Chiropractic Superior for Sciatica Than Surgery

Select Health and Wellness works with countless sciatica patients here in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL office, and many of these patients were nervous that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The latest research reveals that a large number of people don't require surgery for this common problem, and that chiropractic is more effective at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A typical 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 sorted into 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 outcome was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. In addition, around sixty percent of the participating subjects 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."

Put another way, chiropractic offered the same positive advantages as surgery without having to go through the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that specific treatment option. Plus, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Jacksonville and Fleming Island, FL and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Select Health and Wellness a call today at (904) 425-9060. We'll help determine the start 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.