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Chiropractic Cost Effective in Chronic Pain
Meet Our Staff
Holiday Stress Relief
Your Childs Health
Our Gift To You and Your Loved Ones

Chiropractic is Cost-Effective in Treating Chronic Pain

The above is a direct quote from a headline that appeared in of all places, the November 17, Medical News Today. The article, also picked up by UPI news and several other sources, was reporting on a new study published in the October issue of the scientific journal, The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT).
In this study 2780 patients with mechanical low-back pain referred themselves to 60 doctors of chiropractic and 111 medical doctors. These cases were reviewed for effectiveness of care and for costs. One of the articles noted that back pain care in the United States alone is estimated to reach $48 billion this year, and, at any given time, 80 percent of the U.S. population suffers from back pain.
The results of the study showed several interesting facts. With regards to the outcomes, the study showed that both the acute and chronic patients showed better outcomes in pain and disability reduction and higher satisfaction with their care after undergoing chiropractic care, as compared to medical care.
The costs of the care for the medical and chiropractic showed different results depending on the usage. Without adding the costs of any over-the-counter drugs, hospitalization, or surgical costs, when you simply compared the costs of in-office chiropractic to in-office medical care, the chiropractic care was slightly more expensive. If you then add in the additional costs for any referrals made by the chiropractor or the medical doctor, the chiropractic care costs for chronic patients were then 16 percent lower than medical care costs.
The authors of the study, noting that the satisfaction for the chiropractic care was higher, and the overall total costs were lower, made a concluding statement urging more chiropractic utilization in the health care system. They stated, "With their mission to increase value and respond to patient preferences, health care organizations and policy makers need to reevaluate the appropriateness of chiropractic as a treatment option for low-back pain."

Meet The Staff

 Dr. Ernst, Chiropractor and Clinic director for Shelton and Hoodsport Chiropractic.  Dr. Ernst enjoys helping the patient reach their potential health and well being through chiropractic.  Dr. Ernst and Shannon have 4 children and one grandchild.

 Dr. Morson is our token Canadian chiropractor, contributing to the multicultural feel of the office- not really eh!  He is a 2002 graduate of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, and has been practicing chiropractic in the South Sound since 2003.  He lives in Shelton with his wife and 4 young children, and  enjoys aviation in his free time.

 Dr. Norton graduated cum laude from Western States Chiropractic College in 1996. He and his wife Hati have 3 children and 2 grandchildren. Dr. Norton practices full time at Hoodsport Chiropractic and part time at Shelton Chiropractic Center. Dr. Norton loves to help people with their health and get them feeling better. He looks forward to helping you.

 Shannon Ernst is our Office Manager and the better half of Dr. Ernst!! :) We have been in Shelton since 1998, We enjoy the beauty of this area and the small community. We have a great staff at Shelton Chiropractic and Hoodsport Chiropractic, and we are here to help you!

 My name is Carolyn.. I've been at Shelton Chiropractic Center since 1999. My position here is Chiropractic Assistant.  I can help you with all of your insurance questions and much more. If I can't figure it out, I'll have Shannon do it. :) I am the mother of 2, stepmother of 2, mother-in-law of 3 and grandma to 1!

 Erika, Chiropractic Assistant.  My Husband Curtis and I moved from North Bend to Shelton in 2005. Including Shelton Chiropractic I have eight years experience working with chiropractic. When I'm not at work you will most likely find me knitting on some project. Look forward to seeing you soon at Shelton Chiropractic Center.  

 Carolyne W. Chiropractic Assistant started at Shelton Chiropractic July 2007 she is learning the ropes and is eager to help you.

 Kristin, massage therapist, joined Shelton Chiropractic in 2000. She specializes in deep tissue and personal injury work. Kristin also works part time as our office manager/massage therapist in our Hoodsport office.

 Sara, massage therapist, joined Shelton Chiropractic this year.   She lives in Shelton with her husband and two children.  Sara employs several therapeutic techniques including hot stone massage.

