Chiropractic Therapy Better for Sciatica Than Surgery

Dr. Delson works with countless sciatica patients here in our Springfield office, and many of these patients were afraid that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The most recent research shows that a large number of people don't require surgery for this prevalent problem, and that chiropractic therapy is more successful at solving sciatic nerve issues.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, researchers looked at 80 individuals with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

Forty patients were then randomly sorted into one of two groups. The first group was to receive surgical microdiscectomy and the second group received chiropractic care.

Both groups got better; however, no obvious difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. In addition, about 60% of the participating subjects who could not find assistance from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Simply put, chiropractic care offered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to go through the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment choice. Plus, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

We Can Help Patients Find Comfort From Sciatica Pain

Surgery ought to be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Springfield and you're experiencing back problems or sciatica, give Dr. Delson a call today at (413) 788-4464. We'll help pinpoint the origin of your discomfort and work hard to get you support and living pain free.

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.