Herniated discs have burdened numerous patients that have visited our South Buffalo practice. Fortunately, Dr. Nowak has helped most of them bounce back quickly and more completely. Herniated discs, or "slipped discs", can be treated with several different methods.
If you are feeling discomfort because of a herniated disc, then you may be asking which choice will provide the best outcome for you. To support you in solving that inquiry, let's look at two of the most frequently employed treatments: chiropractic and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.
A Study Compares Improvements from Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) and Nerve Root Injections (NRI)
A body of researchers from Switzerland studied 102 patients, all of whom had chronically herniated discs confirmed by medical imaging. Every patient chosen had already undergone ninety days of treatment via alternatively accessible remedies with no significant improvement.
The body of cohorts was split into two groups. The first half of the patients underwent high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The next half of participants were provided nerve root injections (epidural).
The researchers collected scores regarding the pain levels of every individual in advance of the treatment given at the time of the study. Later, 30 days after treatment, individuals graded their disc herniation pain on the same range as at the beginning. The difference between the two scores was used to measure how effective the intervention was for relieving pain.
What did the study conclude in regards to spinal manipulations compared to epidural injections?
More than 76 percent of the patients who were treated with chiropractic treatments reported an improvement in their pain. On the other hand, less than 63% of the patients who were treated with epidurals scored a minimization in discomfort. The figures indicate that chiropractic care may be more successful when looking to reduce herniated disc pain.
Plus, there is more. In addition to providing a greater number of cohorts some much needed relief from pain, researchers also discovered that chiropractic treatment was less expensive. The nerve root injection treatments were roughly $730 for a single patient. The chiropractic care cost just under $560 for the same duration. This amount of savings may surely assist with your budget. Spending less can make it more conceivable to seek treatment for your disc herniation pain without extra hardship.
If you would like a greater likelihood of pain relief and lower expenses when it comes to your herniated disc treatment, give Dr. Nowak a call today at (716) 825-4121 to schedule an appointment.
Reference
Peterson, CK et al. (2013, May). Symptomatic magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed lumbar disk herniation patients: a comparative effectiveness prospective observational study of 2 age-and sex-matched cohorts treated with either high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulative therapy or image-guided lumbar nerve root injections. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 36(4), 218-225, doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.04.005
Posted Under
Posted By
