Chiropractic Treatment Methods Found Effective and Less Expensive Than Epidural during Treatment of Herniated Disc Discomfort

Relief of Slipped Disc Pain in Fairfax

Herniated discs have bothered uncounted patients that have been treated in our Fairfax practice. Fortunately, Dr. Zapf has assisted most of them bounce back swiftly and more effectively. Herniated discs, sometime referred to as "slipped discs", can be treated with several different approaches.

If you are feeling irritation due to a herniated disc, then you may be wondering which selection may work best for you. To support you in finding an answer to that search, let's look at two of the most commonly employed therapies: chiropractic/manipulative therapy and epidural.

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

A body of researchers compared 102 patients, every one of them had chronically herniated discs verified by medical imaging. Every cohort selected had previously undergone 90 days of care via other accessible remedies without achieving satisfaction.

The group of cohorts was divided into two subdivision. One group of the individuals were treated with high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation treatment (chiropractic adjustments). The next half of patients received nerve root injections (epidural).

The researchers gathered scores about the pain levels of every cohort in advance of the remedy given at the time of the research. Then, 30 days after treatment, cohorts graded their disc herniation pain on the same scale as before. The difference in the two ratings was applied to determine how effective the intervention may have been for improving pain.

What did the researchers determine in regards to chiropractic adjustments versus epidural injections?

Greater than 76 percent of the individuals who were administered chiropractic adjustments scored a positive change in their discomfort. On the other side, fewer than 63 percent of the people in the study who were given epidurals recorded a minimization in discomfort. The findings suggest that chiropractic care could be more successful for looking to resolve herniated disc pain.

And, that is not everything. Beyond granting a higher amount of patients some much needed pain relief, researchers also found that chiropractic care was more affordable. Epidural treatments approximately cost $730 for each recipient. Chiropractic treatment ran just under $560 for an equal period of time. This type of savings may certainly assist with anyone’s medical expenses. Spending less can make it easier to obtain treatment for your disc herniation pain without extra stress.

If you would like a greater chance of effectiveness and lower costs when it comes to your herniated disc care, give Dr. Zapf a call today at (703) 455-9555 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