Dr. Helton works with countless sciatica patients here in our Portland office, and many of these patients were nervous that they might need surgery to relieve their pain. The latest research indicates that many people don't need surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.
A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists 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 was given chiropractic care.
Both groups improved; however, no apparent difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, about sixty percent of the participating patients who could not find relief from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."
Simply put, chiropractic delivered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to endure the greater amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment method. Additionally, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.
Surgery ought to be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Portland and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Helton a call today at (503) 771-1974. We'll help determine the source of your pain and work hard to get you relief.
References
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.
