Sciatica
Non-operative treatments for sciatica: a
pilot study for a randomized clinical trial. Bronfort G,
Evans RL, Anderson AV et al. Journal of Manipulative and
Physiological Therapeutics October 2000, Vol. 23 No. 8.
This
is a prospective, observer-blinded, pilot randomized clinical
trial of 20 patients aged 20-65 with low back-related leg
pain. Patients were divided into three groups. One group
was given medical care, one group chiropractic care and one
group steroid injections. All groups showed substantial improvement
at the end of the 12 week study.
Lack of effectiveness of bed
rest for sciatica. Patrick CAJ, Vroomen MD, Marc CTFM, et al.
The New England Journal of Medicine. 1999;340:418-423.
Many
medical doctors prescribe bed rest for sciatica, yet according
to the authors: “For low back pain, bed rest
has traditionally been considered effective, although there
are few objective data to support this view and in recent
years evidence of the ineffectiveness of bed rest for low
back pain has accumulated…bed rest continues to be
widely used to treat sciatica.”
From the conclusion: “Among
patients with symptoms and signs of a lumbosacral radicular
syndrome, bed rest is not a more effective therapy than watchful
waiting.”
From Mobilization of the Spine (1984) by Grieve
GP Churchill Livingston, London/New York, 4th edition, 22-23.
“All
those experienced in manipulation can report numerous examples
of migrainous headaches, disequilibrium (vertigo), subjective
visual disturbances, feelings of retro-orbital pressure, dysphagia,
dysphonia, heaviness of a limb, extra segmental paraesthesia,
restriction of respiratory excursion, abdominal nausea and
the cold sciatic leg being relieved by manual or mechanical
treatment of the vertebral column.”
Low force chiropractic
care of two patients with sciatic neuropathy and lumbar disc
herniation. Richards GL et al. Am J Chiro Med Mar 1990;3(1):25-32
From
the abstract:
Two patients with sciatic neuropathy and confirmed
disc herniation were treated with low force treatment regimen
consisting of Activator instrument adjusting, pelvic blocking,
high voltage galvanic current and exercises….Follow-up
CAT scans in the first case (revealed) complete absence of
disc herniation. The second case follow up scan revealed
the continued presence of a silent disc bulge at the L3-4
level and partial decrease in a herniation at the L4-5 level.
The bulge appeared to have shifted away from the nerve root.
Both patients’ pain levels decreased from severe to
minimal. The patients regained the ability to stand, sit
and walk for longer periods without discomfort; lifting tasks
also became easier. The patients were able to return to full
work capacity at three and nine months respectively.
Copyright
2004 Koren Publications, Inc. & Tedd Koren,
D.C.