Chiropractic More Effective for Sciatica Than Surgery

Dr. Poelking works with many sciatica patients here in our Kettering office, and quite a few of these men and women were afraid that they might require surgery to eliminate their pain. The latest research reveals that a large number of people don't require surgery for this common problem, and that chiropractic is more successful at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians examined 80 women and men 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 noticeable difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. In addition, about sixty percent 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."

Put another way, chiropractic provided the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to undergo the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often associated with that particular treatment method. Plus, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Kettering and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Poelking a call today at (937) 299-2900. We'll help pinpoint the origin 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.