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Dr. John Nowak Chiropractor

Chiropractic Care Shown to Be Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural during Treatment of Herniated Disc Discomfort

Herniated discs have tormented many people that have come to our South Buffalo office. Fortunately, Dr. Nowak has helped most of them recover speedily and more effectively. Herniated discs, sometime referred to as "slipped discs", can be treated with several different methods.

If you are experiencing pain because of a herniated disc, then you are likely querying which option may provide the best outcome for you. To help you in fielding that question, let's assess two of the most commonly used therapies: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and epidural.

A Study Analyses Results from Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) and Nerve Root Injections (NRI)

A body of researchers recruited 102 individuals, every one of them had chronically herniated discs confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each patient chosen had already received three months of care through alternatively available remedies without achieving significant improvement.

The pool of individuals was split into two groups. The first group of the cohorts underwent high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The rest of patients received nerve root injections (epidural).

The organizers of the study obtained scores in regards to the pain levels of each person before the care provided in the time of the study. Then, 30 days following the receiving of treatment, participants graded their disc herniation discomfort on the same scale as previously. The change in the two scores was applied to determine how useful the remedy was for improving discomfort.

What did the research uncover about spinal manipulations against epidurals?

Over 76% of the patients who were administered chiropractic care expressed a positive change in their discomfort. On the other side, fewer than 63% of the people in the study who engaged in epidurals indicated a reduction in pain. The scores indicate that chiropractic adjustments could be more successful when caring for to reduce herniated disc discomfort.

And, that is not everything. Beyond granting a higher amount of cohorts some much needed reduction in pain, researchers also discovered that chiropractic treatment was less expensive. Nerve root injection treatments were roughly $730 per each participant. The chiropractic care was approximately $560 for the same timespan. This amount of savings may surely help with your health care expenses. Spending less can make it more conceivable to look for care for your disc herniation pain without extra burden.

If you would like a higher probability of success and lesser costs associated with your herniated disc care, 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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