Dr. Mark Holland works with countless sciatica patients here in our North County, St. Louis, MO office, and quite a few of these individuals were worried that they might need surgery to relieve their pain. The latest research reveals that a large number of people don't need surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic is more effective at solving sciatic nerve pain.
A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists examined 80 women and men with sciatica who were referred for this operation.
Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group was to receive surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.
Both groups improved; however, no noticeable difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. Additionally, roughly sixty percent of the participating subjects who could not find relief from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."
In other words, chiropractic delivered the same positive benefits as surgery without having to go through the increased levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that specific treatment option. Additionally, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.
Surgery ought to be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in North County, St. Louis, MO and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Mark Holland a call today at (314) 867-8888. We'll help pinpoint the start of your pain and work hard to get you relief.
References