Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation Shown to Be Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural during Treatment of Herniated Disc Diagnosis

Herniated discs have tormented numerous people that have come to our Henderson office. Fortunately, Dr. Russell has helped many of them bounce back swiftly and more effectively. Herniated discs, sometime referred to as "slipped discs", can be treated with multiple strategies.

If you are feeling discomfort because of a herniated disc, then you may be asking which option will provide the best outcome for you. To help you in finding an answer to that question, let's inspect two of the most popularly used treatment options: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.

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

A group of researchers recruited 102 individuals, all having had chronically herniated discs confirmed by medical imaging. Any person picked had already received 90 days of care through other available remedies with no satisfaction.

The body of individuals was divided into two treatment paths. The first half of the cohorts underwent high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The second half of participants received nerve root injections (epidural).

The conductors of the study saved data in regards to the pain levels of each person prior to the treatment given in the time of the research. Subsequently, 30 days following care, participants scored their disc herniation pain on the same scale as before. The difference in the two grades was used to calculate how useful the intervention was for relieving pain.

What did the researchers conclude about chiropractic adjustments against epidurals?

Over 76 percent of the cohorts who engaged in chiropractic adjustments recorded a reduction in their discomfort. On the other hand, fewer than 63 percent of the people in the study who were administered epidurals expressed an improvement in discomfort. The scores suggest that chiropractic treatment could possibly be more effective when treating to reduce herniated disc discomfort.

And, there is more. In addition to giving a greater quantity of individuals some much needed pain relief, researchers also found that spinal manipulation was more cost-effective. Epidural treatments cost about $730 per a single patient. The chiropractic treatment was just under $560 for an equal timespan. This cost savings can surely assist with one’s medical expenses. Saving money can make it possible to seek treatment for your disc herniation pain without additional stress.

If you are interested in a higher chance of effectiveness and lower costs when it comes to your herniated disc treatment, give Dr. Russell a call today at (702) 990-2225 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