Dr. Kallio works with many sciatica patients here in our Lincoln office, and quite a few of these patients were worried that they might need surgery to alleviate their pain. The most recent research shows that many people don't need surgery for this widespread problem, and that chiropractic therapy is more beneficial at clearing up sciatic nerve pain.
A typical surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, physicians looked at 80 individuals 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 received chiropractic care.
Both groups got better; however, no obvious difference in results was recorded one year post-treatment between either group. In addition, around 60% of the participating subjects who could not find assistance from any other treatment method "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."
In other words, chiropractic therapy provided the same positive benefits as surgery without having to endure the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through extended recovery times often associated with that particular treatment option. 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 resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Lincoln and you're experiencing back discomfort or sciatica, give Dr. Kallio a call today at (402) 484-5166. We'll help identify the source of your discomfort and work hard to get you support and living pain free.
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Dr. Kallio
Our mission at Comfort Family Chiropractic is to provide expert natural health care to the entire Lincoln community with an emphasis on YOU. We pride ourselves on respecting your time by minimizing the wait times, having convenient scheduling hours, and always offering same day appointments.