Chiropractic Care Reported as Effective and Cheaper Than Epidural during Treatment of Herniated Disc Pain

Herniated discs have annoyed a number of patients that have come to our Pinole practice. Fortunately, Dr. Jung has helped most of them rebound swiftly and more completely. Herniated discs, also known as "slipped discs", can be treated with multiple approaches.

If you are suffering with irritation caused by a herniated disc, then you may be querying which selection may provide the best outcome for you. To support you in settling that question, let's inspect two of the most frequently used treatment options: chiropractic and epidural.

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

A group of researchers from Switzerland compared 102 participants, every one of them had chronically herniated discs verified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Every cohort chosen had already received three months of treatment through other available remedies with no success.

The group of patients was split into two subdivision. One half of the individuals were assigned to receive high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The second half of individuals were given nerve root injections (epidural).

The conductors of the study obtained ratings in regards to the pain levels of every patient in advance of the care provided amid the study. Later, 30 days following treatment, patients scored their disc herniation pain on the same scoring system as before. The change in the two ratings was applied to gauge how successful the treatment may have been for relieving discomfort.

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

More than 76% of the people in the study who engaged in chiropractic care reported an improvement in their pain. On the other hand, not quite 63 percent of the participants who were treated with epidurals reported a reduction in pain. The findings offer that chiropractic treatment may be more successful for treating to resolve herniated disc discomfort.

Plus, there is more. Beyond granting a greater quantity of people greatly appreciated relief from pain, researchers also discovered that spinal manipulation was less expensive. Nerve root injection treatments approximately cost $730 per each individual. Chiropractic care was less than $560 for the same time frame. This type of savings can certainly help with your health care expenses. Spending less can make it easier to obtain treatment of your disc herniation pain without extra hardship.

If you are interested in a higher probability of pain relief and lower expenses when it comes to your herniated disc care, give Dr. Jung a call today at (510) 243-7500 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