Chiropractic Superior for Sciatica Than Surgery

Sweeney Chiropractic works with countless sciatica patients here in our Nashville office, and many of these men and women were concerned that they might require surgery to eliminate their pain. The most recent research indicates that a large number of people don't need surgery for this prevalent problem, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at solving sciatic nerve pain.

A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists examined 80 individuals with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

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

Both groups got better; however, no apparent difference in results was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. Additionally, around 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 provided the same positive advantages as surgery without having to endure the higher amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that specific treatment choice. Additionally, 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 option for sciatica pain. If you live in Nashville and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Sweeney Chiropractic a call today at (615) 331-7040. 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.