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There are many different kinds of headache, but one of the most common types is known as "cervicogenic headache," or those that originate in your neck.

Dr. Aazami sees a lot of people in our Rockville office who are struggling with frequent headaches. Fortunately, chiropractic adjustments can often help, potentially reducing these types of headaches by 50 percent, and research confirms it.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Cervicogenic Headaches

A study was conducted involving 80 participants who reported experiencing at least five cervicogenic headaches during the prior three months. The objective was to see how effective chiropractic was for this type of head pain, as well as to determine the number of treatment sessions necessary to achieve a positive effect.

The subjects were split into four separate groups, so that each group was similar in age, gender, number of cervicogenic headaches, and their intensity. Of the four groups, two engaged in chiropractic treatments and two received light massage. Furthermore, one group assigned to each treatment received eight sessions and the other group received twice that amount.

Each person was assessed based on head pain, neck pain, and disability prior to the study and 12 and 24 weeks after treatment was complete. The authors found that those who received chiropractic as opposed to massage reported fewer headaches at the conclusion of the study. Furthermore, improvements were maintained when checked six months after treatment ended.

Furthermore, patients who were taking medications for their headaches were able to lower their intake after completing the study. Those who received chiropractic had lower medication usage 24 weeks post-study.

We Can Help Clients Find Comfort From Head Pain

Dr. Aazami has helped many patients who were suffering from headache pain in our Rockville office. Call us today at (240) 221-2666 for more information or for an appointment.

Reference

Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson D, Aickin M, Vavrek D. Dose response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. The Spine Journal 2010; 10: 117-128.

Dr. Aazami sees many patients weekly in our busy Rockville chiropractic office who are looking for relief from the pain and agony they feel due to herniated discs. Our experience isn't unique; the medical literature verifies that chiropractic care is a great way to treat herniated disc problems.

Don't Suffer! Dr. Aazami and Chiropractic Care Helps With Disc Herniation

One particular research project involved 27 people, 8 male and 19 female, who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirming a disc herniation in either their neck or lower back. The subjects reported that they were experiencing pain, limited range of motion, and sensory issues bad enough to keep them off work.

Over the course of the research period, the individuals were treated using one of two common chiropractic techniques: traction for herniated discs in the cervical area or flexion distraction for the men and women who had herniation issues in the lumbar area.

Each man or woman was seen four or five times per week for the first two weeks, then three times each week, and then as needed for the remainder of the study. Depending on the seriousness of the disc herniation, treatment varied anywhere from six weeks to six months, with MRIs being performed at a variety of stages to determine what effect, if any, the chiropractic care was having in regard to the disc herniation.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With Back Pain and Herniated Disc

The authors found that 80 percent of the participants experienced a "good clinical outcome," meaning reduced pain and a reduction in other issues, such as numbness. Furthermore, 77 percent of these subjects also showed MRI evidence that their disc herniation was either reduced or resolved completely. This resulted in 78 percent of the study participants being able to return to their place of employment and led the researchers to conclude that chiropractic care is both "safe and helpful" for disc herniations.

If you have a herniated disc and suffer from chronic back pain and are near Dr. Aazami in Rockville, contact our office today to see what chiropractic can do for you!

Reference
BenEliyahu, DJ. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical follow-up: study of 27 patients receiving chiropractic care for cervical and lumbar disc herniations. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1996;19(9):597-606.

We see quite a few people with back pain in our Rockville office, and Dr. Aazami has been able to help many of them get relief with chiropractic care. However, recovering from back problems doesn't necessarily mean having to make a choice between chiropractic care and medical treatment, as many individuals use both types of care with great outcomes.

Study Confirms Chiropractic and Medical Care Work Well with One Another

In a report 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 restricted function due to back symptoms. Some of the test subjects received treatment via standard medical therapy, while the rest were given chiropractic adjustments in addition to regular medical care, as researchers wanted to see which patients fared better.

Researchers discovered that the group that got standard medical care in combination with chiropractic care scored "significantly better" than the group that got medical care alone; 73% reported positive benefits compared to just 17% of the medical care only group who reported the same amount of improvement. This was true regarding both pain and level of function at the two- and four-week marks.

