Chiropractic Methods Concluded to Be Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural for Herniated Disc Diagnosis

Herniated discs have tormented uncounted clients that have visited our Jacksonville and Fleming Island practice. Fortunately, Dr. Fritz has helped plenty of them heal swiftly and more effectively. Herniated discs, also known as "slipped discs", can be treated with several different strategies.

If you are feeling discomfort due to a herniated disc, then you are likely wondering which selection will work best for you. To support you in fielding that inquiry, let's look at two of the most popularly used treatment options: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and lumbar nerve root injection/epidural.

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

A group of researchers recruited 102 individuals, every one of them had chronically herniated discs confirmed by medical imaging. Any participant selected had already received three months of treatment through other applicable remedies without achieving satisfaction.

The group of patients was split into two treatment paths. The first group of the participants were treated with high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The remaining half of cohorts were given nerve root injections (epidural).

The researchers saved scores about the pain levels of each patient in advance of the treatment provided in the time of the study. Subsequently, 30 days following care, people in the study rated their disc herniation discomfort on the same range as at the beginning. The change between the two ratings was applied to gauge how successful the intervention may have been for improving pain.

What did the research uncover in regards to chiropractic adjustments compared to nerve root injections?

Over 76 percent of the patients who engaged in chiropractic care recorded a decrease in their pain. On the other side, less than 63 percent of the participants who were provided epidurals indicated a minimization in pain. These figures imply that chiropractic treatment may be more effective for looking to remediate herniated disc discomfort.

Plus, there’s more. Beyond providing a higher count of patients highly desired pain relief, researchers also found that spinal manipulation was more cost-effective. The epidural treatments were roughly $730 per a single participant. The chiropractic treatment ran less than $560 for the same duration. This type of savings may certainly assist with anyone’s budget. A lower cost can make it feasible to pursue treatment of your disc herniation pain without extra burden.

If you are interested in a greater probability of pain relief and fewer costs associated with your herniated disc care, give Dr. Fritz a call today at (904) 425-9060 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