What is the success rate of sciatica treatments?
Conservative treatments are effective for 80-90% of people, with most cases resolving within 4-6 weeks. Surgical interventions like discectomy have high satisfaction rates of around 84%, with similar success rates for other procedures such as facetectomy or laminectomy. However, long-term outcomes show mixed results, with one study reporting success rates between 49% and 58% at 12 months post-treatment1, and another indicating that 21% of patients still had unsatisfactory recovery after 5 years, regardless of treatment type. Factors affecting success include age, pain severity, and the surgeon's experience.