Chiropractic Superior for Sciatica Than Surgery

Dr. Osborn works with many sciatica patients here in our Columbus office, and many of these individuals were afraid that they might require surgery to eliminate their pain. The most recent research indicates that many people don't need surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at resolving sciatic nerve pain.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians looked at 80 individuals 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 care.

Both groups improved; however, no obvious difference in results was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. Additionally, around 60% of the participating patients who could not find assistance from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Simply put, chiropractic offered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to endure the higher amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that specific treatment method. Plus, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery ought to be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Columbus and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Osborn a call today at (614) 789-2200. We'll help pinpoint the source 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.