Chiropractic Superior for Sciatica Than Surgery

Dr. Michael Craven works with many sciatica patients here in our Land O' Lakes, FL office, and many of these patients were worried that they might require surgery to relieve their pain. The latest research reveals that a large number of people don't require surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, researchers examined 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 got better; however, no noticeable difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. Furthermore, around 60 percent of the participating patients who could not find relief from any other treatment method "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 go through the greater amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment method. Additionally, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Land O' Lakes, FL and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Michael Craven a call today at (813) 996-9800. 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.