Chiropractic More Effective for Sciatica Than Surgery

Dr. Jamie Stern works with countless sciatica patients here in our Sunnyvale, CA office, and quite a few of these patients were concerned that they might need surgery to alleviate their pain. The latest research shows that many people don't require surgery for this widespread problem, and that chiropractic is more successful at solving sciatic nerve pain.

A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists examined 80 patients with sciatica who were referred for this operation.

Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group received chiropractic care.

Both groups got better; however, no apparent difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. In addition, about 60 percent of the participating patients who could not find assistance from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

In other words, chiropractic provided the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to undergo the increased amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that specific treatment option. Additionally, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Sunnyvale, CA and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Jamie Stern a call today at (415) 308-7636. We'll help identify 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.