Herniated discs have afflicted numerous patients that have come to our South Buffalo office. Fortunately, Dr. Nowak has helped a lot of them bounce back swiftly and more adequately. Herniated discs, also known as "slipped discs", can be treated with multiple remedies.
If you are suffering with pain caused by a herniated disc, then you are likely wondering which option will provide the best outcome for you. To support you in solving that question, let's look at two of the most popularly selected treatments: chiropractic and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.
Study Analyses Results from Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) and Nerve Root Injections (NRI)
A group of researchers from Switzerland studied 102 patients, all having had chronically herniated discs confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each cohort chosen had already undergone ninety days of treatment via alternatively applicable remedies with no satisfaction.
The pool of people being studied was divided into two treatment paths. The first group of the participants were assigned to receive high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The next half of cohorts received nerve root injections (epidural).
The researchers saved data about the pain levels of each person in advance of the care administered in the course of the study. Subsequently, 30 days after treatment, individuals reported their disc herniation discomfort on the same scale as at the beginning. The change in the two grades was applied to measure how useful the treatment may have been for relieving pain.
What did the research find about chiropractic adjustments compared to nerve root injections?
Just over 76 percent of the people in the study who received chiropractic treatments scored an improvement in their pain. On the other side, less than 63 percent of the people in the study who received epidurals expressed a reduction in pain. The figures imply that chiropractic treatment could be more effective when treating to resolve herniated disc pain.
And, that isn't everything. Beyond giving a higher amount of individuals some much needed relief from pain, researchers also discovered that chiropractic care was more cost-effective. Epidural treatments were roughly $730 per a single recipient. The chiropractic treatment ran just under $560 for an equal timespan. This type of savings may surely assist with your medical expenses. Spending less can make it more viable to obtain care for your disc herniation pain without extra anxiety.
If you want a greater likelihood of pain relief and lower costs associated with 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
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