For millions of people who suffer from chronic lower back pain, Spinal Decompression Therapy frequently offers far more effective treatment than less conservative therapies. Many patients find that Spinal Decompression Therapy provides both immediate and long-term relief. It is a non invasive therapy that achieves results without surgery, injections, or medications. It can provide relief for herniated discs, degenerative discs, sciatica, general lower back pain, and even failed back surgery.

“I liked the idea that Spinal Decompression Therapy wasn’t invasive,” said Paul Pratt, a firefighter for over 30 years. “I liked the idea that there were no pharmaceuticals involved ant that there was no cutting involved. I was very optimistic, and was thinking that this might work for me.” Weeks into his treatment, Pratt began to experience a dramatic change for the better.

“It just got better and better” he said. “I think in y third week of therapy I felt like something had moved. The pain from the sciatica had started to go away. I was getting sensation back.” By the end of his therapy, Pratt says he was completely free of pain. His life was back to normal.

UNDERSTANDING BACK AND LEG PAIN

Pain in the back and lower legs can result when spinal bones rub, irritate, pinch, or choke delicate nerves. This can also impair the function of the tissues, organs, and systems controlled by these nerves. The lower back comprises parts of three basic types Bones, called vertebrae, are an essential part of the skeletal framework. Discs are the cartilage that cushions or pads and separates the space between the vertebrae.

The spine carries nerves that control muscles, organs, and other essential body functions. Among these, the sciatic nerves are the largest and longest in the body. They exit the spinal cord from the lower spinal column, travel down each leg, and divide into many smaller nerves to the thigh, knee, calf, ankle, foot, and toes.

Spinal discs are sometimes compared to jelly doughnuts. If too much pressure is put on one, the “jelly” can squirt out. In the human anatomy, this condition is known as a herniated disc. When compressed, the space between vertebrae is reduced, allowing bones to touch nerves.

HOW SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY WORKS

As its name implies, Spinal Decompression Therapy creates a negative pressure in discs in specific areas, so the cartilage or “jelly” can realign and return to its proper place. In other words, this vacuum effect draws the herniated material back into the disc, along with water and other nutrients and thus aids healing within the disc. While many people think that any pulling of the spine is “traction”, there is a substantial difference between old fashioned traction and Spinal Decompression Therapy.

“The big difference is that with traction, as we have known it for years, it is just a general load pulling the entire spine,” said Dr. Luis Crespo, M.D., President, National Spine Centers and a member of the National Academy of Pain Management. “Traditional old-style traction does not differentiate between the different levels of the discs. Now, by using motorized spinal decompression, we are able to change the angle of the pull and target specifically any disc that is affected. By doing this, we get much better results than you get with just standard traction.” The advanced technology of Spinal Decompression systems allow healthcare professionals to adjust the amount of decompression according to the reaction of the patient’s body. When old fashioned traction is used, the patient’s body may sense tension as it is being pulled and react by going into spasm. In contrast, the latest Spinal Decompression systems counter this spasm reaction by cycling through a series of pulling and relaxing as the treatment is being administered. This makes the decompression treatment much more effective and comfortable, since the patient’s body is not fighting against the pull of a machine.

A COMFORTABLE PROCEDURE

“Many patients are a little apprehensive the first time they come in and get on the machine,” Dr. Crespo said. “However, once they get on it, they all react the same way. There is an immediate sense of relief once the machine starts pulling. They look at you and say ‘My pin’s gone.’ After that, it just a matter of them getting comfortable with it. After a while, a majority will even sleep through the procedure.” Here’s what one patient says.

“After the treatment, I really miss coming back and being treated, because I felt like I was at a spa,” said Lisa Morrison, who had suffered four herniated discs. “The treatment was very comfortable and very relaxing. At the end of some of the treatments, I felt like I had been through a good workout. Like I had gone to the gym and worked out.”

ENJOYING AN ACTIVE LIFE

Even after patients have been through spine surgery, Spinal Decompression Therapy may still offer relief. To her friends, just seeing Angie Horton waterskiing again is nothing short of a medical miracle. That is because just a few years ago she was recuperating from her third spinal surgery and living in constant pain.

“I really felt that I had two options,” she said. “It was either a wheelchair or death. I literally felt I was going to end up being a crippled person. I was headed in that direction. I’m very glad I did not go under a fourth spinal surgery.” While recovering from her third surgery, Horton read an article that introduced her to the science of Spinal Decompression Therapy.

“I have always said that I don’t use the word miracle,” she said. “I think someone above gets that word. But I would honestly sat that this is as close to that word as you’ll ever get. ” Within hours of her first treatment, Horton not4ed that she started to feel relief. And by the end of her sixth week of Spinal Decompression Therapy, she was completely free of pain. Now that she is able to play with her grandchildren and live an active lifestyle, she wonders why her surgeon and other medical experts didn’t tell her about this therapy sooner.

“I actually got to a point where I became angry,” she said. “And I went through a couple of weeks of anger simply because I felt that other people in the medical field should have been obligated to give me this information. I’m not against surgery. I’m not against all the other things like epidurals, but I feel that they should not be on the forefront. They should be on the backburner. These spinal decompression machines should be the first thing. Once you have a proper diagnosis with a MRI, and if you are a candidate this should be the very first thing to do.” Paul Pratt, the firefighter, shares much the same feeling.

“In my mind, Spinal Decompression is what you need to look at first,” he says. “I’ve heard too many stories of surgeries that didn’t work, and those people wish they had never had it done. Because, in some cases, they are worse off than they were before. Spinal decompression has got to be your first option.

” I was not able to work at all for two months,” he said. “There was nothing I could do. I would go back to work on a light duty position but even on light duty, sitting in a chair doing menial work, after about two days it would cripple me up again to where I couldn’t even do that. “Along with the physical pain there was emotional stress. He could no longer enjoy time with his grandchildren and felt all the hopes and dreams for his retirement years were in jeopardy. By the end of this therapy, however, Pratt says he was completely pain free. And a year after his therapy, he is still completely pain free, again doing what he loves. Now he’s the captain of his fire department and enthusiastically planning for retirement. “It brought my life back,” he added, “all the things I was doing before. Playing with the grandchildren, playing with my children. I got to do things with them. Lifting them, rolling around with them, playing with them. All those things came back without limitations.”