Dr. Groneck works with many sciatica patients here in our Humble office, and quite a few of these men and women were afraid that they might need surgery to alleviate their pain. The most recent research shows that many people don't need surgery for this common problem, and that chiropractic is more effective at solving sciatic nerve pain.
A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians 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 was to receive surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.
Both groups got better; however, no noticeable difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Additionally, roughly 60% of the participating subjects who could not find relief from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."
Put another way, chiropractic offered the same positive benefits as surgery without having to undergo the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that particular 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 should be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Humble and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Groneck a call today at (281) 540-7201. We'll help pinpoint 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.
Latest Posts
Chiropractic Found to Be Safe and Helpful for Disc Herniation
August 07, 2023
Chiropractic Therapy Helps People Avoid Back Surgery
July 03, 2023
Dr. Groneck
We are dedicated to providing a comprehensive approach to helping you achieve optimal health by looking at the synergy of the whole person, not just a collection of parts. We combine standard medical testing with functional medicine testing to gain an in-depth understanding of what is wrong and, equally important, how to fix it.