Avoid Sciatica Surgery With Chiropractic

Dr. Harrison works with countless sciatica patients here in our Decatur office, and quite a few of these patients were concerned that they might need surgery to eliminate their pain. The latest research indicates that many people don't need surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at solving sciatic nerve pain.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists looked at 80 women and men 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 was given chiropractic care.

Both groups improved; however, no apparent difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. Furthermore, about 60 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 delivered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to undergo the greater levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often associated with that particular treatment method. Plus, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery ought to be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Decatur and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Harrison a call today at (404) 325-2856. 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.