Chiropractic Better for Sciatica Than Surgery

Gadsden Family Chiropractic works with countless sciatica patients here in our Gadsden office, and many of these men and women were concerned that they might need surgery to relieve their pain. The most recent research reveals that many people don't require surgery for this prevalent problem, and that chiropractic is more effective at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, researchers examined 80 women and men 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 care.

Both groups improved; however, no obvious difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Additionally, about 60 percent of the participating patients who could not find pain relief from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Simply put, chiropractic provided the same positive advantages as surgery without having to endure the increased levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that type of treatment choice. Plus, 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 Gadsden and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Gadsden Family Chiropractic a call today at (256) 543-3033. We'll help identify the source of your pain and work hard to get you relief.

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.