Chiropractic Adjustments Found Effective and More Economical Than Epidural during Treatment of Herniated Disc Diagnosis

Relief of Slipped Disc Pain in Lincoln

Herniated discs have annoyed many patients that have visited our Lincoln office. Fortunately, Dr. Jerrad Swanson, DC, FMT, DN1 has assisted plenty of them recover speedily and more adequately. Herniated discs, also known as "slipped discs", can be treated with a handful of remedies.

If you are feeling discomfort because of a herniated disc, then you may be wondering which choice may work best for you. To support you in fielding that query, let's look at two of the most commonly prescribed treatment options: chiropractic and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.

Research Analyses Improvements from Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) and Nerve Root Injections (NRI)

A group of researchers from Switzerland studied 102 participants, every one of them had chronically herniated discs confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Every cohort chosen had already undergone three months of treatment through alternatively applicable remedies with no significant improvement.

The group of participants was divided into two treatment paths. The first half of the participants were assigned to receive high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The remaining half of patients were administered nerve root injections (epidural).

The organizers of the study obtained scores about the pain levels of each individual prior to the treatment administered in the course of the study. Later, 30 days following treatment, participants rated their disc herniation discomfort on the same scale as before. The difference between the two reports was used to calculate how successful the intervention may have been for improving discomfort.

What did the researchers find in regards to chiropractic adjustments compared to nerve root injections?

Greater than 76% of the people in the study who engaged in chiropractic adjustments reported a decrease in their pain. On the other hand, not quite 63 percent of the people in the study who were provided epidurals expressed a reduction in pain. These results offer that chiropractic adjustments could be more successful for caring for to remediate herniated disc discomfort.

And, that is not all. In addition to giving a higher count of participants greatly appreciated relief from pain, researchers also determined that spinal manipulation was lower in cost. The epidural treatments cost about $730 per a single individual. The chiropractic treatment cost just under $560 for the same time frame. This type of savings can surely assist with anyone’s budget. A lower cost can make it more probable to look for care of your disc herniation pain without added worry.

If you are interested in a higher likelihood of effectiveness and fewer expenses when it comes to your herniated disc care, give Dr. Jerrad Swanson, DC, FMT, DN1 a call today at (402) 484-5177 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