Chiropractic Care Considered Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural during Treatment of Herniated Disc Pain

Herniated discs have annoyed a number of clients that have visited our Charlotte, NC practice. Fortunately, ChiroWerx has assisted plenty of them recover speedily and more adequately. Herniated discs, also known as "slipped discs", can be treated with multiple strategies.

If you are suffering with irritation due to a herniated disc, then you are likely querying which selection will provide the best outcome for you. To support you in settling that inquiry, let's inspect two of the most frequently used treatments: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and epidural injections.

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

A body of researchers recruited 102 individuals, every one of them had chronically herniated discs verified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Any participant selected had already undergone three months of treatment via alternatively applicable remedies without achieving satisfaction.

The pool of cohorts was split into two groups. The first group of the participants were assigned to receive high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The next half of people in the study were treated with nerve root injections (epidural).

The organizers of the study gathered ratings in regards to the pain levels of each cohort prior to the remedy given in the course of the research. Then, one month following care, cohorts graded their disc herniation pain on the same scoring system as at the beginning. The change between the two scores was applied to determine how effective the intervention may have been for improving pain.

What did the study conclude in regards to chiropractic adjustments against epidurals?

Greater than 76% of the participants who were treated with chiropractic adjustments expressed a reduction in their discomfort. In the other half, fewer than 63% of the people in the study who were administered epidurals reported a minimization in pain. The results offer that chiropractic adjustments may be more successful for caring for to remediate herniated disc discomfort.

And, that is not everything. In addition to providing a greater number of individuals some much needed relief from pain, researchers also recognized that chiropractic care was more affordable. Nerve root injection treatments approximately cost $730 for a single patient. Chiropractic care was just under $560 for the same period of time. This type of savings can certainly help with one’s medical expenses. A lower cost may make it possible to pursue care of your disc herniation pain without additional stress.

If you are interested in a better chance of pain relief and fewer costs associated with your herniated disc treatment, give ChiroWerx a call today at (980) 201-9484 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