarillo” yields a wealth of information on WHERE you can find cold laser therapy but not necessarily WHAT you can expect from cold laser.
What Is Cold Laser Used For?
There is some good research showing effectiveness of cold laser in the following conditions:
- Sprains and Strains
- Inflammation
- Knee and/or Foot Pain
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Shoulder Pain
- Headaches & Migraines
- Rapid recovery from athletic injury
- Joint inflammation
- Chronic pain control
- Some research shows effectiveness in Bell’s Palsy
- Relief from inflammation due to arthritis or degenerative joints
Did you know that Dr. Jeff Williams here at Creek Stone even had a research review article published nationally in the American Chiropractic Association Blog having to do with Cold Laser Therapy. You can read it at this link:
https://www.acatoday.org/News-Publications/ACA-News-Archive/ArtMID/5721/ArticleID/367
Every professional sports team is now using cold laser therapy, not to mention their use of chiropractic care. Did you know that a chiropractor is on staff for every single major professional team throughout sports? That means the NFL, the NBA, MLB, the NHL and on and on. Chiropractors have become the experts in safe, conservative spinal care.
We tell people all of the time that if it’s good enough for the Dallas Cowboys, then I suppose it’s good enough for those that can use cold laser therapy in Amarillo, TX.
The best chiropractors in Amarillo are offering cold laser treatment but we want your “cold laser Amarillo” Google search to lead you right here to Dr. Jeff Williams and to Creek Stone Integrated Care. We can typically offer same-day appointments so you can get started immediately.
For additional information consider seeing some of our other blogs and articles regarding cold laser treatment.
https://www.amarillochiropractor.com/137-2/
https://www.amarillochiropractor.com/cold-laser-therapy-can-save-world/
https://www.amarillochiropractor.com/research-6-facts-about-cold-laser-you-should-know-before-the-next-injury/
Creek Stone Integrated Care
3501 SW 45th St., Ste. T – Amarillo, TX
806-355-3000
http://www.creekstonecare.com
http://www.amarillochiropractor.com
Enhancing Your Health: Top Perks Of Chiropractic Care in Amarillo
Many people in their daily life experience lots of things that impact their bodies. Disorders or dysfunction in their musculoskeletal system can benefit from chiropractic care. Pain relief for the back and neck, headache and migraine relief, treatment for herniated discs or bulging discs, increased athletic performance, and injury rehabilitation – these all are some top perks that a person can get from chiropractic care if they have a misaligned neck, back or spine.
Healing benefits of chiropractic care
No matter what the reason behind your pain and issues, some of the numerous perks research show you may enjoy as a result of chiropractic care in Amarillo include:
- Feeling more relaxed
- Injury prevention
- Less muscle spasms
- Quicker recovery
- Decrease of pain
- Decreased in the amount of inflammation in joints
- Enhanced flexibility
- Enhanced circulation and better movement
More perks of chiropractic care in Amarillo
There are still some people who have misguided concepts regarding the advantages of chiropractic care. Whereas the medical field once attacked chiropractors, the big boys of the medical field are now recommending chiropractic care as a first-line treatment for back and neck pain. These include the American College of Physicians, the FDA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Center for Disease Control, the Joint Commission, the White House, and even Consumer Reports.
Some of the benefits commonly heard from chiropractic patients are as follows:
- More productivity, energy and physical strength in adults
- Women may have enhanced comfort amid labor and pregnancy
- For seniors, many report sleeping better, better balance, and lowered injury from falls
- Enhanced flexibility and overall range of motion
Some other advantages and results reported by patients who have enjoyed chiropractic care are as follows:
- Enhanced overall health
- Enhanced exercising
- Better vitality
- More confidence in movement and athletic performance.
Research and study continue as you look at the advantages of chiropractic care!
In some cases, a patient instantly encounters relief after undergoing treatment. It can be impressive. Building and recovering from an issue by treating the source is one of the perks of choosing chiropractic care in Amarillo over medical and surgical processes, which sometimes need a long time for recovery and sometimes just don’t work at all. And let’s face it, surgery is invasive and irreversible. You don’t have to worry about that when it comes to chiropractic care.
A good, solid and consistent regimen of spinal manipulation, therapeutic modalities, and targeted exercise/rehab tends to turn lives around almost immediately.
Chiropractic care in Amarillo may be the best choice you can make if you approach your health from a conservative, non-pharma, non-invasive perspective.
Please feel free to call us at 806-355-3000 and set up a free consultation if you have more questions. Or, just tell our staff that you need a new patient appointment and let’s get started on getting you back to feeling normal again.
