Chiropractic Treatment Methods Shown as Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural for Herniated Disc Diagnosis

Herniated discs have bothered a number of patients that have been treated in our Jacksonville practice. Fortunately, Chanatry Chiropractic has helped most of them recover quickly and more effectively. Herniated discs, or "slipped discs", can be treated with a handful of remedies.

If you are experiencing discomfort because of a herniated disc, then you may be querying which choice will provide the best outcome for you. To help you in finding an answer to that search, let's inspect two of the most commonly used treatment options: chiropractic and epidural injections.

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

A group of researchers recruited 102 patients, all having had chronically herniated discs verified by medical imaging. Any patient chosen had already received 90 days of care through alternatively available treatment options without achieving satisfaction.

The pool of individuals was split into two groups. One group of the individuals were treated with high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The next half of individuals were given nerve root injections (epidural).

The conductors of the study collected ratings about the pain levels of each participant in advance of the remedy given amid the research. Subsequently, 30 days after care, patients scored their disc herniation discomfort on the same range as at the beginning. The difference in the two scores was used to measure how effective the intervention was for remediating pain.

What did the research conclude about spinal adjustments compared to epidurals?

Greater than 76% of the people in the study who were administered chiropractic care recorded a reduction in their discomfort. In the other half, not quite 63% of the cohorts who were provided epidurals indicated an improvement in discomfort. These results imply that chiropractic treatment could possibly be more effective for treating to remediate herniated disc discomfort.

And, that is not all. Beyond giving a larger quantity of cohorts some much needed pain relief, researchers also gleaned that chiropractic care was more affordable. Nerve root injection treatments approximately cost $730 per a single recipient. Chiropractic treatment cost just under $560 for an equal period of time. This amount of savings could surely assist with one’s budget. A lower cost may make it more viable to obtain treatment of your disc herniation pain without extra stress.

If you are interested in a greater likelihood of effectiveness and fewer costs associated with your herniated disc treatment, give Chanatry Chiropractic a call today at (904) 743-6700 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