Frequently Asked Questions About Spinal Decompression in Delray Beach

A cutting-edge computerized technique called spinal decompression, commonly referred to as non-surgical decompression therapy, is used to relieve pain brought on by disc issues and nerve compression. For patients with back or neck pain, the painless treatment is seen as an excellent option.

The procedure is carried out by our chiropractor in Delray Beach, Florida, using motorized traction to gradually pull and lengthen the spine. Inside the discs, the stretching motion produces a negative pressure. This aids in repositioning the material of an extruded disc or bulging disc. Restoring the disc enables the disc and nerve to heal by relieving pressure on the pinched or inflamed nerve.

Dr. Alter is certified to use our cutting-edge Decompression Technique on patients having their neck or low back decompressed. You will lie face-up on a decompression table. After that, you are secured to the machine with a harness around your hips or a strap around the head to keep you in place throughout the procedure. The appropriate amount of traction will be applied by Dr. Alter to gently stretch your spine using the computer and monitor attached to the table. Each session is roughly 15 minutes long.

Only spinal decompression has been demonstrated to reach negative pressures within the spine, despite the fact that traction, physical therapy, inversion tables, and manipulation may reduce disc pressures to as low as 40 mm Hg. Clinical studies have shown that during a spinal decompression treatment session, the damaged disc experiences negative pressures as low as -110 mm Hg3. Normal spinal pulls cause sensory receptors in the back to constrict the muscles around the vertebrae and discs in an effort to safeguard them from harm. This process is known as the proprioceptor response in the body. Muscular spasms and muscle guarding are classic examples of this. By gradually pushing on the spine and relaxing the back over a prolonged length of time, spinal decompression avoids this reaction and enables the discs to be relocated without stress or inducing muscular guarding and spasms. To achieve the best results, it is crucial for patients to ensure that they are treated on a high-quality spinal decompression table by a doctor with years of experience rather than an imitation spinal decompression

After the first session, you might experience some relief. The treatment protocol is 24 sessions total, spaced out over eight to twelve weeks. Everything is dependent on your unique demands. By the end of the final session, your back pain, neck pain, sciatica, leg pain, or pinched nerve symptoms ought to have subsided or be significantly better.

The following ailments may be treated by spinal decompression. To determine whether you are a candidate for spinal decompression therapy, always speak with your spinal decompression specialist. The following individuals are candidates for spinal decompression therapy:

• Disc herniation, bulge, or degeneration diagnosis
• Back or neck pain that is not going away on its own
• Ongoing back pain following a botched procedure that was performed more than six months ago
• Persistent arthritis pain
• Radicular pain from the spine

A patient may not be eligible for spinal decompression therapy if they have the following conditions. To determine whether you are a candidate for spinal decompression therapy, always speak with your spinal decompression specialist. The following candidates may not be eligible for spinal decompression therapy:

• Spinal hardware, such as screws and rods
• Pregnancy
• Prior spinal fusion in the area to be treated
• Cancer that has metastasized (metastasized to the bones)
• Spondylolisthesis in grades 3 and 4 (Grade 1 or Grade 2 spondylolisthesis are treatable)
• Recent lumbar spine compression fracture
• Pathologic aneurysm of the aorta
• Abdominal or pelvic cancer
• Infections in the disc space

If you have any concerns about the aforementioned illnesses or want to know if you might benefit from spinal decompression therapy, speak with your doctor.

Most patients don't have any significant adverse effects. As the body adjusts to being stretched and decompressed, the most frequent side effect is a dull, achy discomfort for the first week or two. The body is typically not adapted to the stretching that occurs during spinal decompression, which causes muscles to lengthen. Patients may feel a dull, aching pain as a result, which they frequently describe as "feeling like I just worked out for the first time in a long time." Patients very rarely have more discomfort than when they first arrived.

Prior to the herniation retracting back and relieving pressure on the nerves, patients with acute, severe disc herniations may suffer some pain for the first week or two. Since an acute disc herniation might be a little unpredictable, people who have it tend to experience more "up and down" sorts of pain relief during the first two weeks. Despite the minor soreness felt during the first week or two, most patients report a significant reduction in their pain by the end of the second week.

Spinal decompression therapy is generally regarded as secure and relaxing. Both the patient and the operator can stop the system in an emergency. These switches stop the procedure right away if a patient complains of increased pain or discomfort while it is being performed, preventing the majority of injuries.