Benefits of Spinal Decompression for Herniated Discs
A herniated disc is a problem with one of the disc cushions. The disc cushion is like a jelly donut between the vertebrae that stack up to make your spine. It can be also be a slipped disc or ruptured disc. It occurs when the soft jelly donut or gel-like tissues situated between vertebrae, pushes out through a tear in the tougher exterior.
A herniated disc irritates nearby nerves that cause pain, weakness, or numbness in a leg or arm. However, not all people experience these symptoms even though they have a herniated disc. Most people who happen to have a herniated disc do not need to undergo surgery to resolve the problem.
Decompression therapy is a non-surgical treatment that aids in relieving pain in your body, as well promoting the best healing option for your herniated discs.
A Better Option to Treat Herniated Disc
Spinal decompression therapy is an option to treat a herniated disc. This procedure is a nonsurgical or non-invasive therapy, different from surgical decompression therapies.
Concept of Spinal Decompression
Spinal decompression devices have the same basic theory of spinal traction that osteopaths, chiropractors, and other health practitioners use.
How Spinal Decompression Therapy Works?
The spine will go through periods of stretching and relaxing in nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy. This creates negative intradisc pressure (the pressure in the disc itself).
Here is the benefit of intradiscal pressure:
- It pulls the disc material back into the disc, and it promotes the passageway of healing nutrients.
Session for Spinal Decompression
The patient will lay on a motorized table, the lower half moves during the decompression therapy. A strap is placed around the hips and is attached to the lower part of the table. The upper part of the table stays fixed while the lower part, to which the patient is strapped, slowly moves and slides back and forth for traction and relaxation. Some devices have to place the patient in the prone position or facing down, but other devices have the patient to lying down or facing up.
Though the patient feels a stretch in the spine, generally it should not be painful during or after the therapy.
Aside from herniated discs, spinal decompression therapy helps treat a variety of different back issues that include:
- Bulging discs – it sometimes presses against your spinal cord.
- Spinal stenosis – it is an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal that may occur in any of the regions of the spine.
- Sciatica – Sciatica is the name given to pain caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve.
Treatment Course
Spinal decompression therapy typically consists of fifteen to thirty treatments that will last for thirty to forty-five minutes each session for a period of four to six weeks. It may include additional treatment modality sessions, such as ultrasound, electric stimulation, and cold and hot therapy applied during or after the therapy.
Patients may also be recommended to drink up to a half gallon of water per day, take a nutritional supplement, have enough rest, and perform exercises at home to improve complete wellness and mobility.
Candidates for Spinal Decompression Therapy
Some patients are not a good candidate for spinal decompression therapy. It is not appropriate to some patients, like:
- Patient with broken bones or vertebra
- Pregnant women
- Anyone who had spinal fusion or major surgery
- People with failed back surgery
- Anyone who have artificial discs
- People who have implants in their spine
- Anyone with any of the following conditions:
- Spondylolisthesis – it is a condition in which one of the bones of the spine or a vertebra slips out of place onto the vertebra below it.
- Osteoporosis
- Cancer of the spine
- Spinal stenosis – it is an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal that may occur in any of the regions of the spine.
- Infections of the spine
- Ankylosing spondylitis – is a form of spinal arthritis, mainly affecting young males.
- Patients who are taking blood thinner medication
If patients experience worsening of the symptoms of neck and arm pain, it is an indication that spinal decompression therapy should be discontinued.
At Beyond Wellness Chiropractic Center, we work with you to recognize your pain and help you overcome the condition.
