Herniated Disc – Chiropractic Proven To Help!

chiropractic herniated disc For patient’s suffering with pain from a herniated disc or sciatica, a common treatment is an epidural injection. With this procedure, a doctor uses a needle to inject pain medication and a steroid into the area around the herniated disc or inflamed nerve. The goal is temporary reduction of the pain and inflammation

While injections for a herniated disc is a fairly common procedure, there is some controversy of the overall effectiveness as well as concerns of the side effect of the steroid usage. It is known that steroids can produce such side effects as muscle weakness and the natural hormone balance of the Body. There is also some questions if the epidural injections for a herniated disc are more effective than other conservative treatments.

Research Demonstrates Chiropractic Effectiveness For Herniated Disc

There are a number of research studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of chiropractic care for low back pain and herniated discs. This include a study published in the Journal of Manual and Physiological Therapeutics in 2013.

In this study, researchers compared the effects of epidural nerve root injections to that of chiropractic manipulations. The participants were 102 individuals experiencing pain and an MRI confirmed lumbar disc herniation.

Reviewing the cases after one month of care, the patient’s receiving chiropractic care, 76.5% sated they were “much better” or “better,” compared to 62.7% of the patients receiving injections. Further, 60% of those receiving chiropractic care reported significant reduction in pain as compared to 53% who received the injections.

None of the patients receiving chiropractic treatments resulted in surgery. While three of those receiving injections elected to have surgery.

While there may not have been a huge difference in those reporting relief between the two treatments, chiropractic care was considered much more cost effective. The researchers pointed out that on average, one month of chiropractic care was less expensive than those receiving the injections. This number reflects only the injection cost and not any of the additional costs such as; additional consultation, injections or surgery.

Important Takeaways

What this study tells us three important things:

  1. 1. Patients can find significant relief from the pain of a herniated disc.
  2. 2. They can find relief without the side effects of steroids or other drugs.
  3. 3. On average, they will spend much less money!

If you are experiencing pain from a herniated disc, why suffer any longer? Dr. Schmaltz has years of experience helping patients return to a normal lifestyle. Call our office today at (314) 731-4383 or CLICK TO CALL NOW! and schedule a complimentary consultation to see what chiropractic care can do for you!

Reference
Peterson, CK, et al. 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 imaging-guided lumbar nerve root injections. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2013; doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.04.005./j.jmpt.2013.04.005.