Posts by Dr. Mark Holland

According to research, about 2-5 percent of the population will experience painful conditions like frozen shoulder syndrome at some point in their lives. That makes shoulder pain a common problem and one that Dr. Holland sees in our North St. Louis, MO practice on a regular basis.

By and large, this condition 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 stretching can sometimes help relieve the pain, so too can chiropractic care.

As an example, one study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine looked at 50 people with frozen shoulder who received chiropractic care. The duration of care ranged from 11 days to 51 days, with 28 days being the average.

The doctors found that almost all of the study participants fared extremely 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 patient reported an improvement of 50 percent or less, so reports like this show just how beneficial chiropractic can be when it comes to decreasing shoulder pain and increasing quality of life.

Let Dr. Holland help you ease your suffering by contacting our North St. Louis, MO 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. Holland works with many sciatica patients here in our North St. Louis, MO office, and quite a few of these men and women were nervous that they might need surgery to treat their pain. The latest research indicates that many people don't require surgery for this prevalent problem, and that chiropractic is more successful at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians 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 received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group received chiropractic care.

Both groups improved; however, no obvious difference in outcome was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, roughly 60% of the participating patients who could not find relief from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

In other words, chiropractic offered the same positive advantages as surgery without having to endure the increased levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that type of treatment option. Plus, you also don't run the risks linked to 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 North St. Louis, MO and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Holland a call today at (314) 588-9100. 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.
  

Headache and neck pain are common problems that affect millions of people around the world. If you are suffering from this type of problem, you're not alone. The good news is that chiropractic care is an excellent way to not only treat these common problems, but also help avoid future episodes.

For many years, people with neck and headache pain in North St. Louis, MO have been helped by the chiropractic adjustments of Dr. Holland. Our experience is backed up by a recent review done in Canada that found that non-surgical, non-drug solutions are the best choice for neck and headache pain.

The study looked at 15 studies from 1990 to 2015 and found that conservative treatment comprised of chiropractic adjustments, exercises, and stretches was suggested before turning to drugs or more invasive treatments.

Earlier studies have shown that chiropractic is effective and safe for neck pain and many other health conditions.

If you're struggling with neck pain or headaches, Dr. Holland and our staff are here to help you recover. Give our North St. Louis, MO office a call today at (314) 588-9100 for an appointment today.

Reference

Varatharajan S, Ferguson B, Chrobak K, et al. Are non-invasive interventions effective for the management of headaches associated with neck pain? An update of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. European Spine Journal 2016; February 6:1-29.

With the Migraine Research Foundation reporting that migraine headaches affect 38 million people in the United States (more than diabetes and asthma put together), it's no surprise that Dr. Holland sees a lot of migraine patients in our North St. Louis, MO office. While some folks try to relieve migraine pain with medications, chiropractic is a great, all-natural alternative that usually provides positive results.

For instance, one report published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics involved 127 patients 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 subjects 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 authors discovered is that chiropractic reduced the frequency, duration, and disability of the migraine pain when compared with the control group who didn't receive chiropractic. In addition, this enabled them to take less medication for the pain, providing them an all-natural answer for a chronic problem.

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

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

Research Papers

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 common issue for people in our North St. Louis, MO chiropractic practice, and Dr. Holland has happily provided many of these folks relief. This is largely because chiropractic care has been found to help with many forms of knee pain.

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

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

Of course, sometimes a knee replacement surgery is necessary in order to repair the problem, and if that's the case, chiropractic can also help improve the outcome. How?

Research has shown that people with low back pain often have less positive outcomes after knee surgery. Thus, dealing with your back pain through chiropractic before having a total knee arthroplasty can assist with your post-surgery recovery.

No matter what your knee issue, Dr. Holland can likely help. Call our North St. Louis, MO practice today and find out what we can do for you!

References

• 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 folks with headaches in our North St. Louis, MO office, and Dr. Holland has been able to aid many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that half of all adults have difficulties with some type of headache problem, so this really isn’t shocking. One of the most common types of headaches that our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily, chiropractic can often help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from an issue in the cervical spine. It can easily be caused by a condition with either the spine itself (primarily, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it may be attributable to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine results in compression or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How do you recognize if the headache you are experiencing is a cervicogenic headache? Other than being given a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is sometimes associated with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Chiropractic to the Rescue

Since cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever issue is causing them is corrected, it is important to receive treatment rather than just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective approach, and one that provides a considerable amount of relief.

