Herniated discs have tormented uncounted people that have come to our Portland practice. Fortunately, Dr. Helton has assisted a lot of them recover speedily and more effectively. Herniated discs, or "slipped discs", can be treated with multiple methods.
If you are suffering with irritation due to a herniated disc, then you are likely asking which choice will provide the best outcome for you. To help you in solving that question, let's look at two of the most popularly used therapies: chiropractic and epidural.
A group of researchers from Switzerland studied 102 participants, all of whom had chronically herniated discs confirmed by medical imaging. Any participant chosen had already received three months of care via other available treatment options with no significant improvement.
The pool of people being studied was divided into two groups. The first half of the participants were treated with high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic treatments). The second half of participants received nerve root injections (epidural).
The conductors of the study collected data about the pain levels of each person prior to the treatment administered at the time of the study. Then, one month after the receiving of treatment, individuals scored their disc herniation discomfort on the same scale as at the beginning. The difference in the two reports was applied to gauge how useful the treatment was for relieving discomfort.
Just over 76% of the patients who were provided chiropractic care recorded a reduction in their pain. On the other side, less than 63 percent of the patients who were provided epidurals recorded a minimization in discomfort. These figures indicate that chiropractic treatment may be more successful when looking to remediate herniated disc discomfort.
On top of that, there is more. Beyond giving a higher number of patients some much needed reduction in pain, researchers also uncovered that chiropractic treatment was less expensive. The nerve root injection treatments approximately cost $730 per a single recipient. Chiropractic treatment was approximately $560 for an equal timespan. This amount of savings may certainly assist with anyone’s health care expenses. Spending less can make it more conceivable to seek care for your disc herniation pain without added anxiety.
If you would like a better probability of effectiveness and fewer expenses associated with your herniated disc treatment, give Dr. Helton a call today at (503) 771-1974 to schedule an appointment.
Reference
Peterson, CK et al. (2013, May). Symptomatic magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed lumbar disk herniation patients: a comparative effectiveness prospective observational study of 2 age-and sex-matched cohorts treated with either high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulative therapy or image-guided lumbar nerve root injections. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 36(4), 218-225, doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.04.005
Dr. Helton, a Portland chiropractor, has been providing chiropractic health care and treatment for accident injuries for over 30 years. Dr. Helton specializes and is an expert in the evaluation and treatment of injuries from auto accidents. He has passed advanced certification training and testing by the Spine Research Institute of San Diego in the evaluation, treatment, and management of injuries from whiplash and brain traumatology.
