Chiropractic Therapy Better for Sciatica Than Surgery

Dr. Pittman works with many sciatica patients here in our San Angelo office, and many of these individuals were afraid that they might need surgery to treat their pain. The latest research shows that many people don't require surgery for this prevalent problem, and that chiropractic treatment is more successful at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, researchers examined 80 women and men with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.

Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic therapy.

Both groups got better; however, no obvious difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. In addition, around 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 care offered the same positive benefits as surgery without needing to endure the increased levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often associated with that particular treatment option. Plus, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

We Can Help Patients Find Relief From Sciatica Pain

Surgery ought to be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in San Angelo and you're being affected by back issues or sciatica, give Dr. Pittman a call today at (325) 223-9355. We'll help identify the origin of your pain 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.