Chiropractic Care More Effective for Sciatica Than Surgery

Chiropractic Therapy More Effective for Sciatica Than Surgery in Asheville

Dr. Myers works with many sciatica patients here in our Asheville office, and several of these patients were afraid that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The latest research reveals that many people don't need surgery for this prevalent problem, and that chiropractic adjustments is more successful at solving sciatic nerve pain.

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 received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group received chiropractic treatment.

Both groups got better; however, no noticeable difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, around 60% of the participating subjects 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."

Simply put, chiropractic therapy provided the same positive benefits 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 option. Additionally, 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 People Find Relief From Sciatica Pain

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Asheville and you're being affected by back discomfort or sciatica, give Dr. Myers a call today at (828) 676-0963. We'll help determine the origin of your issues and work hard to get you help 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.