While it’s not a new finding that muscle degeneration is as common as disc degeneration or that they often exist together, it’s clearly important for all of us – doctors and patients alike – to understand. As far back as 1992, Parkkola reported this phenomenon as it relates to low back pain. As a matter of fact, he pointed out that muscle degeneration can be seen on MRI. Now, your St Peters chiropractor can also see it clinically without an MRI: fatty deposits around the spine and muscle atrophy give it away. (1) For this reason, Old Mill Chiropractic often encourages St Peters back pain and neck pain patients to exercise and strengthen their spinal muscles with some basic exercises that aren’t hard but are effective. Via exercise combined with the spinal manipulation Old Mill Chiropractic offers, pain relief may be within reach.

So first, exercise. Exercise for neck pain patients is important. This is particularly true for post-whiplash patients. New research shows that neck exercises significantly improved patients’ neck disability index scores as well as their self-efficacy scale and their health related quality of life scores.  (2) So, our St Peters chiropractic patients, it’s important to do exercises that are a suggested part of your St Peters chiropractic care program.

Now, the other part of the St Peters chiropractic care program is spinal manipulation. Old Mill Chiropractic offers spinal manipulation as a core part of the treatment plan. A recent study of senior patients with chronic neck pain ties spinal manipulative therapy with home exercise to greater pain reduction. Now, the home exercise is self-directed which makes it simple. A comparison group had supervised home exercise, but that didn’t show any better outcomes than the self-directed home exercise with spinal manipulation!  (3) St Peters chiropractic patients find our Cox Technic spinal manipulation to be relieving, gentle, safe and segment specific.

So contact Old Mill Chiropractic today for your spinal pain which likely include muscle degeneration as well as disc degeneration. The St Peters chiropractic spinal manipulation plus exercise just may be the relieving combination you’re looking for!