Avoid Sciatica Surgery With Chiropractic

Dr. Palmer works with countless sciatica patients here in our Depew office, and quite a few of these patients were afraid that they might need surgery to treat their pain. The latest research indicates that a large number of people don't need surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more effective at solving sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians examined 80 patients with sciatica who were referred for this operation.

Forty patients were then randomly sorted into one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group received chiropractic care.

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

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

Surgery ought to be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Depew and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Palmer a call today at (716) 668-2225. We'll help determine the origin 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.