Dr. Holland works with countless sciatica patients here in our Downtown St. Louis, MO office, and many of these men and women were concerned that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The most recent research indicates that a large number of people don't need surgery for this prevalent problem, and that chiropractic is more effective at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.
A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians looked at 80 women and men with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.
Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group was to receive surgical microdiscectomy and the second group received chiropractic care.
Both groups got better; however, no noticeable difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. Furthermore, roughly 60 percent of the participating patients who could not find relief from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."
In other words, chiropractic delivered the same positive advantages as surgery without having to go through the increased levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often associated with that specific treatment method. Plus, 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 resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Downtown St. Louis, MO and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Holland a call today at (314) 588-9100. We'll help identify the origin of your pain and work hard to get you relief.
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