“I have a disc herniation in my lower back with radiating leg pain. What should I do?”

It depends on your specific condition because every case is different. A recent study looked into 2 treatment options for disc herniations with sciatica. Here’s what the authors (Medical Doctors) found…

Spinal Manipulation Proves Safe and As Beneficial As Surgery In Lower Back Disc Herniations With Sciatica (Leg Pain)

A recent study, “Manipulation or Microdisketomy for Sciatica? A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study,” (Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, October 2010, Vol. 33 Iss. 8, p: 576-584), found that spinal manipulation was safe and just as effective as microdiskectomy surgery for patients suffering with sciatica secondary to lumbar disc herniation for 6 months or longer.

Not only did Chiropractic care work as well as surgery for disc related sciatic/leg pain but it is also estimated that utilizing chiropractic care for these conditions could save $2.75 billion dollars annually in the US.

Disc problems cause a significant amount of pain, disability, and loss of ability to enjoy life in people that suffer with ongoing problems that can include lower back pain and radiating leg pain.

Surgery can help in some cases, but it is not without financial and physical drawbacks, so trying other options first is recommended (as described in this study).

From the authors…

“To our knowledge, this is the first, randomized trial that directly compared spinal manipulation, which in this study was delivered by a doctor of chiropractic, and back surgery, two popular treatment choices for this prevalent health condition,” says Dr. Gordon McMorland, who co-authored the paper with neurosurgeons Steve Casha, MD, PhD, Stephan J. du Plessis, MD, and R. John Hubert, MD, Phd.

“Our research supports spinal manipulation performed by a doctor of chiropractic is a valuable and safe treatment option for those experiencing symptomatic lumbar (lower back) disc herniations, failing traditional medical management. These individuals should consider spinal manipulation as a primary treatment.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21036279
J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2010 Oct;33(8):576-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2010.08.013.
Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study.
McMorland G1, Suter E, Casha S, du Plessis SJ, Hurlbert RJ.

Other studies provide strong support for Chiropractic Treatment of Back Pain. There is also a lot of concern about opiate pain relievers.