What Is Spinal Decompression Therapy?

If you have had spinal pain and other related pain symptoms in your back, you’re aware of how it can be disruptive to your life physically and emotionally. You may be unable to find relief for your pain and are unsure what to do next in your quest for relief. Here at Topeka Chiropractic, we offer spinal decompression therapy that will help alleviate your pain and have you back to your life without the constant back pain like before. Spinal decompression, when administered, creates changes in the force and position of the spine by gently stretching it. With a motorized traction table, back pain is slowly relieved. 

The spinal discs are gel-like cushions between the bones, and the pressure gets taken off of them with the spinal decompression treatment. Subsequently, bulging or herniated discs may retract, which takes the pressure off nerves and other structures in the spine. This treatment will help create advancement in the movement of water, oxygen, and nutrient-rich fluids into the discs so they can heal.

Conditions Treated With Spinal Decompression

  • Back pain or sciatica affects the leg’s back, hip, and outer side. Stemming to the lower back, it’s the compression of the spinal nerve.
  • Bulging or herniated discs (Spinal discs that have moved from the spinal canal outside of their usual placement can pressure nearby nerves, causing localized pain or pain in other areas of your body. When left untreated, a bulging disc is likely to rupture eventually).
  • Degenerative disc diseases are discs affected by age-related degeneration that may have low fluid or tears in their tough outer shell. They may also lead to painful bone spurs that impinge on your spinal nerves).
  • Worn spinal joints (Known as posterior facet syndrome) develop when wearing, and the cartilage coating is completely gone.
  • Injured or diseased spinal nerve roots cause nerve root disorders resulting from sudden or long-term pressure on the spinal nerve root. Nerve root disorders usually result from a herniated disk or osteoarthritis in the spine. These disorders can cause pain, abnormal sensations, and muscle weakness in the area of the body they supply).
  • Spinal Stenosis is the space within the spine that narrows and can place pressure on the nerves. Spinal stenosis often takes place in the lower back and neck. Some people with spinal stenosis may not have symptoms.

Having back pain for a short or prolonged time can be unbearable, and searching for relief can be tiresome and overwhelming. The spinal injuries and/or degeneration from the wear and tear to the spine over time causes pain, and our patients deserve to find relief. After just a few treatments of spinal decompression therapy, patients may feel immediate relief from back pressure and pain. 

The Process of Treatment

With advanced computer technology, spinal decompression therapy is implemented on a specialized traction table. At the beginning of each session, a harness will comfortably fit the patient in the attempt to feel optimal decompression of the low back or neck. During a spinal decompression session, the patient will notice a slow lengthening of the spine as discs will gradually decompress and be relieved of pressure. This type of treatment process is safe and relaxing. While some patients with severely injured discs have reported mild discomfort during the first few treatment sessions, their pain generally subsides upon subsequent visits. A patient safety switch provides an extra safety feature, allowing the treatment to stop at any point if the patient begins to feel discomfort. 

What are the benefits of spinal decompression?

  • Provides pain relief
  • Promotes healing of spinal disc tissues
  • It helps restore standard spinal disc and joint alignment
  • Relieves pressure on spinal nerves
  • Accelerates effectiveness of other healing approaches

The Length of Spinal Decompression Therapy

This treatment typically lasts an estimated 30 to 60 minutes. There may be more sessions required with the treatment over the next five to seven weeks for the best results, depending on how each patient’s body responds and the doctor’s guidance. During the treatment, the patient experiences an exact stretching action in which negative pressure starts to form inside the discs that cause them to retract. The stretching helps draw protruding disc material back into place by creating a reverse vacuum. Another benefit of spinal decompression is the increased blood flow to the spinal discs, encouraging nutrient-rich fluids and oxygen to flow inside. Here is where they promote cell renewal, tissue repair, and long-term healing.

What tests help determine the extent of the treatment?

Implementation of several tests to understand your injury better. These tests may include bone scans, discography, and electrical and diagnostic imaging:

  • Bone scans: A bone scan provides a way to locate the ultimate back pain source and its location. A bone scan will provide, and it’s an imaging test that will detect fractures, infections, and even cancer.
  • Discography: This process consists of a contrast injected into the back, and with this, a CT scan takes pictures, and the contrast dye will show up on X-rays. A healthcare provider orders this. Discography can’t show any damage to your disk.
  • Electrical tests are a test of the electrical activity in the nerves and muscles of patients. The objective of the test is to see how fast the electrical signals go through the nerve to the brain. How well a nerve conduction test studies the nerves work. 
  • Diagnostic imaging: Images will pinpoint the cause of the pain. These images are pictures of the inside of the body, and specific imaging consists of CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and X-rays.

Please visit our chiropractic office in Topeka for treatments to manage and improve your physical wellness. Give us a call at (785)-408-7150 today or schedule an appointment with us here, we’re looking forward to hearing from you!