Balance Chiropractic & Rehab works with many sciatica patients here in our Fargo office, and many of these patients were concerned that they might need surgery to treat their pain. The latest research shows that many people don’t need surgery for this widespread problem, and that chiropractic is more successful at resolving sciatic nerve pain.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians examined 80 individuals 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 got better; however, no noticeable difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. Furthermore, around sixty percent of the participating patients who could not find pain relief from any other treatment method “benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention.”

In other words, chiropractic offered the same positive advantages as surgery without having to go through the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often affiliated with that type of treatment option. Plus, 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 option for sciatica pain. If you live in Fargo and you’re suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Balance Chiropractic & Rehab a call today at (701) 893-7878. We’ll help identify the start 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.