Consequently, for many consumers, abusive treatment of chronic back pain has been treated surgically. However, with a view of the evolving technologies, there are non-surgical forms of treatment, such as spinal decompression treatment.
What Is Spinal Decompression Treatment?
Spinal decompression treatment is a type of mechanical treatment that deals with back pain with the use of motorised devices. Spinal decompression involves the application of pressure on the spine that has been designed to stretch the spine. Then, it alters the force and position of the spine. This has been explained to lay off the pressure of the spinal discs, which are gel-like structures between the bones of the spine by creating independent negative pressure in the disc.
Therefore, bulging or herniated discs may reduce in size, thereby freeing pressure off nerves and other structures in the human spine. This, in turn, encourages the displacement of water, oxygen, and nutrient-bearing fluids into the discs in order to heal.
Doctors have used nonsurgical spinal decompression in an attempt to treat:
- Back pain or neck pain or sciatica that is, pain, weakness, or a tingling sensation along the leg
- Disc protrusion herniated discs or degenerative disc disease
- In worn spinal joints, the term used here is posterior facet syndrome
- Pathological conditions of spinal nerve roots, be it injury or disease
Non-surgical spinal decompression treatment involves the utilisation of a table or a specially designed system to cause negative pressure in the spine. It assists in reducing pressure on the spinal discs; conditions like herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, and spinal stenosis cause such pressure.
The stretching also helps to increase the gap between the bones or vertebrae that make up the spinal cord, thus reducing the chances of nerve compression and improving movement. When pressure is taken off of the discs, the body initiates the healing process, cartilage regrows, and pain decreases.
How Does Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Treatment Work?
During Spinal Decompression Treatment, the doctor straps a harness around your pelvic area and another around your upper body. Patients can either be face down or face up on a computer-regulated table. The doctor controls the computer and then programmes the treatment according to the patient’s needs.
On average, a treatment session takes 30 to 45 minutes, and you are likely to undergo between 20 and 28 sessions over a period of 5 to 7 weeks.
Before or after therapy, you may have other types of treatment, such as:
- Electrical stimulation, aka electric current, makes specific muscles contract.
- Ultrasound (the process of using sound waves which help in tissues’ heating and subsequently their healing).
- Heat or cold treatment.
Which tests help to define the form and gravity of the received trauma?
Your healthcare provider may undergo a number of tests to get a better view of your injury. These tests may include:
- Bone scans: To help you understand more about a bone scan, this imaging test shows the presence of fracture, cancer, or infection in your bones. If you visit your healthcare provider for back pain, they suggest having a bone scan to identify the problem.
- Discography: Your healthcare provider administers a contrast (a material visible on X-rays and most scans) into your back. Then, computed tomography, also referred to as a CT scan, captures images. It can show any damage to your disc. Discography can, therefore, be used to reveal the conditions of your discs.
- Electrical tests: Your healthcare provider instructs you to have electromyography in order to determine electrical activity in nerves and muscles. An evoked potential study will tell you how quickly electrical signals travel from your nerve to your head.
How to choose a suitable spinal decompression procedure?
But how to decide which procedure would work best for you depends on many factors. Your doctor will decide depending on your medical history and the degree of your injury.
Overall, the hierarchy or “stepped” approach of the healthcare providers is preferred. To begin with, they use minor operations and procedures that are cheaper to determine the injury’s reaction to the procedure used.
About ANSSI:
ANSSI Wellness focuses on improving the quality of life for patients suffering from spinal issues, aiming to provide relief where other conventional treatments have failed. Through advanced nonsurgical spinal decompression treatment, ANSSI is committed to helping patients avoid surgery and recover in a safe, effective, and compassionate environment.