IDD Therapy Reviews

IDD Therapy, known as Interverbetral Differential Dynamic Therapy, is an alternative treatment for lower back pain. It is a newer technology based on traction therapy, which has been used to treat back pain for years. Those that market the therapy claim it has a remarkable success rate: Between 86 to 94 percent of patients report ongoing relief from their pain. However, other reviews of this therapy indicate that not enough scientific data backs up claims of clinical effectiveness.

Procedure

• Chiropractors and doctors of osteopathic medicine usually administer IDD Therapy as a series of treatments. Each treatment lasts between 45 and 60 minutes, and a normal course of therapy consists of 20 treatments over a six-week period. In contrast to past traction therapies that only stretched the spine, the IDD machine is a computer-driven traction table that delivers direct precise pressure to areas of the spine to reduce the compression and built-up pressure causing the back pain. The ability of the machine to isolate and separate a single vertebra allows it to create negative pressure on that disc space. The theory is that this produces a vacuum in the affected area thus pulling in oxygen and nutrients and promoting self-healing.

Who Can Benefit?

• IDD therapy is a non-invasive, nonsurgical treatment for patients with lower back pain. IDD therapy claims to help relieve pain from a variety of syndromes including herniated or bulging discs, degenerative disc disease, posterior facet syndrome and sciatica, which is nerve pain that originates in the lower back and travels down the leg.

Limitations

• Although some clinical studies show effectiveness of IDD therapy, many of these studies use too small a patient population or lack solid statistical analysis to prove clinical effectiveness.

Advantages

• IDD therapy does not involve pain medications. Since it is also nonsurgical, it costs less for the patient as well as the insurance companies.

Positive Reviews

• Many doctors of chiropractic medicine and spinal centers specializing in nonsurgical treatments for back pain promote IDD therapy, and their web sites are filled with promises and patient testimonials.
  "I was comfortable with the treatment from the beginning, finding it very relaxing, even putting me to sleep on occasion. Having some degree of pain for so long, I had forgotten what it feels like to be 100 percent. Thanks to IDD Therapy® treatment I am feeling much better! I have begun to experience pain free days allowing me to see the light at the end of the tunnel." ---Quoted from patient Anna on www.iddtherapy.info.
  "The therapy started to improve my strength, and it returned feeling to the bottom of my right foot. I have experienced significant improvement and would recommend this therapy to others suffering from back pain." ---Quoted from patient Mark on www.iddtherapy.info.
  "Fact is, surgery is a very invasive procedure that has the potential to cause very bad problems after reducing pain for the short term. IDD Therapy is completely non-invasive. It is a fix. Herniated and bulged discs are treated in a way that causes no harmful side effects. Most patients see a distinct positive change within six visits." ---Quoted from Dr.M.Scott White, on www.doctorforbacks.com.

Negative Reviews

• Others have provided negative reviews on IDD:
  "The first week of the treatment was very difficult and left me in severe pain, but the pain from the procedure will usually subside by the third week.... Throughout my sessions I was never able to have the table opened due to the pain it left me in.... I took notice to the fact that there was a better success rate for people with disc or neck problems. But there was virtually no success for people with nerve problems, like myself.... I can admit that the treatment has given me more mobility when sitting and turning. But my pain remains pretty much the same. I can say that I'm glad that I did the procedure. But my feelings would have been different if my insurance did not cover it." ---Quoted from patient review at ehealthforum.com/health/topic42059.html.
  Due to the lack of solid clinical evidence, some doctors remain skeptical. "Daniel Wik, M.D., a neurologist at Midwest Pain Clinics in Omaha, said he was skeptical in the absence of physiological data. 'We're seeing clinical outcome studies, but we're not actually seeing the pathophysiology of what changes are actually made. That's the scientific rigor,' he said. Improvement based solely on patients' self-reports 'is not good enough,' said Dr. Wik." ---Quoted from www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAPM/12657.

Recommendation

• Because IDD therapy is a fairly new treatment option, finding objective information can be difficult. If you are a victim of chronic back pain, consult your physician and together you can thoroughly research the most effective, both clinically and financially, options for you.