Spinal manipulation as good as surgery for most patients with sciatica due to disc herniation

There surprisingly have been very few studies of any treatments for sciatica secondary to disc herniation, including surgery. Here is a new study comparing manipulation to surgery on patients with sciatica secondary to disc herniation. All the patients in the study had failed at least 3 months of management including treatment with analgesics, lifestyle modification, PT, massage therapy, and/or acupuncture. 60% of this population that had failed other medical management benefited from manipulation to the same degree as the surgical group!

Manipulation or Microdiskectomy for Sciatica? A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study