Dr. Dahlager works with many sciatica patients here in our Noblesville office, and many of these men and women were nervous that they might require surgery to treat their pain. The latest research reveals that a large number of people don't require surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at resolving sciatic nerve pain.

A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists examined 80 patients 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 was given chiropractic care.

Both groups improved; however, no noticeable difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Furthermore, roughly sixty percent of the participating patients who could not find assistance from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic offered the same positive benefits as surgery without having to go through the increased amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often affiliated with that type of treatment option. Plus, you also don't run the risks linked to surgical microdiscectomy, including nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Noblesville and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Dahlager a call today at (317) 214-7218. We'll help identify the origin of your pain and work hard to get you relief.

References

• McMorland, G et al. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(8):576-584.
• Solberg TK, Nygaard OP, Sjaavik K, Hofoss D, Ingebrigtsen T. The risk of "getting worse" after lumbar microdiscectomy. European Spine Journal 2005;14(1):49-54.