Recent Posts

We see a number of patients in our Rutland office with ankle sprains but Dr. Cyr has had a lot of success helping them recover more quickly. Why are ankle sprains so common and how can your chiropractor help?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), approximately 25,000 men and women in the US sprain their ankles daily. As a matter of fact, these injuries make up almost half of all sports injuries, causing people to spend time away from the activities they enjoy most.

Like any injury, there are many causes of ankle sprains. The most frequent is inversion, or when the ankle rolls inward. This injury can occur due to one forceful movement, or it can develop over a period of time, and exercises that increase the risk for this type of ankle sprain include running and jumping. You're also at risk if you have pre-existing ankle injuries, poor posture or balance, weak muscles, and reduced range of motion.

How Can Chiropractic Treatments and Dr. Cyr Help?

A paper published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics set out to identify chiropractic's role when it comes to ankle sprain recovery. The authors enrolled 33 men and women 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 area in the previous six weeks.

Eighteen of the participants were assigned to participate in rehabilitation and the other 15 subjects received chiropractic adjustments in addition to rehab. 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 care six out of the seven days.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps With Ankle Sprains

The study found that the people who participated in both rehabilitation and chiropractic fared the best at the 4-week mark when it came to pain and joint restriction. Furthermore, no negative effects were reported, showing that chiropractic is safe.

If you're near our location in Rutland and you're recovering from an ankle injury, give us a call. We'll do what we can to keep you up and running... literally!

Citations

• 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

If you are struggling with fibromyalgia, you are not alone, as Dr. Cyr sees many patients with this particular syndrome in our Rutland chiropractic office. As a matter of fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that roughly two percent of all adults in the US have fibromyalgia. Thankfully, chiropractic care is one treatment option that can provide positive results.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps Fibromyalgia

In a study published in mid-2015, 215 adults with fibromyalgia were assessed based on factors ranging from pain to quality of sleep to the levels of depression symptoms and anxiety they felt. Then they were divided into two groups with one group receiving a multi-modal therapy program for three months and the second group receiving the same approach plus chiropractic adjustments (specifically, to the upper neck area) for the same length of time.

The subjects who received chiropractic care combined with the multi-modal therapy approach reported greater benefits in all areas (pain, sleep, depression, and anxiety) at three months post-treatment when compared to the study participants who received multi-modal treatment without chiropractic care. In addition, those positive benefits were long-lasting as the subjects reported continued improvement one full year later.

Fibromyalgia can significantly decrease your quality of life, both psychologically and physically. If you're suffering from fibromyalgia, we might be able to help.

You don't have to suffer! To find out what Dr. Cyr can do for your fibromyalgia pain, call our Rutland chiropractic office today.

Resources

• Fibromyalgia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm on November 2, 2015.
• Moustafa I & Diab A. (2015, July). The addition of upper cervical manipulative therapy in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. Rheumatology International;35(7):1163-74.

Regrettably, quite a few of our Rutland patients are familiar with the pain caused by a herniated disc all too well. On a positive note, Dr. Cyr has helped many people with disc pain, and a number of scientific studies have verified that chiropractic can help people recover from this kind of condition.

Research on Herniated Discs and Chiropractic

In one report, specialists from Switzerland recruited 148 patients who were coping with pain in their lower 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 location of his or her disc problem.

Data was collected after the preliminary treatment session at set intervals--namely, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year--to ascertain what type of short-term and long-term effects, if any, chiropractic offers when it comes to treating this particular problem. Among the data collected was the individual's self-reported changes in both low back 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 study participants 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 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.

Case Study Shows that Chiropractic Benefits Chronic Disc Herniation Symptoms

In this paper, 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 disc herniation 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 useful chiropractic can be when it comes to alleviating herniated disc pain and relieving the symptoms they cause. So, if you are suffering from back pain caused by a herniated disc and wish to find some relief, chiropractic might be an effective solution.

Don't suffer from chronic herniated disc pain. Give our Rutland office a call today at (802) 775-6961 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.
  

