Chiropractic Spinal Adjustments Found Effective and Cheaper Than Epidural for Herniated Disc Discomfort

Herniated discs have tormented a number of patients that have been treated in our Rochester Hills practice. Fortunately, Dr. Dalton has helped a lot of them rebound swiftly and more effectively. Herniated discs, or "slipped discs", can be treated with several different remedies.

If you are suffering with irritation because of a herniated disc, then you are likely querying which choice may provide the best outcome for you. To help you in settling that question, let's assess two of the most commonly selected treatment options: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.

Research Analyzing Results from Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) and Nerve Root Injections (NRI)

A group of researchers from Switzerland recruited 102 individuals, all having had chronically herniated discs validated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Any patient selected had previously received ninety days of care through other accessible remedies without achieving success.

The pack of patients was divided into two treatment paths. The first group of the individuals were treated with high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic treatments). The remaining half of patients were treated with nerve root injections (epidural).

The researchers gathered scores regarding the pain levels of each individual prior to the treatment administered in the time of the study. Then, 30 days after the receiving of treatment, cohorts reported their disc herniation discomfort on the same range as before. The change in the two ratings was applied to calculate how effective the treatment was for remediating discomfort.

What did the study conclude about spinal adjustments against nerve root injections?

Over 76 percent of the people in the study who were given chiropractic care reported a positive change in their discomfort. On the other side, fewer than 63 percent of the cohorts who engaged in epidurals scored a reduction in pain. These data suggest that chiropractic treatment could possibly be more effective for looking to remediate herniated disc discomfort.

On top of that, there is more. Beyond giving a higher count of people greatly appreciated pain relief, researchers also recognized that spinal manipulation was less expensive. Epidural treatments approximately cost $730 for each participant. Chiropractic care cost less than $560 for the same timespan. This amount of savings may surely help with anyone’s health care expenses. A lower cost can make it feasible to pursue treatment of your disc herniation pain without added worry.

If you want a higher probability of effectiveness and lower costs associated with your herniated disc care, give Dr. Dalton a call today at (248) 977-7039 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