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

Where Chiropractic Care Pulls Ahead

Although it may seem as if each approach plays a 50-50 role, there is one significant advantage that chiropractic has over medical treatment and that is in patient satisfaction. In fact, a study conducted at UCLA² that was printed in the American Journal of Public Health reports that, on average, chiropractic patients are generally more satisfied with their recovery than people undergoing medical treatment.

According to the researchers, the main factors that patients favored over medical care 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 improve their health on their own, as well as explaining more carefully what to expect from chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Care Is a Natural Approach to Wellness

Without a doubt, the techniques associated with chiropractic are very different than those available with medical care, but a great deal of the difference is the fact that chiropractic is a holistic approach to health and wellness. Instead of focusing on simply relieving the symptoms, chiropractic care means finding the primary cause of your pain, which often results in greater improvement as you are tackling the problem at its source.

Additionally, while medication is sometimes helpful for treating certain conditions, many health issues respond well to natural forms of treatment such as chiropractic care. This means fewer negative side effects from prescriptions and more permanent results.

You don't have to struggle with back pain or other health issues. Give our Rockville office a call today at (240) 221-2666. We'll do everything we can to help you get and stay 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.

Shoulder Pain is a common symptom after a car accident, and it's something that Dr. Aazami sees often in our Rockville office. Let's take a look at why shoulder pain is commonly experienced after an auto injury and see how chiropractic care can help you heal.

There are at least two different ways that you can get shoulder problems after an accident: by direct injury to the shoulder joint or by radiating pain from the neck.

Direct injury can be caused by striking your shoulder on a hard surface in the car during the impact, or can occur if you have a tight grip on the steering wheel during a rear end crash. With this type of injury, you'll often be aware of the pain soon after the crash.

More commonly, Dr. Aazami finds that shoulder or arm pain doesn't immediately appear after a collision, but starts a few days or weeks after the accident. This type of shoulder pain actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured muscles or ligaments in your spine can squeeze nerves in your neck, causing numbness, tingling, or soreness in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've worked with many types of shoulder pain in our Rockville office. This care involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural flexibility and exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

You don't have to suffer from shoulder pain. Dr. Aazami is conveniently located in Rockville to help you get better, whether you've been in an auto collision or not. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your pain and then we will determine an appropriate treatment approach. Ready to make an appointment? Give us a call at (240) 221-2666 and we'll get you back on the road to health.

Asthma is a serious worry for many people in Rockville and for a society as a whole, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that this problem currently affects almost 19 million adults and 7 million kids in the US. A full-blown asthma attack likely means a emergency room visit. Thankfully, Dr. Aazami has helped many folks in Rockville get relief from asthma symptoms.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Asthma

The medical literature confirms what we see in our practice. For instance, a paper published in Clinical and Experimental Allergy assessed 31 adult asthma patients after receiving four weeks of chiropractic treatments. The researchers reported that the individuals who received chiropractic adjustments had a 34% decrease in asthma symptoms.

The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics printed another asthma-based study, except this one involved children. In this paper, the 36 participants ranged from 6 to 17 years in age and their asthma was regarded as either mild or moderate in severity.

After 12 weeks of chiropractic, as a whole, the patients reported a higher quality of life and a decreased level of severity. As a bonus, they also indicated that they relied less on their bronchodilator and these positive effects lasted one year after chiropractic care was complete.

We Can Help Patients Find Comfort From Asthma

So, whether you're 7 or 70, if you have symptoms of asthma, be sure to contact Dr. Aazami in Rockville and make an appointment today. We'll do what we can to help you breathe easier!

References

• Asthma. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Bronfort G et al. (2001, July-August). Chronic pediatric asthma and spinal manipulation: a prospective clinical series and randomized clinical pilot study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;24(6):369-77
• Nielsen N et al. (1995, January). Chronic asthma and chiropractic spinal manipulation: a randomized clinical trial. Clinical and Experimental Allergy;25(1):80-8

When you're trying to support your family, take care of your home, 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 Rockville office. Dr. Aazami appreciates your situation and is here to help.

The benefits of chiropractic for work injuries are well-established. 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 Care?

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

Dr. Aazami Can Help Patients Find Comfort From Chronic Pain

If you live in Rockville and you've been injured at work, we can help. Give our office a call today at (240) 221-2666 for an appointment.

