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Chiropractic Care Helps People Avoid Back Surgery

Lincoln How to Avoid Back Surgery

In our Lincoln practice, we see plenty of patients who are dealing with back pain, and a few of these people have been told they might need surgery to recover. Thankfully, Dr. Jerrad Swanson, DC, FMT, DN1 has helped many people get relief without the need for any type of surgical procedure. The scientific literature agrees with the results we see in our practice. One study published in the academic journal Spine found that seeing a chiropractor as your first step in dealing with your back issues may literally keep you out of the operating room.

In this study, medical professionals from Dartmouth analyzed data from 1,885 workers from Washington state who first saw either a surgeon or a chiropractic doctor for their low back issues. They then used three years' worth of follow-up medical information to ascertain whether the individuals ended up having back surgery in an attempt to correct the problem.

What the researchers discovered was that about 43% of the patients who first consulted with a surgeon for their back issues ended up with surgery in that 3-year time frame, whereas only 1.5% of those who first saw a chiropractor had the same fate. The authors wrote:

"Even after controlling for injury severity and other measures, workers with an initial visit for the injury to a surgeon had almost nine times the odds of receiving lumbar spine surgery compared to those seeing primary care providers, whereas workers whose first visit was to a chiropractor had significantly lower odds of surgery."

These are impressive outcomes. Seeing a chiropractor dramatically decreases your odds of getting back surgery, plus the chiropractic patients in this report "had lower odds of chronic work disability" and they also had fewer expensive MRI tests.

Let's also take into account this important detail: this study was conducted by orthopedic surgeons from Dartmouth College, and printed in the world's most influential medical journal on spinal injury.

The Problems with Surgery

Any surgical procedure has risks, but a major downside associated with spine surgery is that there is a very high failure rate. In an important review in the European Spine Journal, researchers wrote:

"Failed back surgery is a problem that has become sufficiently widespread to even warrant its own special conferences, with recent reviews reporting failure rates ranging from 5 to 50%."

The authors of this same study concluded:

"It is extremely difficult to identify unequivocal predictor factors that can be used to accurately predict the outcome of surgery."

As a chiropractor, Dr. Jerrad Swanson, DC, FMT, DN1 is convinced that surgery should be the absolute last resort for treating back pain. Chiropractic works to restore your spine to its normal function--without high-risk surgery or drugs--and many studies have confirmed the effectiveness of chiropractic for back pain.

If you live in Lincoln and you need care for your back pain, give our practice a call today at (402) 484-5177 for a consultation or an appointment. We'll help get you back on the road to a pain-free life!

Studies

  • Keeney BJ, Fulton-Kehoe D, Turner JA, Wickizer TM, Chan KC, Franklin GM. Early predictors of lumbar spine surgery after occupational back injury: results from a prospective study of workers in Washington State. Spine 2013;38(11):953-964.
  • Mannion AF, Elfering A. Predictors of surgical outcome and their assessment. European Spine Journal 2006;15(Suppl 1):S93-S108.
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July 01, 2024
chiropractor
Dr. Jerrad Swanson, DC, FMT, DN1

Dr. Jerrad Swanson is originally from St. Paul Nebraska. He attended undergrad at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln & following undergraduate school he attended Cleveland Chiropractic College in Overland Park, Kansas where he earned his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree in 2018. When he isn't at work Dr. Swanson enjoys exercising and being active with his 2 children Maeve and Breccan. Dr. Jerrad takes a whole-body approach to healthcare. He has a specialized interest in family care and sports injuries seeing many UNL athletes from several sports. He is certified in many soft tissue treatments including IASTIM, Faktor (Graston techniques), Kinesiotaping, and Dry Needling Level 1. He has also attended Webster seminars and is well-versed in treating through full-term pregnancies, infants, and children.