Recent Posts

Dr. Jamie Stern works with many sciatica patients here in our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA office, and many of these patients were afraid that they might need surgery to treat their pain. The most recent research indicates that many people don't need surgery for this widespread issue, and that chiropractic is more effective at solving sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists looked at 80 women and men 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 received chiropractic care.

Both groups got better; however, no apparent difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. Additionally, roughly 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 delivered the same positive benefits as surgery without having to endure the greater levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that type of treatment method. Plus, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Jamie Stern a call today at (415) 308-7636. We'll help pinpoint 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.
  

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

Of course, a lot of people come to our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA office looking for neck pain treatment, and Dr. Jamie Stern has helped many of them find relief. This is a smart decision, as some research shows that over 90 percent of neck pain patients benefit from chiropractic.

Studies Confirm Chiropractic Effective for Neck Pain

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

Data 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 evaluating the entire spine is a critical part of restoring the body's normal function.

One more study posted in Physical Therapy involved 60 individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who were dealing with neck pain. Each person 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.

Researchers discovered that the study participants who received the thrust manipulations (the same manipulations that provided 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 found the same type of positive outcomes after thoracic adjustments in a patient who had a failed neck surgical treatment. This specific case involved a 46-year-old patient who had recently had neck surgery but still reported neck pain, headaches, pain in her elbow, and muscle fatigue.

The woman reported 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 placed 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 scientific studies like these that demonstrate 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 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 Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA and Dr. Jamie Stern can help you recover from neck pain. Give us a call today at (415) 308-7636.

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 migraines affect 38 million people in the U.S. (more than diabetes and asthma put together), it's no surprise that Dr. Jamie Stern treats a lot of headache sufferers in our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA office. While some people choose to relieve migraine pain with medications, chiropractic is a fantastic, all-natural alternative that usually produces positive results.

Research Proves Chiropractic Care Helps With Migraines

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) 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 authors discovered is that chiropractic reduced the frequency, duration, and disability of the migraine headaches when compared with the control patients who didn't receive chiropractic. Furthermore, this enabled them to take less medication for the pain, providing them an all-natural solution for a chronic problem.

Another study 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. Jamie Stern today and request an appointment in our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA 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

We see a lot of men and women with headaches in our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA office, and Dr. Jamie Stern has been able to assist many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that half of all adults struggle with some sort of headache problem, so this certainly isn’t a surprise. One of the most frequent types of headaches which our patients are afflicted by is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic can usually help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from a problem in the cervical spine. It might be thanks to a problem with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it might be attributed to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine produces constriction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring on headache pain.

How can you identify if the headache you are suffering from is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from getting a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally accompanied by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Since cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is generating them is corrected, it is vital to receive treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective approach, and one that offers a great deal of pain relief.

In one study reported in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts evaluated 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. One-half were given chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was found that chiropractic delivered the most beneficial results.

In particular, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments gave patients greater pain relief and lowered the number of headaches that occurred. What's more, it also lessened the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Jamie Stern can do for you and your headache pain, call our office 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/

Unfortunately, quite a few of our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA patients are familiar with the pain associated with a herniated disc all too well. Fortunately, Dr. Jamie Stern has helped many people with disc pain, and a number of medical studies have verified that chiropractic care can help patients recover from this kind of condition.

Research on Herniated Discs and Chiropractic

In one report, a group of doctors from Switzerland recruited 148 patients who were dealing with pain in their low 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 herniation.

Data was collected after the first 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 condition. Among the information gathered was the person's self-reported changes in both lumbar and leg pain.

The authors found that, overall, the study participants 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 people who were defined as "chronic" still claimed an improvement in pain at a rate of 89% one year beyond when treatment first began. This is the same positive effect that was found in the following case study.

Case Study Shows that Chiropractic Benefits Chronic Disc Herniation Symptoms

In this report, 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 symptoms 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." In addition, the patient was still experiencing relief one year after the chiropractic intervention.

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

Don't suffer from chronic herniated disc pain. Give our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA office a call today at (415) 308-7636 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.
  

