Do you have that nagging, uncomfortable pain that goes down your leg? Is the numbness and tinglings driving you crazy? This pain drives many to seek sciatica surgery when disc herniation is putting pressure on the nerve.
Microdiscectomy is the sciatica surgery performed. Many find it provides the relief they are looking for but researchers question the risks of microdiscectomy. It’s also an expensive procedure ranging from $20,000 to $50,000.
What if there is a more conservative, gentle approach that is also more affordable without the vast recovery time and without the risk?
New research shows chiropractic is as successful as sciatica surgery. 120 patients were screened for one sided radiculopathy due to herniation at either L3/4, L4/5 or L5/S1. 40 patients who were under previous treatment of painkillers, lifestyle modification, acupuncture, physical therapy or massage were still experiencing sciatica. These 40 people were included in the study to compare sciatica surgery or chiropractic adjustment. They were randomly split into the 2 treatment groups. After 3 months of treatment in either group if unsatisfied, they were allowed to crossover to the other group.
There was a significant improvement in both groups compared to baseline outcome assessments before the study treatments were performed. After one year follow up both groups were equally satisfied. 85% of the surgical group vs 60% of the chiropractic group showed improvement. The 40% in the chiropractic group that didn’t see results then followed up with sciatica surgery and experienced the same improvement as the other surgical candidates.
There is no procedure that has 100% effectiveness but this study shows that chiropractic is highly effective in providing sciatica relief before choosing the surgical route. Researchers concluded that patients should seek chiropractic treatment before opting for the more expensive and riskier sciatica surgery.
At Hometown Family Wellness Center, Dr. Russell Brokstein uses a combination of chiropractic adjustments, flexion distraction technique and therapeutic stretching to help patients suffering with sciatica. Watch one of our patients tell how he tried other treatments with no success. Medical doctors recommended surgery but he wanted to avoid sciatica surgery. He is now has no pain after getting chiropractic care at our office: