Every year, half a million Americans find themselves on the operating table for lumbar discectomies to combat debilitating lower back pain caused by herniated discs. Yet this path to relief isn’t always straightforward—up to 14 percent of patients find themselves needing additional surgery, underscoring the complexities of effectively treating persistent back pain.
However, hope emerges from University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, where recent research indicates that chiropractic care could significantly reduce the rates of secondary surgeries. Published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, the study casts a new light on the potential of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) in the aftercare of lumbar discectomy.