We see many people with back pain in our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA office, and Dr. Jamie Stern has been able to help a lot of them find relief through various chiropractic techniques. At the same time, dealing with back pain doesn't necessarily mean having to make a choice between chiropractic care and medical care, as many people utilize both types of care with great results.

Research Confirms Chiropractic and Medical Treatment Work Well Together

In a study published by the journal Spine experts¹ looked at a group of active-duty military personnel between the ages of 18 and 35 who reported both acute discomfort and limited function due to back symptoms. Some of the study participants received treatment via standard medical therapy, while the remainder were given chiropractic adjustments in addition to standard medical care, as researchers wanted to see which patients fared better.

The authors observed that the patients who got standard medical care along with chiropractic care scored "significantly better" than the patients who received medical care alone; 73 percent reported positive benefits compared to just 17% of the medical treatment only group who indicated the same amount of improvement. This was true regarding both pain and level of function at two and four weeks.

Accordingly, integrating these two forms of treatment can greatly benefit you--the patient--offering advantages when compared to medical care alone. However, while chiropractic and medical approaches can work together, chiropractic offers some distinct advantages over medical treatment.

Where Chiropractic Care Pulls Ahead

Although it may seem as if each method plays a 50/50 role, there is one major benefit that chiropractic has over medical treatment and that is in patient satisfaction. In fact, a piece of research from UCLA² that was published in the American Journal of Public Health reports that, on average, chiropractic patients are generally more satisfied with their recovery than patients undergoing medical care.

According to the experts, the main factors that patients liked over medical treatment were "self-care advice and explanation of treatment." This isn't unexpected, as chiropractors commonly spend much more time consulting with their patients as to how they can better their health on their own, as well as explaining more carefully what to expect from chiropractic.

Chiropractic Offers a Holistic Approach

Without a doubt, the methods associated with chiropractic are quite different than those available with medical treatment, but a great deal of the difference is the fact that chiropractic is a natural approach to health and well-being. In contrast to focusing on only relieving the symptoms, chiropractic means searching for the primary cause of your pain, which often results in greater improvement as you are tackling the problem at its source.

In addition, while medication is sometimes helpful for managing certain conditions, many health issues respond well to natural forms of treatment like chiropractic. This means fewer negative side effects from drugs and more permanent results.

You don't have to struggle with back pain or other health issues. Give our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA office a call today at (415) 308-7636. We'll do everything we can to help you get and remain free from back pain.

References

1. Goertz CM, Long CR, Hondras MA, Petri R, Delgado R, Lawrence DJ, Owens EF, Meeker WC. Adding chiropractic manipulative therapy to standard medical care for patients with acute low back pain: results of a pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness study. Spine 2013;38(8):627-634.
2. Hertzman-Miller RP1, Morgenstern H, Hurwitz EL, Yu F, Adams AH, Harber P, Kominski GF. Comparing the satisfaction of low back pain patients randomized to receive medical or chiropractic care: results from the UCLA low-back pain study. American Journal of Public Health 2002;92(10):1628-1633.

If you live in Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA and you've been in a car wreck, you need to know that you don't have to suffer from chronic symptoms.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Chronic Pain after an Auto Injury

We work with several auto injury sufferers in our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA office, and several of these folks are suffering from chronic pain caused by an old collision. In fact, research shows that a significant proportion of rear-end accidents result in pain and disability even ten years after the original trauma.

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

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

We Can Help With Chronic Pain and Auto Injury Recovery

If you're nearby our Sunnyvale & San Francisco, CA office, and you've been injured in a crash, don't wait to get care. Dr. Jamie Stern is here for you. Give us a call today at (415) 308-7636 for an appointment or for more information.

Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly common problem reported by many people after a car crash, and it can be hard for some health practitioners to identify the root of the problem. Complicating the matter, very often you won't develop TMJ symptoms until many weeks or months after the accident.

Dr. Jamie Stern has helped many individuals with jaw pain after an injury, and the medical research explains what causes these types of problems. During a collision, the tissues in your spine are commonly stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve injury. This can obviously cause pain in the neck and back, but since your central nervous system is one functioning unit, inflammation of the nerves can cause pain in other parts of your body.

