Chiropractic Treatment Superior for Sciatica Than Surgery

Dr. Holland works with countless sciatica patients here in our North County St. Louis, MO office, and many of these men and women were worried that they might need surgery to relieve their pain. The most recent research reveals that a large number of people don't need surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic treatment is more successful at solving sciatic nerve problems.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists looked at 80 women and men with sciatica who were referred for this operation.

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 therapy.

Both groups got better; however, no noticeable difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. Additionally, around sixty percent of the participating patients who could not find assistance from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic care provided the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to endure the higher amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that specific treatment option. Plus, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

We Can Help People Find Relief From Sciatica Pain

Surgery should be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in North County St. Louis, MO and you're experiencing back issues or sciatica, give Dr. Holland a call today at (314) 867-8888. We'll help pinpoint the origin of your problems and work hard to get you relief 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.