Chronic back and neck pain plague more than half of all American adults. That means that whatever they’ve tried to relieve their symptoms hasn’t worked. For many of them, surgery may be the next step.
If you’re one of the millions of folks suffering from persistent back pain, there’s hope in a proven non-surgical treatment called spinal decompression that can take the pressure off your nerves, facilitate healing, and help you avoid surgery.
To find out if you’re a good candidate for spinal decompression, come see Dr. Dana Robinson and our team here at Peninsula RSI Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Redwood City, California. With years of experience and a wide range of expertise, Dr. Robinson approaches your chronic back pain from a holistic healing perspective and takes into consideration all the factors that may be contributing to your condition.
Dr. Robinson is the go-to chiropractor in Redwood City for patients looking for effective alternatives to back surgery. Keep reading to find out how spinal decompression works and whether it might be the answer you’ve been looking for.
What conditions can spinal decompression help?
Chronic back pain may stem from any one of multiple sources from muscle strain to cancer. The first step in relieving your pain is determining the root cause. Not all back pain problems can be addressed with spinal decompression, but the following can:
- Herniated disc
- Bulging disc
- Degenerative disc disorder
- Posterior facet syndrome
Conditions that involve distortion of your spinal discs result in irritated or compressed nerves. In some cases, rest, medication, chiropractic care, and physical therapy can improve your symptoms, but when they don’t, spinal decompression may be the missing link in your treatment plan.
How spinal decompression works
Spinal decompression is a type of traction therapy that gently stretches your spine, targeting the vertebral columns on either side of your painful area. The gap created helps alleviate disc-related back pain by facilitating two beneficial conditions:
- Creating space between your vertebrae, which allows them to reposition and stop compressing nearby nerves
- Promoting an increase in the flow of blood and other healing nutrients that aid in repairing your discs
When you come in for a spinal decompression treatment, you lie on our advanced decompression table, which is outfitted with comfortable pillows and supports. Depending on the area of treatment, we may stabilize your upper body using a specially designed harness.
We program the machine to slowly increase the tension on the targeted portion of your spine, and you’ll feel a slight stretch.
On a bedside monitor, you can watch the progress as the machine works to create a healing space in your spine. Bonus: You can also play relaxing music or view educational videos on the monitor to pass the time — each treatment session typically lasts about half an hour.
Although spinal decompression is not painful, we give you a safety switch, so you have complete control should you feel any pain or other concerning symptoms.
Why our spinal decompression technique is best
Spinal decompression isn’t a new technology, but at the Peninsula RSI Chiropractic and Wellness Center, we use the DRX9000® from Excite Medical, the state-of-the-art Lumbar True Spinal Decompression Machine®.
The DRX9000 is the only instrument of its kind that offers a logarithmic treatment plan and a closed-loop feedback system that enables Dr. Robinson to ensure your treatment stays true to your unique spinal needs and treatment specifications.
Spinal decompression results
When a herniated or bulging disc is causing chronic back pain, spinal decompression delivers life-changing results for many patients. Studies show that spinal decompression increases your disc height, as verified by CT scans. Researchers also found that this change directly correlates with a significant decrease in back pain, from 6.2 to 1.6 on average.
Although you may notice immediate relief after your first treatment, it often takes several sessions to produce the full effect. Most patients feel mild muscle soreness following their spinal decompression sessions, but hot and cold packs are generally all that’s needed to alleviate any discomfort.
To find out if you’re a good candidate for spinal decompression using the DXR9000, call to schedule a consultation with Dr. Robinson or book your visit using our online scheduling tool.