Dr. Dahlager works with countless sciatica patients here in our Noblesville office, and many of these patients were concerned that they might require surgery to alleviate their pain. The most recent research shows that many people don't require surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic is more effective at solving sciatic nerve pain.

A popular surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians looked at 80 patients with sciatica who were referred for this operation.

Forty patients were then randomly sorted into one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group was given chiropractic care.

Both groups got better; however, no noticeable difference in results was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. Additionally, about 60 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 offered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to undergo the increased amounts of surgery-based pain or suffer through drawn-out recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment method. Additionally, you also don't run the risks linked to 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 Noblesville and you're suffering from back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Dahlager a call today at (317) 214-7218. We'll help determine 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.