Mulholland Chiropractic Center, LLC works with countless sciatica patients here in our Anchorage office, and many of these individuals were concerned that they might require surgery to alleviate their pain. The most recent research indicates that many people don't require surgery for this widespread issue, and that chiropractic adjustments is more beneficial at resolving sciatic nerve pain.
A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians looked at 80 women and men 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 received chiropractic therapy.
Both groups improved; however, no apparent difference in outcome was reported one year post-treatment between either 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."
In other words, chiropractic treatment provided the same positive benefits as surgery without needing to go through the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often associated 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 Anchorage and you're being affected by back problems or sciatica, give Mulholland Chiropractic Center, LLC a call today at (907) 770-5700. We'll help pinpoint the origin of your discomfort and work hard to get you help and living pain free.
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