Chiropractic Care More Effective for Sciatica Than Surgery

Linton Spine & Joint Chiropractic Center works with many sciatica patients here in our Mt Sterling office, and quite a few of these individuals were afraid that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The latest research shows that a large number of people don't need surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic care is more successful at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians examined 80 patients with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic treatment.

Both groups improved; however, no noticeable difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, around 60% of the participating patients who could not find assistance from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

In other words, chiropractic treatment delivered 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 associated with that type of treatment option. Plus, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

We Can Help Patients Find Relief From Sciatica Pain

Surgery should be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Mt Sterling and you're experiencing back problems or sciatica, give Linton Spine & Joint Chiropractic Center a call today at (859) 499-1009. We'll help determine the source of your pain and work hard to get you help 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.