Avoid Sciatica Surgery With Chiropractic Therapy

Dr. Harrell works with many sciatica patients here in our Tumwater office, and many of these patients were afraid that they might require surgery to alleviate their pain. The most recent research reveals that many people don't require surgery for this widespread issue, and that chiropractic therapy is more effective at clearing up sciatic nerve problems.

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

Forty patients were then randomly placed in 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 noticeable difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Additionally, about 60 percent of the participating subjects 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 benefits as surgery without having to go through the higher amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment method. Plus, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, including 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 resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Tumwater and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Harrell a call today at (360) 489-0635. We'll help determine the start of your issues 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.