Individuals in Ontario who have suffered a herniated disc as the result of an accident may be interested to learn that a new study shows there is little difference in outcome between people who have surgery to treat the problem versus those who have physical therapy. The study appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at Dartmouth Medical School compared treatments in 1,200 patients over a four-year period.

On behalf of Joseph Caprara of CBLAW posted in Spinal Cord Injuries on Saturday, November 29, 2014.

Individuals in Ontario who have suffered a herniated disc as the result of an accident may be interested to learn that a new study shows there is little difference in outcome between people who have surgery to treat the problem versus those who have physical therapy. The study appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at Dartmouth Medical School compared treatments in 1,200 patients over a four-year period.

While some patients reported more improvement from surgery compared to physical therapy, researchers hypothesized that individuals who chose surgery may have been in greater distress in the first place. Some individuals were randomly assigned to treatment groups, but others were permitted to make a choice. Ultimately, researchers concluded that the differences between the results reported from both groups were not significant.

While the study was conducted in the United States, the path to surgery for a herniated disc in Canada proceeds along a different path. The long wait times for surgery in Canada means that alternate solutions tend to be sought first. The study also found that there was no basis for concerns about paralysis, worsening back problems or other issues linked to an untreated herniated disc.

Individuals who do suffer from a back or spinal cord injury may wish to speak with a lawyer, because it may be possible to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. These types of injuries can require long-term or lifelong care and may severely restrict an individual’s ability to work and participate in other activities. They may also require ongoing physical therapy and constant care. A successful suit might pay for medical expenses, rehabilitation and lost wages among other expenses.

Source: CBC News, “Surgery, physical therapy about equal for herniated discs: studies“, Nov. 25, 2014