806-355-3000
www.creekstonecare.com
www.amarillochiropractor.com
“After My Car Wreck In Amarillo, I went to the ER and saw my doctor. Do I still need treatment?”
The short answer is, “Yes,” but let’s explain.
Seeking care from a medical provider or from the emergency room after a car wreck is always a great idea but what about the management of your injury going further? They are only going to treat you for something that appears to be life-threatening. They are typically not set up, nor do they typically have expertise, to treat you for long-term implications following your car wreck in Amarillo.
Let’s be honest, barring emergencies, most medical providers in the Amarillo area will not treat you if you have been involved in a car wreck in Amarillo and your injury is a result of that car wreck. We are talking about general practitioners, urgent cares, surgeons, and physical therapists.
We have yet to figure out why this is the case, but can assume that it is due to there being car insurance involved rather than health insurance and, sometimes, attorneys are involved. Medical providers are not typically knowledgeable or adept at dealing with attorneys or car insurance so they simply refuse to see those patients.
While that is understandable on one level, it is certainly frustrating on another. Patients injured in a car wreck in Amarillo have few options due to this issue. As a result, many times, they go without treatment and truly suffer in the long-term as a result.
To compound the issue, the patients injured in the car wreck are not typically given the recommendation to see a whiplash or biomechanical expert for further case management. If the medical providers simply told the patients that a chiropractic office in Amarillo called Creek Stone Integrated Care was particularly good at treating patients injured in a car wreck in Amarillo and it’s doctor was recognized as an expert on Whiplash in District Court, we think it would save a lot of problems!
Practitioners such as Doctors of Chiropractic are more uniquely equipped to help manage whiplash and other car wreck injuries in the months following a wreck than most other practitioners. Chiropractors are recognized around the world as spine care experts and more and more patients with neck, back, and low back pain are seeking care with more Chiropractors.
Being the third largest doctorate-level profession in America puts Doctors of Chiropractic squarely in the conversation as an accessible, reasonable route to take for the treatment of your car wreck injury.
Here are a few of the reasons further case management by a chiropractor in Amarillo may be a good idea for you.
- Injuries are not always obvious after a wreck. Sometimes, whiplash happens immediately. Sometimes, it is delayed up to a month or more before setting in. The best way to avoid late onset of whiplash is to catch it early so that it does not become chronic and go on to be a more serious issue.
- Many times, primary practitioners or emergency room physicians are not well-schooled in whiplash, risk factors involved in a wreck for acute injury, and/or risk factors involved in a wreck for chronic pain that can follow. As a result, some car wreck victims are prescribed painkillers, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflammatories with little or no recommendations for care going further. Whiplash is a mechanical injury that responds better to mechanical treatment through a chiropractor or even a physical therapist rather than through chemical treatment such as medication.
- Some healthcare providers are not educated on the best kind of x-rays to perform to evaluate for whiplash injuries. X-rays in different positions would be preferred. A second opinion from a whiplash expert can be very important as well.
- In a wreck, your body goes from one speed to another in a millisecond: literally. Medication does nothing to address the muscles and micro-tears than can arise from such an injury. See a biomechanical expert.
- If you saw your doctor for your shoulder, knee, hip, or some other area, who is evaluating and treating you for your neck, mid-back, and low back?
- A recommended course of after-care can help avoid long-term pain and restore the range of motion in the neck, back, and low back potentially setting you up for a more successful recovery and outcome.
If you get in a car wreck in Amarillo, TX, get treated if you feel it’s an emergency by a medical professional…..THEN get seen and treated by a biomechanical expert on whiplash. Get seen by Dr. Jeff Williams at Creek Stone Integrated Care. Call 806-355-3000 and let’s get you on the right track.
Find a Chiropractor in Amarillo to Explore Health Benefits of Chiropractic Care
If you live in the Amarillo area, or even the Texas Panhandle in general, and are dealing with headaches, backaches, and joint pain on a regular basis, you must contact a chiropractor in Amarillo for a natural and efficient treatment option. People across the globe are these days experiencing the amazing health benefits of chiropractic care. Knowing that it is a non-invasive and holistic approach that can treat different health issues, Amarillo people are taking advantage of chiropractic care more and more these days.
If you listen to the Chiropractic Forward Podcast that I host or visit Creek Stone Integrated Care here in Amarillo, you will get to know that research-based chiropractic care is usually a drug-free process to heal a human body in a natural way, and that research and the medical field are more and more in favor of recommending chiropractic care in Amarillo. Certainly for spinal pain.
