Dr. Holland works with countless sciatica patients here in our Downtown St. Louis, MO office, and several of these men and women were concerned that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The most recent research shows that a large number of people don't require surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic therapy is more successful at clearing up sciatic nerve problems.
A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, researchers looked at 80 women and men 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 received chiropractic adjustments.
Both groups improved; however, no noticeable difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. In addition, about 60 percent of the participating patients who could not find pain relief from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."
Simply put, chiropractic care offered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to undergo the greater levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often associated with that type of treatment choice. Plus, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, which includes 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 experiencing back problems or sciatica, give Dr. Holland a call today at (314) 588-9100. We'll help pinpoint the source of your discomfort and work hard to get you relief and living pain free.
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