Dr. Cyr sees a lot of people struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome in our busy Rutland chiropractic office. While some people think that the source of this wrist-related pain is muscular, it's actually a syndrome that arises from the nerves--and not just the nerves in your hands.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Recent research published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy assessed 71 women between the ages of 35 and 59 who were diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Upon investigating the subjects' neck range of motion, the authors discovered that the patients had reduced cervical flexibility when compared to a healthy control group.

In addition, it was also found that the level of the women's reported carpal tunnel pain was related to the lateral flexion of the cervical spine. In other words, the less flexibility in the neck area, the greater the level of pain.

This research is extremely important, as you can't successfully treat a condition until you fully understand its source. By realizing that the root of carpal tunnel symptoms is in the neck, this means that natural approaches like chiropractic can often restore normal function, eliminating the need for risky surgery.

If you have carpal tunnel pain, call our Rutland office and ask how Dr. Cyr can help you get relief!

Studies

De-la-Llave-Rincon A et al. (2011, May). Women with carpal tunnel syndrome show restricted cervical range of motion. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy;41(5):305-10.
Simon H. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. University of Maryland Medical Center. Updated May 6, 2012. Retrieved from https://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/carpal-tunnel-syndrome on November 2, 2015.

We see quite a few people with back pain in our Rutland office, and Dr. Cyr has been able to help a lot of them get relief through various chiropractic techniques. However, recovering from back pain doesn't necessarily mean having to make a choice between chiropractic care and medical treatment, as many individuals utilize both types of care with great success.

Research Confirms Chiropractic and Medical Care Work Well with One Another

In a study published by the medical journal Spine researchers¹ looked at a group of active-duty military personnel between the ages of 18 and 35 who were suffering from both acute discomfort and restricted function due to back symptoms. Some of the patients engaged in treatment via standard medical care, while the rest were given chiropractic care in addition to regular medical care, as researchers wanted to see which group fared better.

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

Therefore, integrating these two forms of treatment can greatly benefit you--the patient--offering benefits when compared to medical care alone. However, while chiropractic and medicine can work alongside each other, chiropractic offers some distinct advantages over medical treatment.

Where Chiropractic Care Is Successful

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

According to the researchers, the main aspects that patients preferred over medical care were "self-care advice and explanation of treatment." This isn't surprising, as chiropractors tend to spend much more time advising their patients as to how they can better their health on their own, as well as explaining more thoroughly what to expect from chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Care Is a Natural Approach to Wellness

Certainly, the strategies associated with chiropractic are quite different than those provided with medical treatment, but a large amount of the difference is the fact that chiropractic is a natural approach to health and wellness. Instead of focusing on just relieving the symptoms, chiropractic care involves searching for the root cause of your pain, which often means greater improvement as you are addressing the problem at its source.

In addition, while medication is sometimes helpful for treating certain conditions, many health issues respond well to natural forms of treatment like chiropractic care. This means fewer negative side effects from drugs and longer-lasting recovery.

You don't have to deal with back pain or other health issues. Give our Rutland clinic a call today at (802) 775-6961. 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 Rutland and you've been in a car accident, you need to know that you don't have to suffer from chronic pain.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps With Chronic Pain after an Auto Injury

We deal with a lot of auto injury sufferers in our Rutland office, and many of these people are suffering from chronic pain caused by an old collision. In fact, research shows that a significant proportion of rear-end crashes can cause pain and disability even ten years after the original injury.

Dr. Cyr is here to help you avoid developing chronic symptoms by helping to restore the healthy function of your spine soon after a crash.

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

We Can Help With Chronic Pain and Auto Injury Recovery

If you're close to our Rutland office, and you've been injured in a collision, don't wait to get attention. Dr. Cyr is here for you. Give us a call today at (802) 775-6961 for an appointment or for more information.

Each year, there are millions of auto collisions in the world, and a significant number of men and women get hurt in a car wreck. Although most accidents are "minor," chronic neck and back pain are still common health issues. The good news is that chiropractic care is a very good way to address these kinds of injuries.

