A newer method of treatment for spinal injury and pain, spinal decompression, is being offered at more and more chiropractic offices. Spinal decompression makes use of a series of straps and padded segments of a surgical table that the body gets strapped to and stretches your spinal column so that the sections of the spine decompress and relieve tension and nerve pain. This process can relieve pain from herniated or bulging discs, degenerated discs and recurrent pain from previous back surgeries.
THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF DISC PROBLEMS
Discs, unlike many other part of the body, are avascular. This means they don’t have blood flowing directly to them and removing waste. When the spine compresses a disc, it’s essentially suffocating it and that’s when it becomes degenerative. The effects can range from accelerated disc degenerations to loss of feeling in extremities and pain.
HOW SPINAL DECOMPRESSION WORKS
By essentially creating a vacuum inside of a disc, spinal decompression promotes the flow of blood and nutrients back into the disc to trigger the human body’s healing response to rehydrate and repair the disc. This can be very beneficial for people who’ve suffered lower back injuries, experienced failed surgeries or have herniated discs.
AN ALTERNATIVE TO SURGERY
If you’ve been told that nothing else can be done unless you go under the knife, spinal decompression may be right for you. However, studies, though limited, have shown that after treatment, 71% of patients involved said their pain had decreased to either 0 or 1 on a scale of 1 to 5. Whether this is a first attempt or a last resort spinal decompression therapy suits the needs of most patients with herniated discs, typical back injuries, sciatica and people who seek pain management without the aid of narcotics or other drugs.
CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE NOT CANDIDATES
Unfortunately, there are a few types of people who are not well suited for spinal decompression therapy. Pregnant women are not good candidates, nor are people who have had spinal fusion surgeries or suffer osteoarthritis, compression fractures or specific bony defects. If you fall into one of these categories or are otherwise uncertain, consult your chiropractor or medical doctor for more information.
IS THE SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROCESS PAINFUL?
The process of spinal decompression requires that a patient be strapped to a table. The table is slowly and gently separated from end to end. This process allows your spine to decompress and slowly, gently separate. People don’t ordinarily feel pain during spinal decompression. In fact, most people claim to feel much better after the relaxing process.
