Chiropractic Adjustments Shown to Be Effective and Cheaper Than Epidural during Treatment of Herniated Disc Diagnosis

Herniated discs have bothered uncounted people that have been treated in our Jonesboro office. Fortunately, Dr. Alpert has helped most of them rebound quickly and more adequately. Herniated discs, also known as "slipped discs", can be treated with a handful of approaches.

If you are experiencing discomfort due to a herniated disc, then you may be wondering which choice may provide the best outcome for you. To support you in solving that search, let's review two of the most commonly prescribed therapies: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and epidural.

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

A body of researchers recruited 102 individuals, all of whom had chronically herniated discs verified by medical imaging. Every patient selected had already undergone three months of care through alternatively accessible remedies without achieving significant improvement.

The pack of cohorts was split into two groups. One half of the participants underwent high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The remaining half of people in the study received nerve root injections (epidural).

The conductors of the study saved ratings regarding the pain levels of each patient before the remedy given at the time of the study. Then, one month after the receiving of treatment, individuals scored their disc herniation pain on the same range as before. The difference between the two ratings was used to gauge how effective the remedy may have been for remediating discomfort.

What did the research find about spinal adjustments against nerve root injections?

Greater than 76% of the cohorts who received chiropractic adjustments reported a reduction in their pain. In the other half, less than 63% of the participants who were provided epidurals scored an improvement in discomfort. The figures imply that chiropractic adjustments could possibly be more effective when treating to remediate herniated disc pain.

On top of that, there’s more. Beyond providing a greater amount of cohorts highly desired pain relief, researchers also determined that chiropractic treatment was more affordable. The nerve root injection treatments approximately cost $730 per a single individual. Chiropractic treatment ran approximately $560 for an equal timespan. This cost savings could certainly assist with anyone’s budget. Saving money can make it possible to look for care of your disc herniation pain without added stress.

If you are interested in a higher likelihood of pain relief and lesser expenses when it comes to your herniated disc treatment, give Dr. Alpert a call today at (770) 472-8989 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