Dr. Bettencourt works with many sciatica patients here in our Napa, CA office, and quite a few of these men and women were afraid that they might need surgery to eliminate their pain. The most recent research reveals that many people don't need surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic is more effective at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.
A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists looked at 80 individuals with sciatica who were referred for this procedure.
Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.
Both groups got better; however, no obvious difference in outcome was reported one year post-treatment between either group. In addition, around sixty percent of the participating patients who could not find relief from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."
Simply put, chiropractic delivered the same positive benefits as surgery without having to endure the higher amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment option. Plus, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.
Surgery should be the last option for sciatica pain. If you live in Napa, CA and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Bettencourt a call today at (707) 257-3600. We'll help pinpoint 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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Dr. Bettencourt
At Ranch Chiropractic our approach is unique and different! We see you as an individual with a unique set of needs, and we see Chiropractic health care as the means to help retrain your body to take care of itself. As you grow older, the stress of everyday life, repetitive motion at work, injuries and falls, or just plain living can compromise your body’s ability to cope. Our mission is to provide affordable, effective, “results-driven” patient centered Care.