Some health benefits offered by Creek Stone and other chiropractors in Amarillo incorporate:
1. Improvement of posture
Daily chiropractic health adjustments can help you enhance your posture by helping you pay more attention to your spine, posture, and movement patterns. Some people get neck problems at a young age because of continually sitting in a position in front of an electronic device, PC, or TV. Hence, regular chiropractic care can help boost your posture, keeping you stronger and more mindful of proper biomechanics.
2. Improvement of sleep
These days, many people suffer from sleep problems. Nevertheless, many sleep issues are associated with body aches, stress, and pain. If you take care of these problems with dynamic chiropractic care, it will help you boost your sleep quality, providing you a better night’s rest.
3. Relieving stress
When in pain, the body and mind can certainly become stressed to a certain extent. This goes without saying. We tell patients all the time that pain can change a person. If you’ve ever experienced pain, you understand that it is a fact. Your body will instantly feel less stressful if it is balanced and moving correctly. According to the research highlighted on the Chiropractic Forward Podcast, this is the first-line way to treat stress, tension, and non-complicated musculoskeletal complaints.
4. No involvement of medications
Medications can surely help you get relief from your health problems in certain situations. But at what cost in regards to side effects? Haven’t we all seen the commercials for prescriptions that encourage us to make our physicians give them to us, but then warn us of the obstacle courses of side effects that are possible? That’s scary stuff. Some medications bring both negative and positive impacts. What if there were a way to take care of headaches/migraines, low back pain, mid back pain, neck pain, and joint pain in a way that didn’t not require medications?
Voila! All you need is to opt for a drug-free approach with the help of a doctor of chiropractic. Preferably this doctor of chiropractic in Amarillo found at Creek Stone Integrated Care.
Many times, we can give you relief from pains and aches without any use of drugs, resulting in a holistic way of treatment. With a preventative mindset going forward, we can usually keep it that way while raising the overall level of health.
Now that you have all the details regarding some awesome benefits of chiropractic care, what are you going to do? To lead a healthy and painless life, don’t hesitate to contact a chiropractor in Amarillo.
Call up an expert chiropractor in Amarillo
Call Up Dr. Jeff Williams, DC at Creek Stone Integrated Care in Amarillo, TX at 806-355-3000 today and let’s get you seen ASAP.
Researchers Argue Whiplash & Car Wreck Injuries Are Indeed Valid
All attorneys treating personal injury and car wreck clients/patients are familiar with the insurance companies’ claims that people aren’t really hurt or that whiplash cannot cause any real, chronic injury.
We have been treating personal injury patients since 2007, Dr. Williams has been an expert witness at trial, and we have seen hundreds of car wreck patients over the years.
These personal injury and car wreck patients most certainly ARE injured to some extent in almost every case. Even low-speed impact cases. Especially in low-speed crashes. When the vehicle doesn’t “crush,” the force of the impact is not allowed to “ride down” with the crumple of the vehicle. The force is transferred directly to the occupant in these types of crashes.
Regarding the mechanism of injury: forces of the collision caused compression, tension, shearing, and rotational forces converging in a rapid sequence which is virtually instantaneous. It is the timing, or the lack of time for the body to react to these forces, that causes the injury anatomically and scientifically.
Think about it this way: when you go from one speed to another speed in a millisecond, there is going to be damage to the tissues holding everything together. Most commonly damaged are the postural muscles. Those are the muscles keeping your body and head upright correctly.
Dr. Williams’s Advanced Certification in Whiplash Biomechanics & Traumatology has aided us in evaluating these car wreck patients, aided us in their case management, and aided us in backing every aspect of treatment by research citation in their narrative reports.
If you think Dr. Williams can help you here at Creek Stone after a car wreck, please call 806-355-3000 and let us get you in as soon as possible.
We are experienced in working with the attorney, working with you if you do not have an attorney, billing the other person’s insurance, or billing your own personal injury protection insurance.
It usually does not cost the injured person a dime to get checked and get treatment so call us at 806-355-3000 as soon as possible.
Freeman & Croft are research leaders and experts in the industry when it comes to whiplash, crash reconstruction, and the biomechanics involved in crashes.
They put together a paper in 1999 called “A review and methodologic critique of the literature refuting whiplash syndrome” that was published in the esteemed Spine Journal. Citation is included below.
