Chiropractic Adjustments Considered Effective and Cheaper Than Epidural during Treatment of Herniated Disc Diagnosis

Herniated discs have afflicted uncounted people that have visited our Alpharetta practice. Fortunately, Dr. Berklich has assisted many of them rebound speedily and more effectively. Herniated discs, sometime referred to as "slipped discs", can be treated with multiple approaches.

If you are feeling irritation due to a herniated disc, then you may be asking which option may provide the best outcome for you. To support you in settling that inquiry, let's look at two of the most popularly prescribed treatment options: chiropractic and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.

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

A group of researchers from Switzerland recruited 102 patients, every one of them had chronically herniated discs verified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Any participant picked had previously received three months of treatment through other applicable remedies without achieving significant improvement.

The pool 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 rest of cohorts were given nerve root injections (epidural).

The researchers collected data regarding the pain levels of every patient prior to the care administered at the time of the study. Then, 30 days after care, individuals rated their disc herniation pain on the same scoring system as before. The change between the two scores was applied to gauge how effective the remedy may have been for improving discomfort.

What did the study determine in regards to spinal adjustments versus epidurals?

Just over 76% of the cohorts who were administered chiropractic care recorded an improvement in their discomfort. In the other half, less than 63 percent of the people in the study who were provided epidurals expressed a minimization in discomfort. These scores suggest that chiropractic adjustments could be more effective when caring for to remediate herniated disc discomfort.

On top of that, there’s more. In addition to giving a higher count of people highly desired relief from pain, researchers also discovered that chiropractic care was more cost-effective. Nerve root injection treatments approximately cost $730 for each patient. The chiropractic treatment was just under $560 for an equal period of time. This cost savings could certainly help with anyone’s medical expenses. Spending less may make it more viable to seek treatment for your disc herniation pain without added anxiety.

If you would like a higher chance of success and fewer expenses when it comes to your herniated disc care, 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