Proven Non-Surgical Treatment for back pain

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy is proven to treat back pain and sciatica caused by bulging, herniated, and degenerative discs or facet syndrome. Even post-surgical patients and those suffering from Stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal) have reported significant pain relief from Spinal Decompression treatments.

Over a series of relaxing treatment sessions, patients experience powerful pain reduction and healing. Some patients even notice an improvement in their symptoms after the first few treatments.

Spinal Decompression, not to be confused with traction, gently lengthens and decompresses the spine, creating negative pressures within the discs. This reversal of pressure creates an intradiscal vacuum that not only takes pressure off of pinched nerves, but helps to reposition bulging discs and pull extruded disc material back into place. Spinal experts believe that nutrients, oxygen, and fluids are drawn into the disc to create a revitalized environment conductive to healing.

What is causing my back pain?

While only a trained medical professional can accurately diagnose and recommend appropriate treatment, a basic understanding of common causes of back pain and how Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression works to alleviate them can help you in making a more informed decision concerning your treatment options.

Understanding how the spine works

Your spine is composed of 24 bones called vertebrae. In between each vertebra is a fibrous disc (Annulus Fibrosus) filled with a jelly-like substance (Nucleus Pulposus), which provides flexibility and cushioning to the spine.

The vertebrae protect the spinal cord, which runs through a tube at the back of the spine called the spinal canal. In the lower portion of the back, spinal nerves exit the spinal canal between the vertebrae and unite as they move down through the pelvis. Some of these spinal nerves join to become the Sciatic Nerves, which travel down through the buttocks, along the backs and sides of the thighs and calves, and into the feet.

With such a dense network of nerves traveling throughout the back, it is easy to see how great discomfort may be caused by a slight upset in the delicate architecture of the spine. Accidents and injury may damage discs and vertebrae, putting pressure on nerves. This results in tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, or even sharp, shooting pain.

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is the sensation of pain, tingling, or numbness in the buttocks and/or legs produced by an irritation of the Sciatic Nerve. Multiple nerve roots extend from the spinal cord between the vertebrae and join to form the Sciatic Nerve, which branches as it descends into the buttocks and down each leg to the ankles and feet. The primary causes of Sciatica are herniated, bulging, or degenerated discs, which induce pressure on the spinal nerve roots.

Other causes include small, bony growths on the spine (bone spurs) or compression of the nerves through injury. In rare cases, the Sciatic Nerve may be irritated by conditions such as Piriformis Syndrome, tumors, obesity, or pregnancy.

What is Spinal Stenosis?

Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal due to the encroachment of disc material or bony growths that squeeze and irritate the spinal cord and/or extending nerve roots. This can lead to pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs, feet, or buttocks. The benefits that many Stenosis patients derive from Spinal Decompression may be due to its positive repositioning and rejuvenating effect on the herniated and degenerative discs that often accompany Stenosis. Spinal Stenosis, which may be found in conjunction with any of the above conditions, is commonly a contributing cause for Sciatic symptoms.

What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative Disc Disease is not technically a disease, but rather a state of disc dehydration and deterioration due to a combination of cumulative trauma, poor dietary and exercise habits, and aging. As discs degenerate they become more prone to failure from physical stress, which may tear disc fibers and result in more complications, such as Osteoarthritis, disc bulging, disc herniation, and Stenosis.

Many spine experts conclude that the vacuum of negative pressure created within the disc by Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression helps the disc to attract moisture from surrounding tissue, rehydrating and revitalizing thinning and torn degenerated discs.

If you don't use it, you'll lose it

Traumatic spinal injuries may cause patients to avoid their normal daily activities. Without proper treatment, pain will progressively worsen, resulting in decreased physical activity and gradual weakening of the supportive spinal muscles, leading to accelerated disc degeneration.

What is Facet Syndrome?

Facet Syndrome, an inflammation of the facet joints, is one the lesser-known causes of back pain. Facets are the bony wing-like protrusions extending from the back of the vertebrae that align with facets on the vertebrae above and below. Facets function as guides for the spine and are not designed for bearing weight like the vertebrae and discs. At the point where the facets of two vertebrae meet are small ligaments that join corresponding facets together.

Bearing the brunt of unhealthy discs

As a result of lost disc height fr one reason or another, the spine may shift its weight, adding pressure to the facet joints. Bearing the brunt of all that weight can lead to tearing or degeneration of the ligaments, as well as inflammation of surrounding tissues. Adhesions over the joint surface usually for over time, leading to loss of mobility and breakdown of facet cartilage.

