Spinal Decompression Therapy Questions and Answers
If you are looking to relieve pressure on your spinal cord, visit TRUE Health Medical, where our caring and devoted team can help you find relief today. For more information, please call us or book an appointment online. We serve patients from Gilbert AZ, Chandler AZ, Queen Creek AZ, Sun Lakes AZ, Mesa AZ, Sacaton AZ, and Apache Junction AZ.
If physical therapy, medication, various stretches and exercises, or other forms of treatment have failed to improve back pain, it can feel as though you have exhausted your options. At TRUE Health Medical, we understand that discouragement, but we also would be happy to provide an alternative treatment option known as spinal decompression therapy! Our chiropractors and medical professionals would be happy to provide you with more information about spinal decompression therapy if it interests you, as well as first-rate treatment to help alleviate your back pain.
What does spinal decompression treat?
Spinal decompression therapy is an innovative, non-surgical, and drug-free treatment that uses computer-assisted technology to treat symptoms from a variety of lower, mid, and upper back and neck pain conditions. It is cleared for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) primarily for lower back pain conditions, such as sciatica, but has also proven to be effective for the following conditions and symptoms:
- Bulging or herniated discs
- Degenerative disc disease
- Diseased or injured spinal nerve roots
- Pinched nerves
- Posterior facet syndrome, also known as lumbar facet syndrome
- Radicular pain, also referred to as radiculopathy or radiculitis
- Sciatica
- Spinal arthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Post-surgical pain
How does spinal decompression therapy work?
In order to treat the above symptoms and conditions, spinal decompression therapy uses a computer-assisted spinal traction technique, which, in practice, refers to a gentle stretching of the spine in opposing directions. This gentle stretching causes negative pressure inside the spinal discs, which, in turn, creates a vacuum inside the disc that draws bulging or herniated discs back into place. As such, the gentle stretching of the spine helps to relieve pressure off of any joints or nerves caused by the spinal misalignments that are causing back pain or spinal disorders. Moreover, the vacuum-like pressure inside the discs is also believed to draw in various fluids, nutrients, and oxygen into the disc to promote healing for degenerated or herniated discs.
Since spinal decompression therapy is computer-assisted, this allows the stretching to occur with a precise force, degree of angle, and rate of speed, which ensures pain-free treatment and highly accurate results. Before treatment, harnesses are placed around your pelvis and trunk. During treatment, you will lie down either face down or face up on a comfortable treatment bed. While you should not feel any pain during treatment, please do not hesitate to inform your spinal decompression therapy provider if you feel any discomfort during treatment.
How long should you do spinal decompression?
While the extent of your treatment will depend on your specific condition and overall health, most spinal decompression treatment plans consist of 12 to 20 sessions over four to six weeks. That said, some patients may require up to 28 sessions over five to seven weeks. The length of each individual session takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Some patients may experience significant improvements within the first few sessions; however, the most dramatic results will occur upon the completion of the treatment program for most patients.
What is the success rate of spinal decompression?
There are currently many ongoing studies researching the effectiveness of spinal decompression therapy. That said, given the available research, the success rate of spinal decompression therapy has shown to range between 70 and 90 percent. As such, while it is still relatively early days for spinal decompression therapy, it has a strong track record. At TRUE Health Medical, our chiropractors and medical professionals can vouch for the effectiveness of spinal decompression therapy, as we have proudly provided effective back pain relief for numerous patients with this treatment.
