Chiropractic Better for Sciatica Than Surgery

Dr. Slater works with many sciatica patients here in our Saint Paul office, and many of these individuals were nervous that they might need surgery to alleviate their pain. The latest research indicates that many people don't need surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more successful at resolving sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians examined 80 individuals 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 received chiropractic care.

Both groups improved; however, no obvious difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, 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 offered the same positive benefits as surgery without having to endure the increased amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment choice. Plus, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery ought to be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Saint Paul and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Slater a call today at (651) 699-3366. We'll help pinpoint 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.