Chiropractic Spinal Adjustments Shown to Be Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural for Treating Herniated Disc Discomfort

Herniated Disc Pain Care in Lenexa

Herniated discs have annoyed numerous patients that have come to our Lenexa practice. Fortunately, Dr. Isom has assisted most of them heal quickly and more adequately. Herniated discs, also known as "slipped discs", can be treated with several different strategies.

If you are experiencing pain due to a herniated disc, then you may be wondering which choice may provide the best outcome for you. To help you in fielding that inquiry, let's review two of the most popularly selected treatment options: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.

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

A group of researchers compared 102 patients, all of whom had chronically herniated discs confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Any participant picked had already received ninety days of treatment through other accessible remedies without achieving significant improvement.

The pack of patients was divided into two subdivision. One group of the patients were assigned to receive high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic treatments). The rest of cohorts received nerve root injections (epidural).

The researchers gathered scores regarding the pain levels of every participant before the treatment given in the time of the study. Subsequently, 30 days following the receiving of treatment, individuals rated their disc herniation discomfort on the same range as at the beginning. The difference in the two scores was used to gauge how successful the intervention was for improving pain.

What did the study find in regards to spinal manipulations compared to epidural injections?

Just over 76 percent of the cohorts who received chiropractic adjustments scored a decrease in their discomfort. In the other group, not quite 63% of the cohorts who were administered epidurals reported an improvement in pain. These data suggest that chiropractic adjustments could possibly be more effective when looking to resolve herniated disc pain.

And, that is not all. In addition to giving a greater count of people some much needed pain relief, researchers also discovered that spinal manipulation was more affordable. The epidural treatments approximately cost $730 for a single patient. Chiropractic treatment cost just under $560 for the same duration. This type of savings can surely help with anyone’s health care expenses. Saving money may make it more conceivable to seek treatment of your disc herniation pain without added stress.

If you are interested in a higher probability of pain relief and fewer costs when it comes to your herniated disc care, give Dr. Isom a call today at (913) 735-9565 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