Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation Considered Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural for Treating Herniated Disc Patients

Slipped Disc Care in Great Falls

Herniated discs have annoyed uncounted patients that have been treated in our Great Falls practice. Fortunately, Dr. Six has assisted many of them bounce back quickly and more adequately. Herniated discs, or "slipped discs", can be treated with a handful of remedies.

If you are suffering with discomfort because of a herniated disc, then you may be querying which option will work best for you. To help you in finding an answer to that search, let's inspect two of the most popularly prescribed therapies: chiropractic and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.

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

A body of researchers recruited 102 participants, every one of them had chronically herniated discs validated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each patient chosen had already received three months of care through other available treatment options without achieving satisfaction.

The body of patients was divided into two treatment paths. The first group of the participants underwent high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic treatments). The next half of patients were provided nerve root injections (epidural).

The organizers of the study collected data about the pain levels of every individual in advance of the care administered at the time of the study. Then, one month after treatment, participants rated their disc herniation pain on the same scale as before. The change between the two scores was used to measure how successful the care was for improving discomfort.

What did the research determine about chiropractic adjustments compared to epidurals?

Greater than 76 percent of the people in the study who were given chiropractic adjustments recorded a decrease in their pain. In the other half, less than 63% of the cohorts who engaged in epidurals expressed an improvement in discomfort. These findings suggest that chiropractic care could be more successful for caring for to resolve herniated disc discomfort.

And, that isn't everything. In addition to giving a higher count of individuals some much needed reduction in pain, researchers also identified that spinal manipulation was more cost-effective. Epidural treatments approximately cost $730 for a single individual. The chiropractic care cost approximately $560 for an equal timespan. This cost savings can surely help with your budget. A lower cost can make it more viable to seek care of your disc herniation pain without extra worry.

If you would like a greater chance of pain relief and lower expenses associated with your herniated disc care, give Dr. Six a call today at (406) 452-6929 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

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  1. Dr. Tim Six is a chiropractor serving Great Falls and the surrounding area. Our chiropractor and the rest of the welcoming team at Six Chiropractic Center are committed to providing chiropractic solutions to address your unique needs, whether you are experiencing back pain, neck pain, headaches, or even muscular tightness and tension.