Avoid Sciatica Surgery With Chiropractic Treatment

Jefferson Spine & Injury Center works with many sciatica patients here in our Arlington office, and quite a few of these men and women were nervous that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The latest research indicates that a large number of people don't need surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic care is more beneficial at clearing up sciatic nerve issues.

A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists looked at 80 patients 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 therapy.

Both groups improved; however, no apparent difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. In addition, around 60% 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."

Put another way, chiropractic therapy offered the same positive advantages as surgery without having to endure the greater amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment method. Plus, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

We Can Help People Find Comfort From Sciatica Pain

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Arlington and you're being affected by back issues or sciatica, give Jefferson Spine & Injury Center a call today at (703) 933-9000. We'll help determine the origin of your problems and work hard to get you support 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.