Spinal Decompression Therapy
An Informative Guide To Spinal Decompression Therapy
For individuals looking for a non-chiropractic and non-surgical answer to relieve problems that are associated with injuries to their spinal disc, spinal decompression therapy is the ideal answer. Poor posture, repetitive stress, acute injury and bad body mechanics can all be causes of your discs to compress or slip out of their alignment, thereby applying painful pressure to the affected discs.
Additionally, your spine can also feel pressure from herniated discs, bulging discs, pinched nerves, degenerative disc disease, sciatica and leg or arm pain. The presence of a compressed disc can lead to basically two problems being brittleness of the disc and a herniation or bulge pressing on a nerve in the spine. This problem typically is perpetuated due to the flow of nutrients that are needed to heal being restricted by the compressed disc.
What Is Spinal Decompression Therapy?
Traditionally, chiropractic adjustment or spinal surgery are the methods that are used for corrective treatments. An alternative to these methods is spinal decompression therapy. It is FDA approved and has been proven to offer very good results.
This method is non-invasive and uses a decompression table to provide the disc with gentle decompression. You are strapped down to the table to hold your body very still and as a roller moves back and forth over it, a distraction force is applied to the area of the spine housing the compressed disc.
The distraction force that is applied to the disc between periods of relaxation is controlled entirely by a computer. Spinal decompression therapy elongates your spine by pulling it extremely gently. By doing this, a small vacuum is created between your vertebrae that over time, works to pull the necessary discs back where they belong.
This method is used in very small increments that add up eventually, allowing the disc to receive the proper amount of nutrients that it needs to reshape itself and fight off future injuries and brittleness.
Who Is Not Eligible?
Patients that suffer from severe nerve damage, obesity, osteoporosis or pregnant women should not have spinal decompression therapy performed on them. It is not usually recommended for individuals over 70 years old either. However, every patient is fairly evaluated as an individual. Patients that have had spinal surgery with instrumentation such as metal plates or screws are not generally approved candidates for treatment either.
Is It Worth The Cost?
Spinal decompression therapy does work and it is becoming the preferred alternative to surgery. One doctor visit typically costs between $100 and $200 and the procedure traditionally takes approximately 20 visits to actually attain the desired treatment goal. Therefore, depending on your personal injury or circumstance, treatment could end up costing you $4,000 or more by the time you are done, compared to the $15,000 that surgery may cost you.
The advantages of spinal decompression therapy are that there is no discomfort, no surgery involved and no down time pain after the surgery to deal with and recover from. The treatment is not without its risks though. A potential patient will require a complete physical exam, MIR and X-rays to ensure that they are a suitable candidate, otherwise they will be disqualified.
This treatment can also provide individuals relief that suffer from back pain after they have had a failed spinal surgery. It can be quite beneficial for most patients that have an unstable spine from surgery.
Each session is generally between 30 and 40 minutes long and it is performed once a month. Therefore, patients need to understand that this is a long-term treatment option. Progress will not happen overnight but in the long run, a healthy spine will be resulted.