Resources

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

As trauma to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is often rather painful, we do our best to help our Rockville patients find relief as quickly and effectively as possible. In fact, Dr. Aazami will tell you that the medical literature shows just how much chiropractic care can help ease discomfort in the jaw.

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps With TMJ Pain and Discomfort

For instance, one study published in Physiotherapy Theory and Practice included 15 participants with TMJ pain who were treated with neck adjustments, middle-back adjustments, and trigger point therapy via dry needling. Individuals were examined prior to these treatments and at two weeks and two months post-treatment. They reported positive results such as reduced pain, greater jaw movement, and lower disability at both follow-ups.

Another research study conducted an analysis of almost 800 studies involving manual and manipulative therapy for disorders such as TMJ and discovered similar findings. The authors concluded that there is a "fair...level of evidence" that chiropractic care can help ease discomfort associated with TMJ and other upper extremity disorders.

This is great news since the origins of TMJ are largely unknown. While trauma to the jaw or neck can cause pain symptoms, there are other causes to consider as well, such as bruxism, osteoarthritis, and clenching of the jaw due to tension.

Dr. Aazami Can Help People Find Relief From TMJ Pain

No matter what is making your jaw hurt, call Dr. Aazami now and schedule an appointment to come into our Rockville office. We'll do our best to help you smile pain-free!

References

• Gonzalez-Iglesias J et al. (2013, November). Mobilization with movement, thoracic spine manipulation, and dry needling for the management of temporomandibular disorder: a prospective case series. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice;29(8):586-95
• Brantingham J et al. (2013, March-April). Manipulative and multimodal therapy for upper extremity and temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics;36(3):143-201
• Oral Care. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/temporomandibular-disorders-tmd on November 2, 2015

We come across a large number of sports injuries in our Rockville clinic, and Dr. Aazami is usually able to help these athletes. Stanford Children’s Hospital reports that more than 3.5 million children aged 14 and below are hurt each year while playing sports. Add that to the close to 2 million adults injured annually while participating in sports-related activities, according to statistics collected by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and you can start to see the necessity of preventing these sorts of widespread injuries. One way to potentially achieve that goal, as stated in a study published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, is to engage in routine chiropractic care.

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

Research Supports Chiropractic Helps in Treating Sports Injuries

For this study specifically, every one of the players was given medical treatment. In addition, half of them also engaged in chiropractic sessions at the rate of 1 treatment each week for the first six weeks, biweekly treatments for the next three months, and one treatment per month for the last 3 months of the study. The remaining participants were given no chiropractic intervention whatsoever and acted as the control group to assess the benefits of chiropractic care.

Following twenty-four matches, specialists reported a diminished number of lower limb muscle strains in the group that had received chiropractic care. Furthermore, that same group also missed fewer matches related to non-contact knee injuries. This lead the researchers to conclude that chiropractic ought to be made an addition to sports training programs to effectively lessen the amount of leg injuries.

Dr. Aazami Can Help People Find Relief From Sports Injuries & Help You Recover Quicker

If you or your child plays sports and you would like to ensure more time is dedicated on the field versus on the sidelines, call our Rockville office at (240) 221-2666 and make 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 research, roughly 5 percent of the population will suffer from painful conditions like frozen shoulder syndrome at some time in their lives. That makes shoulder-related pain a common problem and one that Dr. Aazami sees in our Rockville office on a regular basis.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Shoulder Pain

By and large, this issue is more common for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and it tends to affect women more often than men. While ice, heat, and gentle stretching can often times help relieve the discomfort, so too can chiropractic.

For example, a study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine looked at 50 patients with frozen shoulder who received chiropractic care. The length 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 very well with chiropractic care. The study 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 demonstrate just how effective chiropractic care can be when it comes to decreasing shoulder pain and improving quality of life.

We Can Help Clients Find Relief From Shoulder Pain

Let Dr. Aazami help you ease your suffering by contacting our Rockville 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. Aazami works with many sciatica patients here in our Rockville office, and many of these men and women were worried that they might need surgery to treat their pain. The most recent research reveals that a large number of people don't require surgery for this common problem, and that chiropractic is more effective at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists examined 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 got better; however, no apparent difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, about sixty percent of the participating patients who could not find assistance from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic provided the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to endure the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often associated with that particular treatment method. Additionally, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Rockville and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Aazami a call today at (240) 221-2666. 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.