If you are suffering from critical back pain and symptoms that refuse to subside, spinal decompression therapy could be an alternative choice to other treatments. There are two kinds of options in spinal decompression therapy – surgical and non-surgical. Your doctor is the best person to decide if this treatment is right for you, and you may have to fill up the basic new patient form beforehand, so that required tests can be done. Here is an overview of what you can expect from spinal decompression therapy.
The basics of nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy
In case of nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy, the focus is more on stretching the spine, which helps in changing its position and reduces pressure on spinal disks. The procedure involves reducing pressure on the spine structure, which helps the spine to heal, as more oxygen, water and fluids can get inside. The nonsurgical means of spinal decompression therapy is often used for treatment of back, neck pain, which may feel like a sensation down the leg in worse cases. It is also useful in case of degenerative disk disease, as well as, “posterior facet syndrome”. Sometimes the treatment can be combined with other treatments like physical therapy, bracing and even steroid injections as required.
The procedure
In case of nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy, the doctor will use a computer for customizing the treatment, and it may take around 45 minutes for each session. Most patients need at least 20 or more sessions over a period of few weeks, and it could be preceded by electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and use of hot & cold therapy.
Other things to note
Note that nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy is not recommended for anyone with a fracture, tumor or advanced stage of osteoporosis. If you are pregnant or have metal implants in the spine, you will be recommended against it. Surgical spinal decompression, for those interested, is the last resort to fix bulging disk, more recommended when other treatments haven’t worked. Always talk to your doctor in detail before you decide on any treatment. Every case is unique, and your doctor may recommend a whole series of tests before they decide on the treatment.
If it is just about nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy, you don’t have much to worry, and you can seek more details on this from any known pain management clinic. Visit a clinic and find more if this could be the pain relief procedure for you.