Spinal Decompression Therapy can be one of many options that your doctor uses to help with lower back pain or neck and shoulder pain. It is not a new idea and can help immensely with a herniated disk.
What Is Spinal Decompression Therapy?
Spinal Decompression Therapy is an FDA approved, non-chiropractic, and non-surgical way to relieve lower back, neck, and even shoulder pain. It can also be used to relieve the pain after car accidents and other major spinal injuries. Decompression Therapy is non-invasive and is done in small increments. It can help reverse the consequences of bad posture, age, and stress.
How Is Spinal Decompression Therapy Done?
Spinal Decompression therapy is non-invasive, and is done in small increments. It is all done in a doctor’s office on a decompression table. You are strapped onto the decompression table, and it gently pulls on you to elongate your spine. Over time small air pockets will appear in between your spine vertebrae, and help to reshape spinal disks. It will also allow nutrients to travel to brittle vertebrae and disks. The entire process takes about 2 and ½ hours at a time over two or three months. Everything is also set in a computer so that the therapy is done exactly to your needs.
What Are the Benefits Of Spinal Decompression Therapy?
There are many benefits to using Spinal Decompression Therapy.
- There is no surgery needed. If you don’t feel comfortable with someone injecting you with medicine and cutting into your back this therapy is a good thing to try.
- It is non-chiropractic. In Spinal Decompression Therapy a person is never trying to align your back. It is shown that sometimes damaged spinal disks can be damaged more by chiropractors. This therapy is a great alternative.
- This kind of therapy helps back, neck, and shoulder pain. Without surgery, chiropractics, or physical therapy you can be completely pain free in a few months!
- This is a relaxing process! Sitting stiffly in a chiropractic or physical therapist office can be uncomfortable. Spinal Decompression Therapy is done on a cushioned table that is adjusted for your comfort. The pulling, and vibrating they use to help you spine is also comfortable and relaxing.
- Helps nutrients get to your spinal disks. The small pockets of air that appear after a few weeks of this therapy can help provide brittle spinal disks with the nutrients they need. If a disk is cut off from nutrients going through your body the pockets of air will trap nutrients and transfer it to spinal disks.
What Are The Risks?
Like any procedure Spinal Decompression Therapy has its very own list of risks. The process can damage certain people more than help with their back pain and it is smart to know the risks before starting the process of this therapy.
Sometimes a doctor will suggest Spinal Decompression therapy even if you don’t really need it to help prevent back pain, however there are some risks you should be aware of before starting the process f you don’t truly need it:
- Herniated disk- Using Spinal Decompression Therapy when not needed can actually lead to a herniated disk.
- Spinal Disks pushing on nerves- If you don’t need this type of therapy it can cause spinal disks to shift slightly and press on the nerves around the disk and your vertebrae.
- Brittleness-If a disk is stretched too much it can become brittle much faster than it would with normal aging process. This will cause you to need IV’s, different kinds of therapy, or even surgery to replace the disk.
- Compressed disks-Using Decompression Surgery when not needed can cause more than one disk to push against the pockets of air created, and actually compress. This cannot be reversed with the same process and must be reversed with surgery.
- If you do need Spinal Decompression Therapy there are also some minor risks that you should be aware of and take into consideration before starting the therapy process:
If you are pregnant but need the therapy the baby could be harmed from the stretching and electric vibrations of the spinal area. You might want to wait to start the process until after the baby is born if you need the therapy.
- 86% of patients in a study in 2003 only had a slight decrease from their severe pain. If you are having truly extreme or severe pains try asking your doctor about other options beside Spinal Decompression Therapy.
- Having metal plates or screws in your back can decrease the effectiveness of this type of therapy. However, if your bone is fused together it does not affect the process at all.
Who Should Talk To Their Doctor About Spinal Decompression Therapy?
If you have slight, mild or severe back, leg, neck, or shoulder pain you can talk to your doctor about Spinal Decompression Therapy. However, this process normally is most effective for people with mild back pain or those who have come directly out of a back or spinal surgery. However, you can talk to your doctor about using this therapy to decrease the chances of getting severe back pain.
Spinal Decompression therapy, although very expensive, can be a great option for people with back, neck, shoulder, and even leg pain. Remember that this therapy must be recommended by a doctor for you to start the process. It is also an easy way to relieve your pain.