Chiropractic Care Concluded to Be Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural for Herniated Disc Discomfort

Herniated discs have burdened numerous patients that have been treated in our Alpharetta practice. Fortunately, Dr. Berklich has helped many of them recover swiftly and more adequately. Herniated discs, sometime referred to 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 selection will work best for you. To support you in settling that query, let's assess two of the most frequently prescribed treatments: chiropractic and epidural injections.

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

A body of researchers from Switzerland recruited 102 patients, every one of them had chronically herniated discs confirmed by medical imaging. Each person picked had previously received 90 days of care via other accessible remedies without achieving success.

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

The researchers gathered ratings in regards to the pain levels of every patient in advance of the remedy provided at the time of the study. Later, one month after treatment, cohorts graded their disc herniation pain on the same scoring system as before. The difference in the two scores was applied to gauge how effective the treatment may have been for remediating pain.

What did the researchers conclude about spinal manipulations compared to epidurals?

Over 76% of the individuals who received chiropractic treatments reported an improvement in their pain. On the other hand, not quite 63% of the people in the study who were treated with epidurals expressed a minimization in pain. The results offer that chiropractic adjustments may be more successful when caring for to remediate herniated disc pain.

And, that isn't everything. In addition to providing a greater quantity of individuals greatly appreciated reduction in pain, researchers also discovered that chiropractic treatment was more affordable. The nerve root injection treatments cost about $730 per a single individual. The chiropractic treatment cost approximately $560 for an equal time frame. This cost savings could certainly assist with anyone’s budget. Saving money may make it more conceivable to pursue care of your disc herniation pain without additional stress.

If you want a better chance of success and fewer expenses associated with your herniated disc treatment, give Dr. Berklich a call today at (770) 475-2225 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