Avoid Sciatica Surgery With Chiropractic

Dr. David N. Block Family Chiropractic works with many sciatica patients here in our Chesapeake office, and many of these men and women were nervous that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The latest research reveals that a large number of people don't require surgery for this widespread problem, and that chiropractic is more successful at solving sciatic nerve pain.

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

Both groups improved; however, no obvious difference in results was recorded one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, about 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 delivered the same positive benefits as surgery without needing to go through the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often associated with that type of 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.

Surgery ought to be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Chesapeake and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Dr. David N. Block Family Chiropractic a call today at (757) 436-5428. We'll help determine 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.