Sep 21, 2009 7:02 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Sound Wave Therapy
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Back pain is one of the most common reasons for doctors to prescribe narcotic pain killers, but those medications can cause addictions and side effects.
For that reason, alternatives for controlling the pain are always in high demand, and one promising therapy involves sound waves.
Numerous car accidents have left Thomas Fiore in constant pain.
"I have constant lower, mid-back pain, neck pain, and knee pain," Fiore says.
He wanted to fix the pain, rather than mask the symptoms.
"I heard about upper cervical chiropractic, and knew right away it would be something I would be interested in trying out," Fiore says.
After an exam and X-rays, upper cervical chiropractor Vanessa Shields determined Fiore's atlas – where the head and neck join – was out of alignment.
"I use a sound wave instrument and aim a sound wave at the very first bone, and it gently moves it back into place," Shields says.
Emily Cross said the spinal correction procedure has helped reduce her pain.
"I don't have numbness in my feet anymore, I can feel things whenever I touch them, I don't have spasms in my back anymore," Cross says.
Shields claims the technique can improve the symptoms of dozens of conditions including migraines, allergies, high blood pressure, depression, ear infections, and fibromyalgia.
"The only thing I do is I realign the spine," Shields says. "I take pressure off the nervous system, and the body heals itself."
Fiore said he save a difference after his first treatment.
"I feel like I can breathe better," Fiore says. "I feel like, I don't know, a restraint's been lifted off me."
To help prevent misalignment of your upper spine, try not to hold your cell phone with your head on your shoulder. Men should alternate the pocket they place their wallets in to avoid repetitive reaching motions, and ladies should put down those heavy shoulder bags.
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