Dr. Lipsitz works with countless sciatica patients here in our Waldorf, MD office, and quite a few of these individuals were afraid that they might need surgery to alleviate their pain. The most recent research shows that a large number of people don't need surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more successful at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians 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 care.

Both groups improved; however, no apparent difference in outcome was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. Furthermore, roughly sixty percent of the participating patients who could not find pain relief from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

In other words, chiropractic offered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to endure the higher amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often associated with that type of treatment method. 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 option for sciatica pain. If you live in Waldorf, MD and you're being affected by back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Lipsitz a call today at (301) 645-8898. We'll help identify the start 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.
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