Symptoms are usually characterized as a deep ache in the lower back that may extend to the buttocks, hips, and even below the knee. Facet Syndrome is often associated with Degenerative Disc Disease and soft tissue damage in the lumbar spine.

How Spinal Decompression Works

High intradiscal pressures cause discs to bulge out and press painfully on nerve roots. They also make for a compressed, anaerobic environment unsuitable for healing. Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression produces negative pressures within the disc which experts believe creates a vacuum effect that draws in nutrients and fluids to promote the repair of injured discs and surrounding tissues. This vacuum has also been shown to aid in the retraction of escaped cushioning gel from herniated discs.

When Negative is a Positive

Much like gauging the air pressure in a car tire, scientists have been able to use pressure sensors to measure the carious pressures put on spinal discs while lifting, standing, sitting, lying down, undergoing traction, and during Spinal Decompression. Like other pressures found in the body such as blood pressure, intradiscal pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

While traction, physical therapy and manipulation may reduce disc pressures to as low as 40 mmHg, only Spinal Decompression has been shown to achieve negative pressures within the spine. It has been clinically proven that Spinal Decompression creates negative pressures as low as -160 mmHg within the injured disc during the treatment session.

Traction is not Decompression

With traction, weights are added one by one to the end of the traction bed, which, in turn, adds tension to a harness secured around the patient's pelvis, lengthening the spine. The intention is to relieve pressure, but the linear force of this traction can produce spasming which may lead to greater injury.

Studies confirm that the benefits of traction come from simply immobilizing the spine. In fact, the Quebec Task Force ruled in 1966 that traction was not an effective treatment for chronic herniated discs; the results are not long-lasting and cannot produce negative pressures in the disc. Like traction, Spinal Decompression also lengthens and exerts tension upon the spine. However, the approach is far different, producing vastly superior results.

The Logarithmic Difference

Normally, pulls exerted on the spine trigger sensory receptors in the back to tighten the muscles surrounding the vertebrae and discs in an effort to protect them from injury - a mechanism in the body known as the proprioceptor response. Spinal Decompression bypasses this response by gently pulling on the spine and relaxing the back over an extended period of time, allowing the spine to be repositioned without tension and without setting off the "lock down" proprioceptor response.

Formula for Relief

Each automated session of Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression cycles the patient through a series of gentle pulls, holds, and releases. Super smooth transitions between each phase of Spinal Decompression can make for an experience so relaxing that patients often fall asleep. As a session of Spinal Decompression commences, tension slowly mounts, lengthening the spine. Up to one-half of the patient's body weight, plus as much as 25 pounds of tension, can be exerted directly on the injured discs - all without triggering the "guarding" proprioceptor response. This is where spinal pressures drop and decompression actually occurs.

The differing amounts of tension administered throughout the session produce a logarithimic curve. After a holding period, tension is slowly decreased and the spine is retracted slowly. This cycle is repeated several times throughout a treatment session.
 

Is Spinal Decompression right for me? You are a candidate for Spinal Decompression if: You have chronic or severe back pain caused by bulging or herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, Sciatica, and/or Facet Syndrome You  have been diagnosed with a clinically unstable low back You have failed back surgery syndrome You have been told to consider surgery You are NOT a candidate for Spinal Decompression if: You are pregnant You have sustained a recent vertebral fracture You have any retained surgical hardware (titanium rods or fusion cages) You suffer from severe osteoporosis You have rare conditions such as certain spinal infections and pelvic or abdominal cancer

When can I expect results?

Many patients report a reduction in pain after their first few Spinal Decompression treatment sessions and happily feel they have had all the treatments they need. This is a wonderful sign that Spinal Decompression is working, but the scientific reality is that the healing process is not finished! Quitting the treatment regimen early usually results in a relapse of symptoms, as well as wasted time and money.

On the other hand, it may take several sessions before patients experience a noticeable remission of symptoms. Why is this? Bulging and herniated discs may need several sessions to fully reposition themselves depending on your physiology. You can be sure that your spine is responding to Spinal Decompression's vacuum effect, but results are not always immediate. Using time-tested protocols, Spinal Decompression can be tremendously effective at eliminating back pain!

Spinal Decompression works, given the chance

Some patients reports an immediate pain reduction after their first treatment! With herniated and degenerative discs, the escaped nucleus pulposus may be partially or completely retracted back into the disc after just the first session (though usually it takes longer), relieving a great deal of pain.

However, pain reduction does not indicate full recovery, and a full recovery is essential to preventing reinjury. This may mean completing as many as 20 to 25 treatment sessions. Older or more severe injuries may require even more sessions. This may seem like a lot of treatments, but Spinal Decompression is working with your back as it heals, and that is a process that cannot be rushed. Why is this?