We've treated many auto accident patients in our Rutland office, and Dr. Cyr has been treating people with these types of problems since 1985. During a car wreck, your body is subjected to large forces that it simply wasn't built to deal with. These forces put strain and stress on your neck, shoulder, and back, and can result in injury to the ligaments that hold your spinal column together. A collision can result in a wide variety of pain issues.

A ligament tear in the neck can cause pain, swelling, and radicular pain in the arm and hand. Chiropractic care works well for these types of problems, because chiropractic concentrates on restoring the healthy function and flexibility of the injured areas.

Dr. Cyr Can Help Patients Recover From an Auto Accident

Dr. Cyr, your Rutland chiropractor, can help by decreasing irritation in the injured area and can help decrease the formation of scar tissue that can cause chronic pain and disability.

You don't have to suffer from auto injury pain. Learn more about how we can help you get well or call Dr. Cyr today at (802) 775-6961.

The latest statistics show that there are over 500,000 spinal surgeries annually 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. Cyr is here to make sure that patients in Rutland have a healthy, non-surgical option for back pain. We've helped many people heal from back pain without the need for surgery.

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

Research Shows Chiropractic Treatment Helps Avoid Back Surgery

In this paper, about 1,900 workers with back injuries were examined over a three year period. When the workers first sought care with a surgeon, over 42 percent ended up having back surgery. For those who saw only a chiropractor, only 1.5 percent had surgery!

These findings mean that chiropractic care can help you heal from back pain without surgical treatments.

If you live in the Rutland area, Dr. Cyr can probably help you with your back pain. Give our office a call today at (802) 775-6961 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.

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

Dr. Cyr has helped many individuals with jaw pain after an injury, and the scientific literature explains what produces these types of problems. During a collision, the tissues in your spine are oftentimes stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve injury. This can obviously cause pain in the neck and back, but since your nervous system is one functioning unit, irritation of the nerves can cause issues in other parts of your body.

For instance, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause prickling or pins and needles in the arm and hand. Similarly, it can affect parts of your body above the injured tissues, like your head and jaw. Headaches after a wreck are very common because of neck injury, and the jaw works the same way. Dr. Cyr sees this very commonly in our Rutland office.

Research Shows Chiropractic Helps TMJ Pain After an Auto Accident

Research indicates that the source of many jaw or TMJ symptoms begins in the cervical spine and that treatment of the underlying neck injury can resolve the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The key to resolving these symptoms is simple: Dr. Cyr will work to return your spinal column back to health, alleviating the inflammation, treating the injured areas, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.

Dr. Cyr finds that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy state.

If you live in Rutland and you've been hurt in a car crash, Dr. Cyr can help. We've been treating auto injury patients since 1985, and we can most likely help you, too. Give our office a call today at (802) 775-6961 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.

We help a large number of men and women with back pain in our Rutland office, and Dr. Cyr has noticed that quite a few cases of back pain originate in the sacroiliac (SI) joint. Research has demonstrated that around one quarter of all back pain begins in the SI joint, and now new research ratifies what we have noticed in our clinic: chiropractic is an effective way to treat this pain.

Research Supports Chiropractic Treatment Helps Increase Movement in the SI Joint

In the study released in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 32 women who suffered from sacroiliac joint dysfunction were split into two groups and asked to take part in one of two treatment therapies. The first group went through a chiropractic adjustment isolated to the sacroiliac joint, and the second group got an adjustment to the sacroiliac joint as well as the lumbar spine.

Researchers found greater improvements in both pain and movement immediately after treatment, two days later, and 30 days after for the patients who received high-velocity low-amplitude manipulation to both the sacroiliac joint and the lumbar spine. This suggests that chiropractic treatment administered in these two areas offers both prompt and lasting benefits for sacroiliac joint pain sufferers even with just one treatment session.

Therefore, if you are having trouble with sacroiliac joint pain, or have back and leg pain and are ready to see whether your sacroiliac joint is the root, a visit to our Rutland office may be the first and best step towards recovery. Give our office a call today at (802) 775-6961.

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.