What Is Spinal Decompression Therapy?

Most adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is one of the major symptoms you’ll experience if you sustain a spinal compression fracture. Doctors may recommend surgical or non-surgical spinal decompression therapy to relieve the effects of back pain. Spinal decompression therapy is a groundbreaking treatment for certain types of pain. If you’re experiencing chronic back pain or other related symptoms, spinal decompression therapy may be right for you. This article takes a critical look at what spinal decompression therapy is all about.

What is spinal decompression therapy?

Spinal decompression therapy is a non-surgical way to relieve disc-related pressure, restore blood flow, and facilitate long-term healing. This procedure aims to gently stretch the spine to alter the force and position of the spine, and this change creates negative pressure in the disc to take pressure off the nerves, spinal disk, and other structures in the spine. The resultant effect is that the bulging disks retract. What’s more, it allows for the free flow of water, nutrient-rich fluids, and oxygen into the spinal disks, creating an optimal healing environment for them.
It’s typical for a doctor of chiropractic medicine to prescribe spinal decompression therapy to treat leg pain, sciatica, back pain, and neck pain, and this medical treatment effectively treats worn spinal joints and bulging or herniated disks.

What are the different types of spinal decompression surgery?

Spinal decompression surgery is considered the last resort for treating back pain, and doctors usually prescribe this invasive procedure for bony growths, bulging or herniated disks, or other spinal problems. Research suggests that spinal decompression surgery may help alleviate symptoms like pain, tingling, weakness, and numbness caused by excessive pressure on the spinal nerves or cord.
However, there are different types of spinal decompression surgery, each with its application. Common types include diskectomy, laminectomy, foraminotomy, corpectomy, and osteophyte removal. Diskectomy, for example, is done to relieve pressure on spinal nerves by removing a portion of the spinal disk. Similarly, doctors perform osteophyte removal procedures to remove bony growths.
Speak to your doctor about your eligibility for spinal decompression surgery. If you’re a good candidate for surgical spinal decompression, your doctor may recommend one or more types of spinal decompression surgery to take the pressure off your spine. In addition, spinal fusion can also help stabilize your spine.
As with any surgical procedure, spinal decompression surgery comes with many risks, including infections, blood clots, bleeding, nerve or tissue damage, and allergic reaction to anesthesia. Another risk is that the impact of spinal decompression surgery may not entirely relieve the person of back pain.
What happens during a spinal decompression session?imgSpinal decompression therapy is based on the principles of chiropractic care used to provide pain relief for connective tissues, bones, joints, and muscles. It works by meticulously stretching the spine to alleviate pressure on the spinal discs, and each session takes place on a specialized traction table. The upper half of the spinal decompression table remains fixed while an advanced computer system controls the lower portion of the table.
To treat a spinal disc problem causing lower or middle back pain, doctors fit one end of a harness around the patient’s hips and attach the other end to the decompression table. Once the table is activated, the lower half of the table slowly and steadily slides back and forth. This process lengthens the spine and takes abnormal pressure off the spine.
Thanks to innovative medical solutions, people living with persistent back, neck, or sciatic nerve pain caused by degenerative spinal discs can find lasting relief without taking medication or undergoing surgery. If you’re thinking of undergoing spinal decompression therapy, we do hope this article will help you make an informed decision.