“Failed back surgery syndrome”
This one obviously hits home. Statistics show that 5-10% of patients undergoing back surgery for disc problems experience no relief. While these odds may seem pretty good, the number of back surgeries done in a year make the total number quite high. Roughly 10% of the population utilizes chiropractic services; it is entirely possible, based only on my personal experiences, that if utilization increased the number of patients going to surgery would drop dramatically. While chiropractic care is not always 100% affected, you can bet that, at the very worst, you will be in the same condition you presented with. You can’t say that with surgical procedures.
bmj.com Talbot 327 (7421): 985.