Why They Did It
Many times, the insurance companies claim “Whiplash” is an idea or a theory but not necessarily a real thing, although medical research validated whiplash years ago. Some authors on the side of the insurance companies hoping to not cover medical costs or the costs of pain and suffering have published articles here and there taking the stance that injuries are unlikely or even impossible at certain speeds. Others have published articles suggesting any psychological issues after a wreck are based purely on financial gain or litigation. All of this, even though research has been there for years showing whiplash to be a serious issue as well as the other conditions a personal injury or car wreck patient may face such as concussion, psychological issues, etc..
How They Did It
- The authors of this paper reviewed the biomedical and engineering literature relating to whiplash syndrome, searching for articles that claimed there was no validity to whiplash injuries.
- Twenty articles were identified and included.
- The methodology described in these articles was evaluated critically to determine if the authors’ observations regarding the validity of whiplash syndrome were scientifically sound.
What They Found
- The authors of this paper found that all of the articles contained significant methodological flaws with regard to their respective authors’ statements refuting the validity of whiplash syndrome.
- The most frequently found flaws were inadequate study size, non-representative study sample, non-representative crash conditions (for crash tests), and inappropriate study design.
Conclusion
“As a result of the current literature review, it was determined that there is no epidemiologic or scientific basis in the literature for the following statements: whiplash injuries do not lead to chronic pain, rear impact collisions that do not result in vehicle damage are unlikely to cause injury, and whiplash trauma is biomechanically comparable with common movements of daily living.”
Citation
Freeman MD, Crotft AC, “A review and methodolgic critique of the literature refuting whiplash syndrome.” Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1999 Jan 1;24(1):86-96.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9921598
New Information About Cold Laser You Can Use
Did you know that cold laser, also known as low level laser, has been around for years now, but it’s use is just starting to gain popularity?
It is not really cold though. They called it cold laser to take the danger out of the name. When we think of lasers, we commonly think of burning or cutting lasers. Cold laser isn’t anything like that. In fact, you don’t even really feel it at all. That is, outside of the benefits!
The good side of cold laser
Here is a list of just some of the conditions cold laser is commonly used for:
- Athletic Injuries
- Lower Back Pain
- Knee and Foot Pain
- Shoulder Pain
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and most other neurological pains
- Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Muscle Spasm (degenerative joint conditions)
- TMJ Disorders
- Relief of Muscle (strains or tears) and Joint Pain, including knees, hands, and ankles
- Soft Tissue Injuries, Including Sprains and Strains, Tendonitis and Hematomas, Rotator cuff, Tennis Elbow
- Joint Disorders and Conditions, Including Arthritis, and Tenosynovitis
- Chronic pain, including Trigeminal Neuralgia and Chronic Neck and Back pain
- Other Musculoskeletal Injuries
- Chronic non-healing wounds
- Pre and post surgical treatment
- Anti-inflammation applications
- Disc herniations
The bad side of cold laser is that it is not covered under insurance plans, as they still classify cold laser as “experimental and investigational.” The vast majority of papers out there in the research world are in favor and in support of cold laser. You have to understand that. One must also understand that, these days it seems, insurance plans aren’t in any hurry to add more stuff to pay for. Wouldn’t you agree?
In 1967 a few years after the first working laser was invented, Endre Mester in Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary experimented with the effects of lasers on skin cancer. In his experiments, he was treating the backs of mice with different lasers. In doing so, he noticed that the shaved hair grew back more quickly on the treated group than the untreated group.
I can promise you that Mest had no idea where his research would lead in the 50 years that would follow his findings.
Here is a paper from 2014 published in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery called “Does low-level laser therapy decrease swelling and pain resulting from orthognathic surgery?”
These researchers were looking for ways to help people to treat swelling and inflammation following facial surgery.
How They Did It
- 10 patients had surgery on both sides of their faces.
- The patients had cold laser treatment on one side of their face while they had a fake treatment on the other side of the face.
- The two sides were compared to see if it worked.
What They Found
- On the side treated with cold laser, swelling decreased significantly on day three, day seven, day fifteen, and day thirty.
- Self-reported pain was reduced on the treatment side at the one-day mark and at the three-day mark. The pain was gone on both sides by day 7.
Wrap It Up
The authors of this paper concluded, “This LLLT protocol can improve the tissue response and reduce the pain and swelling resulting from orthognathic surgery.”
That’s wonderful news. While it doesn’t have a lot to do with conditions that chiropractors normally treat, we chiropractors DO see plenty of swelling, pain, and inflammation in joints, in the back, and neck. It shows that cold laser does certainly have some use.
Another paper in a very prestigious journal called The Lancet over in England said, “We show that LLLT reduces pain immediately after treatment in acute neck pain and up to 22 weeks after completion of treatment in patients with chronic neck pain.”
