Decompression Therapy for Back Pain

Decompression therapy stretches the spine and decompresses discs in the back. It allows the vertebrae to be separated from each other. This separates the discs and fixes problems like herniated or bulging discs. The therapy takes five to seven weeks, moving the disc only slightly each treatment. About 20 to 28 treatments are recommended over that time period. The therapy allows nutrients to get inside the disc and vertebrae to allow tissue to heal. Each treatment takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

Back Pain

• Back pain can be caused by a number of different conditions. Some of them include bulging or herniated discs, injury or overuse of muscles, ligaments, and joints, muscle spasm, degeneration of the discs, poor alignment or fixations of the vertebrae, osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, spinal curvatures like scoliosis.

Will Decompression Therapy Help?

• Spinal decompression therapy has a high success rate if the patient follows the doctor's orders. She will usually recommend that you refrain from certain activities and obtain physical therapy. Another key to success is drinking a half gallon of water per day to re-hydrate the discs. Your doctor may also recommend nutritional supplements.

Damaged Discs

• The Arizona Back Institute says most back and neck pain is caused by herniated discs, bulging discs or degenerative discs which not only leads to back pain but leg cramps, neck pain and arm pain. Decompression therapy is a good alternative to surgery. Discs in the spine don't have a good blood supply, which means it's difficult for them to heal. Once a disc is damaged or torn, it will not hold hydration. This causes more damage, inflammation, degeneration and more pain. Decompression therapy will reverse this process.