Dr. Holland works with countless sciatica patients here in our North St. Louis, MO office, and quite a few of these individuals were nervous that they might need surgery to relieve their pain. The latest research shows that a large number of people don't need surgery for this widespread issue, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.
A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians looked at 80 patients with sciatica who were referred for this operation.
Forty patients were then randomly sorted into one of two groups. The first group was to receive surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.
Both groups improved; however, no apparent difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. Furthermore, roughly 60 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."
Simply put, chiropractic offered the same positive advantages as surgery without having to go through the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment choice. Additionally, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.
Surgery ought to be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in North St. Louis, MO and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Holland a call today at (314) 588-9100. We'll help pinpoint the start of your pain and work hard to get you relief.
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