Follow Through for Best Results

Much like a scab heals, tears in the disc wall need time to heal. The absence of pain does not mean the tears have had time to seal up, which is crucial to preventing the newly retracted nucleus pulposus from escaping and putting pressure back on the nerves.

Completing Your Course of Therapy

Completing your course of Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression, as determined by your doctor, requires a commitment to feeling good again. The time needed to complete a treatment course varies according to the severity of your condition. Each session prescribed is needed to maintain a fully hydrated and oxygen-rich environment for the damaged disc. The same principles apply for those with degenerative disc disease.

Visible Progress

After as little as nine treatments, the injured disc wall may have almost completely healed. However, a small fissure remains. This fissure still requires more sessions of Spinal Decompression, in order to properly mend itself. Continuing on with the Spinal Decompression protocol will allow for an enriched disc environment to speed the body's natural healing mechanism. The last remaining Spinal Decompression sessions will enable the disc to heal completely.

Getting Started

At your first visit, your doctor will recommend an X-ray or MRI to pinpoint the specific areas of damage and discomfort. Using this information, your doctor will determine your course of therapy and whether you are a candidate for Spinal Decompression.

The Pressure Is Off

At the beginning of each sessions, you will be comfortably fitted with a pelvic harness designed to achieve optimal decompression of the lumbar spine. As a session of Spinal Decompression commences, you will notice a slow, gentle lengthening in your spine as your discs are gradually decompressed and relieved of pressure.

This process is safe and relaxing. While some patients with extensively injured discs have reported mild discomfort during the first few treatment sessions, their discomfort subsides upon subsequent visits.

A patient safety switch, or quick-release clasps on the upper-body harness, provide an extra safety feature, allowing you to stop at any point should you fell discomfort. Each treatment session last approximately 30-45 minutes.

What Can I Expect?

A typical Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression treatment regimen consists of about 20 daily sessions over four to six weeks. Some conditions require fewer visits; some require more. Many patients report relief from their pain and other symptoms during the first few treatment sessions, and most experience dramatic pain relief after completion of their prescribed Spinal Decompression program.

As a session of Spinal Decompression progresses, the discs are relieved of pressure, or decompressed, creating a vacuum of negative pressure within the disc. Since nature abhors a vacuum, many experts believe this decompressed state aids in pulling nutrients, oxygen, and moisture back into the discs.

Before Surgery, Consider This

While back surgery may be the only solution to some existing back problems, many medical professionals and surgeons themselves feel strongly that every non-invasive option should be explored before turning to surgery.

Although advances in surgery have made many procedures less invasive and more effective, surgery does come with inherent risks. With high costs and lengthy recovery time, it only makes sense to consider all of your options before making a decision about surgery.

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome is a real term used when a patient continues to suffer from pain and loss of mobility long after surgery. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are approximately 200,000 laminectomies performed every year with an estimated 20-30% of these operations reported to be unsuccessful. A laminectomy removes bone and thickened tissue that is narrowing the spinal canal and squeezing the spinal cord and nerve roots.

Great News for Post-Surgical Patients

If you still suffer from pain after surgery, we have great news for you! Post-surgical patients have experienced fantastic therapeutic results from Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression. While those with surgical hardware, such as brackets, plates, and screws, are not candidates for Spinal Decompression, many post-operative patients are. If you have had surgery with unsatisfactory results or have suffered a relapse, consult your doctor about the possible benefits of Spinal Decompression.

Medication is Not a Solution

Medication may provide temporary relief, but it is important to understand that pain is your body telling you something is wrong. If you simply muffle its cry for help, your injuries are likely to worsen over time. Prolonged use of medication also requires stronger doses, along with an increased risk of addiction.

Medications such as aspirin, Tylenol^TM, Motrin^TM, cortisone injections, and other heavier medications may also result in such side effects as liver, kidney, or gastrointestinal damage, fatigue, and depression.

Cutting the Weed, Leaving the Root

Using only medication to take care of your pain is like cutting a weed in your garden while leaving the root in the ground. Compare that long, burrowing root to the structural cause of your back pain – possibly disc herniation, bulging discs, pinched nerves, or degenerated discs.

If you correct the structural problems, the pain will not reappear – and you have uprooted your problem for good. However, if you simply deal with your pain on a surface level through medication, the pain will persist, coming back time and time again like that scraggly dandelion in your flowerbed. Spinal Decompression Therapy targets the problem, not just the symptoms.

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