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Dr. John Nowak Chiropractor

Chiropractic Treatment Methods Shown as Effective and Cheaper Than Epidural for Herniated Disc Patients

Herniated discs have burdened a number of people that have come to our South Buffalo office. Fortunately, Dr. Nowak has helped many of them recover swiftly and more adequately. Herniated discs, or "slipped discs", can be treated with multiple strategies.

If you are experiencing irritation because of a herniated disc, then you are likely querying which selection will provide the best outcome for you. To support you in fielding that query, let's assess two of the most commonly used therapies: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and epidural injections.

Study Observed Outcomes from Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) and Nerve Root Injections (NRI)

A group of researchers from Switzerland compared 102 individuals, every one of them had chronically herniated discs verified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each patient chosen had previously received 90 days of care through alternatively available remedies without achieving significant improvement.

The group of people being studied was divided into two subdivision. One half of the individuals were treated with high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The remaining half of patients were given nerve root injections (epidural).

The organizers of the study gathered scores regarding the pain levels of each individual in advance of the remedy given at the time of the study. Later, one month after treatment, participants graded their disc herniation discomfort on the same scale as previously. The change in the two grades was applied to calculate how useful the remedy may have been for relieving discomfort.

What did the study conclude about spinal manipulations against epidurals?

Just over 76 percent of the participants who engaged in chiropractic adjustments recorded a positive change in their discomfort. In the other half, not quite 63 percent of the individuals who were given epidurals scored a minimization in pain. These findings offer that chiropractic treatment could possibly be more effective when caring for to remediate herniated disc discomfort.

And, that is not everything. Beyond giving a larger amount of people greatly appreciated relief from pain, researchers also discovered that spinal manipulation was more affordable. Nerve root injection treatments cost about $730 per each participant. The chiropractic care cost just under $560 for the same period of time. This amount of savings could surely help with anyone’s budget. Spending less may make it more conceivable to obtain treatment for your disc herniation pain without added burden.

If you would like a greater likelihood of success and fewer 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

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