For example, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause prickling or numbness in the arm and hand. Similarly, it can affect parts of your body above the injured area, like your head and jaw. Headaches after a collision are very common because of neck injury, and the jaw works the same way. Dr. Jamie Stern sees this very commonly in our Sunnyvale, CA office.

Research Proves Chiropractic Lessens TMJ Pain After an Auto Accident

Research shows that the source of many jaw or TMJ symptoms starts in the neck and that treatment of the underlying neck problem can fix the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The key to resolving these symptoms is simple: Dr. Jamie Stern will work to restore your spine back to health, alleviating the inflammatory reaction, treating the injured tissues, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.

Dr. Jamie Stern has found that jaw and headache issues often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy state.

If you live in Sunnyvale, CA and you've been injured in a crash, Dr. Jamie Stern can help. We've been working with auto injury patients since 2006, and we can most likely help you, too. Give our office a call today at (415) 308-7636 for an appointment or consultation.

Ciancaglini R, Testa M, Radaelli G. Association of neck pain with symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction in the general adult population. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 1999;31:17-22.

Brantingham JW, Cassa TK, Bonnefin D, Pribicevic M, Robb A, et al. Manipulative and multimodal therapy for upper extremity and temporomandibular disorders: a system review. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2013;36(3):143-201.

Of the over 2 million rear-end accidents in the US every year, a substantial number of people end up suffering from chronic pain and disability. Some research indicates that about 20% of people are still in pain 12 months after a crash.

Dr. Jamie Stern sees many accident cases in our Sunnyvale, CA location, and we regularly see people who have been hurting for many years and have not been able to find relief. Dr. Jamie Stern has great success in treating these patients.

What Causes Chronic Pain after a Crash?

During a crash, the tissues of your spine can be sprained or torn. The injured area becomes swollen and inflamed and transmits pain impulses to the spinal cord and central nervous system.

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 trauma.

If the damage isn't treated right away, a negative cycle develops. The damaged area keeps sending pain signals and each time, your central nervous system reacts. This brings about a feedback loop in your nervous system that experts refer to as "central sensitization." Your nervous system actually becomes oversensitive to any kind of stimulation, causing chronic pain.

Dr. Jamie Stern is able to help this kind of condition, as chiropractic care is a proven way to restore your nervous system's healthy functioning. Studies show that adjustments are effective at relieving pain from auto injuries and shows that chiropractic in fact has positive effects on the pain centers of the brain.

If you live in Sunnyvale, CA and have been in a crash, you don't have to suffer with chronic pain. Give Dr. Jamie Stern a call today at (415) 308-7636 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.

We see a large number of patients with back pain in our Sunnyvale, CA office, and Dr. Jamie Stern finds that quite a few cases of back pain stem from the sacroiliac (SI) joint. Research has revealed that roughly one quarter of all back pain originates in the SI joint, and now new research ratifies what we have noticed in our office: chiropractic is an effective way to treat this pain.

In the study released in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 32 women with sacroiliac joint syndrome were split into two groups and asked to take part in one of two treatment therapies. The first group received a chiropractic adjustment only at the sacroiliac joint, and the other group was given an adjustment to the sacroiliac joint and the lumbar spine.

Specialists found greater improvements in both pain and movement immediately after treatment, two days post-treatment, and 30 days after for the group who underwent high-velocity low-amplitude manipulation to both the sacroiliac joint and the lumbar spine. This suggests that chiropractic treatment applied to these two areas offers both short term and lasting benefits for sacroiliac joint pain sufferers—even with only one treatment session.

Therefore, if you are dealing with sacroiliac joint pain, or have back and leg pain and would like to know whether your sacroiliac joint is the cause, a visit to our Sunnyvale, CA office could be the first—and best—step towards feeling better. Give our office a call today at (415) 308-7636.

Kamali F, Shokri E. The effect of two manipulative therapy techniques and their outcome in patients with sacroiliac joint syndrome. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 2012;16(1):29-35.