And then there’s this paper from 2003 we will cover quickly. It’s called “Efficacy of low power laser therapy and exercise on pain and functions in chronic low back pain” and written by A. Gur, et. al.. It was published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine(Gur A 2003).
The researchers decide that, “Low power laser therapy seemed to be an effective method in reducing pain and functional disability in the therapy of chronic LBP.”
That’s pretty cool, people!! Yet, insurance companies refuse to cover it. Do you smell something fishy here? We certainly do.
I don’t know how to make insurance companies cover something they don’t want to cover. However, I can tell you that their choice to make it an uncovered service does not mean it is not effective. On the contrary. I hope we have demonstrated that you should indeed seek treatment with cold laser.
If you have any questions regarding cold laser or musculoskeletal complaints in general, give us a call at 806-355-3000 and let us schedule you for a free consultation with our staff.
Best of health,
Jeff Williams, DC
http://www.amarillochiropractor.com
http://www.creekstonecare.com
Bibliography
Gur A (2003). “Efficacy of low power laser therapy and exercise on pain and functions in chronic low back pain.” Lasers Surg Med 32(3): 233-238.
Spinal Decompression – Does It Work?
The short answer to the question, “Spinal Decompression – does it work?” is YES.
It absolutely works.
The first thing to know is that we would not offer spinal decompression in our office or charge for the service if it did not work. Of course it works. We only offer services that we can back up with research including other services we have here in our offices like cold laser, acupuncture, massage, physiotherapies, exercise/rehab, spinal decompression, and, of course, chiropractic care. Dr. Williams is very research-based and evidence-based. In fact, Dr. Williams hosts a weekly podcast called Chiropractic Forward discussing research papers and evidence-based chiropractic care. (http://www.chiropracticforward.com)
The second thing to know is that, in our office, NOTHING we do will EVER be based on financial gain. It is our policy to conduct business at the highest level of honesty and ethics. Dr. Williams has said time and time again, “When you treat people right, when you treat people as you would treat your own family members, finances tend to take care of themselves and we’ll never have to worry too much about that part of it all.”
So far, Dr. Williams is right!
That is how our office goes through the day in general for all services and all aspects. We treat our patients like they are our family and not like they are a dollar sign. Guaranteed. Our philosophy is to give our best recommendations for our patients’ care based on experience, research, and knowledge the patient does not have, and then to be here however the patient wishes to use us. We are here to help and support the patient in their journey but based on how THE PATIENT wants to take that journey.
Enough about us. Let’s get back to talking about Spinal Decompression.
Let us simplify the concept. The discs in our spine stay hydrated and
healthy by moving, bending, and by going through our regular activities throughout the day. If for some reason a disc gets injured or stops working correctly, the disc can become inflamed and start to hurt .The pain can range from mild discomfort is certain positions to extreme, severe discomfort that keeps a person from being able to function at all.
Luckily, spinal decompression can help this. Spinal decompression can start to restore function in the hurt area and can simulate the normal daily activities in a controlled way.
With spinal decompression, we cannot only simulate the movement that
keeps discs healthy, but we can also decrease the amount of pressure on the disc and on the spinal cord, as well as on the nerves that come from the spinal cord and go into the arms and into the legs.
Medical research has shown that spinal decompression can reduce disc bulges or disc herniation, and spinal decompression can help rehydrate a dehydrated disc. All of this can help our patients with the following conditions:
- Pain into the arms
- Numbness into the arms
- Tingling into the arms
- Pain into the legs
- Numbness into the legs
- Tingling into the legs
- Spinal stenosis
- Spinal degeneration
- Degenerative discs
- Disc injury
- Facet Arthropathy
In addition to spinal decompression, we use cold laser therapy to enhance and speed up the healing process. Also known as low level laser, cold laser is backed by research, is FDA cleared, and is effective in healing the disc faster, decreasing the inflammation, and decreasing the pain resulting from a fired up disc issue.
We call our one-of-a-kind service Cold Laser-Enhanced Spinal Decompression and it is a powerful one-two punch.
We have seen our patients cancel surgeries. We have seen our patients cancel spinal injections, nerve blocks, and dangerous medications.
All because they came to us and tried Cold Laser-Enhanced Spinal Decompression.
If you are hurting, come talk to us. Consultations are free.
If you have been diagnosed with spinal arthritis, degeneration, disc bulges, disc herniations, or stenosis, come see us now. Chances are, we can help. Call us at 806-355-3000 today.