 Jennifer, massage therapist, graduated from Massage School in August of 2000 and has worked at Shelton Chiropractic since April of 2005. She lives here in Shelton with her husband and step daughter and  she has a  daughter due a few days after Christmas. She will be back after her maternity leave.

Holiday Stresses Can Increase Health Risks

The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) has issued helpful holiday hints and recommendations to ward off health problems over the holidays. Overeating was of particular interest as it related to physical stress placed on the spine. According to the release, "A bulging stomach can put pressure on your body support systems, including your spine and spinal nerves. Every extra pound in the abdominal region could put 10 pounds more stress on the lower back. This stress can last a short time, such as just after eating a heavy meal or lifting a package improperly. It may also become chronic, as heavy eating during the holidays may lead to weight gain, and carrying extra pounds can put added strain on the supporting structures of the spine and nervous system.”
The release also notes that additional weight can force the pelvis and torso to shift and cause changes in spinal balance, leading to spinal misalignments (known as subluxations) and malfunction in the entire body. The ICA has prepared several helpful tips to follow. They are: When lifting packages, firewood, or your frozen holiday turkey and other heavy items, lift with your legs, not your back. When lifting, hold objects close to your body; rather than flexing forward, maintain a slight arch in your lower back and bend at the knees before standing up with the object. That way, the lifting is done primarily with the strong muscles of the legs supporting the load.
When cooking or standing for an extended period, elevate one foot with a foot rest or stacked books, about six inches from the floor. Alternately elevating each foot relieves tired back and leg muscles--similar to the function the foot rest serves for customers standing at a counter--and helps prevent bad posture habits that can lead to abnormal spinal curvatures.
When traveling by car or plane, place a pillow or folded towel behind the small of the back to help maintain the arch in your lower back and support the rest of the body properly. This relieves the discs and joint structures of the spine from unnecessary pressure.
In addition to fastening your seat belt for car trips, adjust the head rest to align with your head, at least up to ear level. This is important to support and protect the head and neck in the unfortunate event of a sudden stop.
Get enough rest. Many health problems that occur with the holidays are simply due to fatigue. By simply getting adequate rest, you can help prevent structural strain, emotional and cognitive imbalance, and general health problems.

Growing Pains and Chiropractic

In the September 26, Research Update of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) comes a preliminary case study that reviews the process of a young boy with growing pains under chiropractic care. In this case a 3 year old boy was suffering from complaints of leg pain and lower back pain. In addition, he experienced pain in both feet, headaches and recent bed wetting. He had received no prior treatment except for his parents massaging his legs.
The case study notes that the term growing pain has been used for approximately 150 years. The term was first coined by Duchamp in 1832 in his treatise, “Maladies de la Croissance.” Studies indicate that what is termed as "growing pains" occur in approximately 20% of children and may be as high as 37% and is slightly more prevalent in girls compared to boys.
The study notes that growing pains may begin in infancy with the greatest discomfort between the ages of 3-5 years and generally seem to disappear as the child matures. A number of conditions have been implicated (though not fully substantiated) as possible factors in growing pains such as rapid growth, overexertion, rheumatic conditions, infection, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, orthopedic defects, vague ill health, and psychological factors.
The diagnosis of this condition is usually made by excluding other conditions and therefore leaving only the idea that the pains are "growing pains". In the case of this young boy, a chiropractic examination revealed the presence of subluxations and a course of care was initiated.
The care consisted of 15 visits over a 13 week period. After the first adjustment, the patient did not complain of leg pain for three days. After 7 visits, the mother reported that her son was sleeping through the night without leg pains. By the 15th visit, the child had become and remained symptom-free for almost 3 weeks. The author's conclusion of this study was, "This case report provides supporting evidence of the effectiveness of chiropractic care in children with growing pains."

Shelton Chiropractic Center