Dr. Mark Holland works with many sciatica patients here in our North County, St. Louis, MO office, and many of these men and women were concerned that they might need surgery to relieve their pain. The most recent research indicates that many people don't need surgery for this common issue, and that chiropractic is more beneficial at solving sciatic nerve pain.
A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists examined 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 the surgery group and the chiropractic group. Additionally, about 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."
Put another way, chiropractic provided the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to endure the greater amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that type of treatment option. Additionally, you also don't run the risks associated with surgical microdiscectomy, which includes nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.
Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in North County, St. Louis, MO and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Mark Holland a call today at (314) 867-8888. We'll help pinpoint the origin of your pain and work hard to get you relief.
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We have a long-standing track record or helping people get out of pain with chiropractic care. Whether you were injured last week, or have been suffering from chronic pain for years - It might only take one visit to our office in Downtown Saint Louis, MO to get you back on the path to everyday health.
