In the United States, 16 million adults experience some form of persistent back pain, according to the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute. Back pain that nothing seems to cure can lower your quality of life and might interfere with your career, making it essential to find a solution. That is where spinal decompression treatment can help.
Decompression therapy involves a group of treatments that can assist you in avoiding invasive options, including surgery. Learn more about spinal decompression treatments and whether they can provide the back pain relief you need.
What Is Spinal Decompression Treatment?
Your spine is made up of bones, called vertebrae, that are stacked one on top of the other. Between each of these bones is a disc as well as ligaments that offer flexibility and allow you to move as you need to. This collection of bones, discs, and ligaments forms a column through which nerves pass. The nerves join to form your spinal cord.
Suffering spine injuries or experiencing normal wear and tear to the spine can lead to pressure being put on the spinal cord, leading to pain. Decompression treatment strives to ease some of that pressure and help with the pain. It typically stretches out the affected area by relying on the mechanical traction that a chiropractor provides.
What Conditions Can Spinal Decompression Treatment Help With?
Spinal decompression treatment is usually recommended if taking over-the-counter medication, applying ice regularly, using a back brace, and resting the area doesn’t help ease the pain.
If you experience frequent instances of bulging or slipped discs because of autoimmune issues such as arthritis or if you suffer an injury that narrows the space in your spinal column, spinal compression treatment can be effective. Your doctor might recommend it from the start.
Some of the symptoms that could warn you that you may need decompressing spine care include significant and persistent pain in your back or neck, pain that radiates down your leg or out to your buttocks, as well as weakness and tingling in your extremities. In some instances, you may experience numbness, too.
If you’re very active and begin noticing back or neck pain after any type of exertion that you have performed many times before, or if you start to feel back pain that gets more severe by the day, these are all signs that spinal decompression treatment could offer help.
But what conditions can these treatments assist with?
Sciatica
Sciatica refers to pain that begins in the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body, and spreads outward, impacting your legs, back, and buttocks. It’s typically the result of an injury or an irritation to the nerve, and it can cause tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and pain.
Degenerative Disc Diseases
Degenerative disc diseases cause the discs between your vertebrae to wear down quickly. This generally occurs because of normal wear and tear, but injuries and overuse can also result in disc issues that cause pain and impact your mobility.
Spinal Stenosis
An injury, illness, or other medical issue could narrow the space in your spinal column. This causes your spinal cord to be under significant pressure, leading to pain, numbness, and even balance issues. In severe cases, spinal stenosis can impact bowel and bladder control as well as sexual function.
Herniated Discs
When the discs between your vertebrae slip out of place, it can lead the bones to rub together. This means facing significant pain as well as losing flexibility. Herniated discs are often a result of back injuries.
Facet Joint Syndrome
If you have inflammation or degeneration of the facet joints in your spine, you can suffer back and neck pain. Facet joints are small and are located on either side of each spinal vertebra. This syndrome is usually the result of overuse, but injuries can also cause it.
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis occurs when one of your spinal vertebrae slips out of alignment and presses down on the bone beneath it. It can lead to pinched nerves, which could result in numbness and pain.
Types of Spinal Decompression Treatments
There are a few types of treatments you can rely on that don’t require you to go under general anesthesia.
Traction Therapy
To decompress spines without relying on surgical procedures, you have the option of trying traction therapy. This type of therapy involves using a special table that has weights and is fitted with a pulley system.
Traction therapy applies controlled pulling forces to the targeted region in your spine to reduce nerve compression and improve spinal mobility. This type of therapy can be done manually or mechanically. It’s a particularly useful type of lumbar decompression therapy.
Chiropractic Care
A chiropractor relies on spinal adjustments that are done manually to help relieve the pressure on your spinal cord. Gently stretching the spine can help realign discs and vertebrae that may have slipped out of place.
Inversion Therapy
Inversion therapy utilizes a specialized table to place you in numerous positions while upside down. This can help relieve a lot of pressure from the spine, easing pain and returning full mobility. There are inversion tables and chairs that your chiropractor might rely on, depending on the location of the spinal problem.
Cox Technic
Cox Technic is a type of spinal manipulation that can relieve neck and lower back pain. It relies on stretching the spine to relieve pressure within the discs, prompting faster healing while at the same time increasing the size of nerve openings. It also offers the chance to restore the full range of motion to all spinal segments.
Physical Therapy
Another option for managing back pain caused by a compressed spine is physical therapy targeted to your needs. Treatment can involve weight training, squats, and a number of other exercises that help readjust the spine and relieve pressure.
Surgical Decompression Therapies
Surgical spinal decompression is typically the option your doctor will recommend if nothing else has worked. There are different types of surgical procedures that can be helpful, with the most useful including actions like shaving down the targeted vertebra so that the spinal nerves have more room.
If the problem is a disc that is pushing down on a nerve, surgery can also help remove part or all of the disc. In certain cases, it might be necessary to fuse one vertebra with the other, which is done by using a bone graft.
Decompression Therapy vs. Decompression Surgery
Whether you need cervical or lower back decompression, you have the option of choosing between decompression therapy and surgery. Therapy can often be a better option because of the risks associated with surgical procedures.
For one thing, you will have to go under general anesthesia with the latter. This carries its own risks and may not be an option for people with certain medical conditions.
The recovery time can be much longer after surgery. This prevents you from getting back to your life as soon as possible. Additionally, you may also need to receive rehabilitative sessions to start moving normally again.
None of that is the case with non-surgical options like traction or inversion therapy. You can get immediate relief without the risks inherent in surgical procedures and also without its significant costs. Keep in mind that these procedures might not offer permanent results, meaning you’ll have to receive additional sessions.
Alternative non-surgical treatments are best suited for those who can’t undergo surgery or who have milder conditions. Speaking with your doctor is essential to determine the most appropriate option. They may recommend beginning with these non-invasive options and then, if you still have pain, moving on to surgical treatments.
How a Chiropractor Can Help
If you choose non-surgical spinal decompression treatments, turning to a specialized chiropractor means having access to the latest techniques for managing back pain. A qualified professional will have the right experience to understand what is causing the pain and offer the targeted treatments you can depend on.
To determine the best treatment strategy, a chiropractor will conduct an examination and get a gauge on the pain you’re experiencing. They can then personalize your treatment.
A chiropractor can help in a variety of ways. By relying on manual manipulation of the spine, they can prompt better blood flow to the area, which leads to less inflammation that could be contributing to your pain.
It also allows more oxygen and nutrients to make it to the area. More blowflow means jumpstarting a healing process that could naturally strengthen the problem area.
Depending on Experienced Chiropractic Care
Dealing with back pain on a daily basis can make regular tasks feel insurmountable. If you can’t receive surgery or you would prefer not to, the best option is to rely on chiropractic care, which offers a wide array of services. With an experienced chiropractor helping you, you can find the therapy that offers relief. If you are in need of spinal decompression treatment, contact Dr. Galante for a complimentary consultation!
