If you have been dealing with aches and pains in your back and are ready to take back control, heal your pain and get back to your regular activities, you might want to give spinal decompression therapy a try.
Even when physical therapy, acupuncture, pain pills, and shots have failed, most patients still receive dramatic pain relief in as soon as four to six weeks with spinal decompression therapy.
What is decompression therapy?
There are a few kinds of decompression, surgical and non-surgical methods. At Crosby Chiropractic, we offer non-surgical decompression therapy. This type of treatment involves a device that uses motorized traction to stretch out the spine to change its position and force. When the position and force are changed, bulging or herniated disks may retract, which will pressure the spinal discs and nerves. This alleviates the pain and promotes water, oxygen, and nutrient-rich fluids to move into the discs so they can heal.
What can decompression therapy treat?
We use spinal decompression to treat many conditions that cause pain, including:
- Back pain, neck pain, sciatica
- Weakness or tingling in the legs
- Bugling discs
- Herniated disc
- Degenerative disc disease
- Posterior facet syndrome (worn spinal joints)
- Spine injury
- Ruptured discs
- Disc prolapses
Will decompression therapy be painful?
Some patients may experience a bit of discomfort during the spinal decompression therapy. But, overall, decompression therapy is relatively painless. It’s also a less expensive and less invasive alternative to surgery and the associated side effects.
 What happens during spinal decompression therapy?
You will remain dressed during your spinal decompression treatment. One of our chiropractors will fit a harness around your pelvis and one around your trunk. Then, you will lie face down or face up on a special table. The chiropractor will work to customize the treatment for your individual needs. Treatments typically last 30-45 minutes. Patients will require 20-28 treatments over the course of five to seven weeks. You should not feel any pain during the treatment. You will, however, feel your spine stretch.
Am I a good candidate for decompression therapy?
Good candidates for spinal decompression therapy include:
- Â Patients diagnosed with herniated, bulging, or degenerated disc
- Patients experiencing back pain for more than three weeks
- Pain persisting after a failed back surgery at least six months ago
- Persistent pain from arthritis
- At least 18 years old
The following conditions may disqualify you from spinal decompression treatment:
- Hardware in the spine like screws or rods
- A patient is pregnant
- Past lumbar fusion less than six months old
- Metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread to the bones)
- Grade 3 and 4 spondylolisthesis (Grade 1 or Grade 2 spondylolisthesis are treatable)
- Recent compression fracture of the lumbar spine
- Pathologic aortic aneurysm
- Pelvic or abdominal cancer
- Disc space infections
Is spinal decompression therapy safe?
Yes. The FDA has cleared spinal decompression. More than ten successful research studies on spinal decompression have been done, and currently, more than 5,000 clinics in the U.S. and Canada perform spinal decompression treatments. Every day more and more clinics are adding spinal decompression as an alternative to surgery for patients suffering from herniated, bulging, degenerated, and slipped discs.
If you want to learn more about spinal decompression therapy, please reach out to us today. Our team of experienced St. Peters chiropractors uses a unique blend of the best chiropractic, acupuncture, laser, massage, wellness, and nutrition-related services to offer various solutions to enhance your health.
Our goal is to help you achieve your wellness needs, improve your quality of life, and facilitate healing through our services.
If you are ready to handle the last part of 2020 more comfortably, give us a call at (636) 928-5588 or schedule an appointment today!