In one study published in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists looked at 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. One-half 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 found that chiropractic delivered the best results.

In particular, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more pain relief and decreased the frequency of headaches that occurred. On top of that, it also lessened the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Holland 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 North St. Louis, MO office with ankle sprains but Dr. Holland 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 people 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 most any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most frequent is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can take place 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 Dr. Holland help?

A study printed 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 experiencing tenderness and/or pain, and had not re-injured the ankle in the previous six weeks.

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

The authors found that the people who had both rehabilitation 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 chiropractic is safe.

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

References

• 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

Regrettably, a large number of our North St. Louis, MO patients know the pain associated with a herniated disc all too well. On a positive note, Dr. Holland has helped many people with disc pain, and a number of medical studies have verified that chiropractic care can help people recover from this kind of condition.

Research on Herniated Discs and Chiropractic

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

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

Investigators found that, overall, the patients reported "significant improvement" for both types of pain every time the results were collected. In fact, over 90% of the individuals stated 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 male 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 endured these symptoms for more than two years after sustaining an athletic injury, and his herniated disc was confirmed via MRI.

After receiving chiropractic, "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 produce. So, if you are suffering from back pain caused by a herniated disc and want to find some relief, chiropractic may well be an effective solution.

Don't suffer from chronic herniated disc pain. Give our North St. Louis, MO office a call today at (314) 588-9100 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.
  

Every year, over 500,000 people have back surgery in the US. Although sometimes it's necessary to have surgery for back pain, the reality is that if you can avoid this type of invasive procedure, you're often better off.

Dr. Holland is here to make sure that patients in North St. Louis, MO have a natural, non-surgical option for back problems. We've helped many patients heal from back pain without the need for surgery.

There are plenty of reasons to avoid unnecessary medical treatments: Surgeries often result in a longer recuperation time and additional complications, neither of which is an acceptable scenario. Luckily, as one medical study has found, chiropractic care may actually keep you off the surgeon's table completely.

In this study, 1,885 workers with back injuries were assessed over a three year period. When the workers first sought treatment with a surgeon, over 42 percent ended up having surgery for their pain. For subjects who saw only a chiropractor, only 1.5 percent had surgery!

These findings imply that chiropractic care can help you recover from back pain without surgery.

If you live in the North St. Louis, MO area, Dr. Holland can probably help you with your back pain. Give our office a call today at (314) 588-9100 for more information or an appointment.

Keeney BJ, Fulton-Kehoe D, Turner JA, et al. Early predictors of lumbar spine surgery after occupational back injury: results from a prospective study of workers in Washington State. Spine 2013;38(11):953-964.

Of the approximately 2 million rear-end collisions in the US every year, a substantial number of folks end up suffering from long-term pain and impairment. Some research indicates that about 20% of people are still in pain one year after a collision.

Dr. Holland sees many accident cases in our North St. Louis, MO location, and we frequently see individuals who have been struggling for many years and have not been able to find help. Dr. Holland has great success in treating these patients.

The Roots of Chronic Pain

During an accident, the tissues of your spinal column can be stretched or torn. The injured area becomes swollen and irritated and sends pain signals to the spinal cord and brain.

Pain tells your nervous system that something is wrong, which tells the muscles in the damaged area to contract to shield the area from further harm.

If the damage isn't treated right away, a negative cycle develops. The injured area keeps sending pain signals and each time, your nervous system reacts. This creates a feedback loop in your nervous system that researchers refer to as "central sensitization." Your nervous system literally becomes hypersensitive to any kind of stimulus, leading to chronic pain.

Dr. Holland is able to help this kind of problem, as chiropractic is a proven way to restore your nervous system's healthy functioning. Studies show that chiropractic is effective at relieving pain from auto injuries and shows that chiropractic actually has positive effects on the pain centers of the brain.

If you live in North St. Louis, MO and have been in a collision, you don't have to suffer with chronic pain. Give Dr. Holland a call today at (314) 588-9100 for a consultation or appointment.

• Ferrari R. A prospective study of the 1-year incidence of fibromyalgia after acute whiplash injury. Rheumatic & Musculoskeletal Disease 2015; doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2014-000007.
• Stone AM, Vicenzino B, Lim EC, Sterling M. Measures of central hyperexcitability in chronic whiplash associated disorder - A systematic review and meta-analysis. Manual Therapy 2012;18(2):111-7.