Making the cut It's beyond me why anyone would subject themselves to surgery -- and the subsequent hospital stay and months of recovery -- when, in the end, they're no better off than people who opted not to go under the knife. And yet it happens ever day: Thousands of people suffering from sciatica choose to have surgery on the herniated discs causing the burning pain radiating down their lower back and legs. But two recent studies showed that after a couple of years, their post-surgery relief was no different than people who went the non-invasive route with physical therapy, rest, and painkillers. One study followed 472 patients for two years. The patients had been randomly assigned to surgery or noninvasive treatment that involved education, physical therapy, and/or painkillers. Subjects in both groups had improved scores on measures of pain, physical function, and disability. In the other study, the researchers followed 743 participants for two years. The patients themselves chose whether they wanted to have surgery or other treatment protocols. The differences here were a little more obvious -- at least initially: After three months, more than 80 percent of the patients who had chosen surgery reported major improvements, compared with 48 percent of non-surgery patients. But that gap narrowed over the course of two years, and, ultimately, overall pain scores were very similar among all the groups. The bottom line here is that, while surgery might seem like the fastest way to alleviate your sciatica pain, it's really not the best way. The good news, though, is that there are proactive steps you can take -- without subjecting yourself to surgery. Dr. Wright typically recommends daily injections of vitamin B1 and B12. But if you'd rather keep your treatment completely non-invasive, there's an entire book, titled The Sciatica Solution: Banish Your Pain and Reclaim Your Life, outlining various exercises, supplements and other natural treatments you can try right at home. For more information on this book, visit www.agorahealthbooks.com. |
