With nearly 31 million people dealing with back pain at any given point, more patients are exploring various solutions for relief. For anyone suffering from disc injuries, simple acts like sitting, standing, or walking can be seriously painful. To avoid relief and invasive surgeries, people with disc injuries should consider spinal decompression.
Whether you’re uncomfortable with going under the knife or you’re just starting to experience back issues, you may want to consider nonsurgical solutions. You’ll get lasting results and relief that can make everyday tasks much easier.
If you can’t stand to go another day without help with your disc injury, consider spinal decompression. Here is a rundown of surgical decompression with a comparison of both nonsurgical and surgical solutions.
Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression
A DTS or decompression therapy system is a motorized traction system that can help alleviate the back pain associated with disc injuries. Typically, disc injuries are a result of a compressed spine, so spinal decompression allows for a gentle stretching of the spine to get back to normal.
This stretching will relax a lot of the pressure that’s on your spinal disks. Your spinal disks are a soft cushion between the bones in your spine. By creating negative pressure, spinal decompression can get rid of a lot of the pain and discomfort associated with spinal injuries.
Once your bulging or herniated disks have the opportunity to retract, the pressure on your nerves will be relieved. You’ll have better movement of fluids through your disks so you can heal.
DTS Treatments
Spinal decompression treatments can treat a number of different ailments. A large percentage of patients who have reported symptoms of sciatica, characterized by pain or tingling in the leg, find relief from DTS.
If you’re suffering even mild back or neck pain, spinal decompression is a proven treatment.
Any kind of bulging, herniated, or degenerative disks can be fixed by decompression therapy. Once decompression allows for your fluids to flow smoothly through your spine, healing will speed up.
If you have worn spinal joints or “posterior facet syndrome”, a decompression treatment can alleviate pain and suffering. People with spinal join issues can have trouble sleeping, which can lead to other issues.
Long-term disc injuries can result in injured spinal nerve roots. Spinal nerve root diseases can also cause certain types of back pain. Spinal decompression therapy can help you treat these issues and get back to your normal life.
Other Methods
Research into the safety and effectiveness of nonsurgical decompression has helped it to become an important method in the treatment of disk injuries. There are other proven nonsurgical alternatives to surgery that work great with DTS:
Physical Therapy/Rehabilitation can be prescribed to treat spinal compression to help strengthen the muscles surrounding the spine as well as working on flexibility on the tight muscles. Alternating between exercise and rest will allow the body to build the strength it needs to get you back to 100%
Chiropractic is one of the best options for back pain (Of Course, I’m a little biased here), especially alongside doing DTS treatments.
Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression Process
During decompression therapy, your doctor will place a harness around your pelvis. A second harness will go around your trunk and you’ll lie on a table.
A specialist operating a computer will customize your treatment to what your spine needs.
Treatments last anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the recommendation of your doctor. You could end up going 20-30 times over the course of a few months.
Following your treatment, you’ll have secondary treatments to extend the therapeutic effects of the initial process consisting of Chiropractic, Rehab, electrical stimulation, and/or ultrasound.
You will likely be advised to continue the therapy at home. Alternating hot and cold therapy is one of the more typical at-home solutions following decompression therapy.
Conditions That Limit Success
Your first step should be to speak to a doctor about whether or not you’d be a good candidate for nonsurgical decompression therapy. Women who are pregnant should be aware that they are not good candidates for this therapy as often their discomfort is temporary.
If you suffered a fracture from a fall or an impact, this may limit your ability to get relief from nonsurgical methods. If you’ve been in an accident, you may need a surgical treatment.
Any kind of tumor, benign or malignant, should be treated by alternative methods. DTS isn’t always an option if there is a tumor present.
If you’ve ever had implants in your spine, DTS may cause problems. The same goes for anyone who’s had osteoporosis. While people who have an advanced case are a definite no, consult your doctor about whether or not this treatment could work for your case.
Types of Surgical Decompression Therapy
If none of the nonsurgical treatments work or if your case is severe, your doctor might suggest surgery. You should get to know some of the more common types.
A Diskectomy is a surgery where a portion of your disk is removed. The aim of the surgery is to alleviate pressure on your nerves and promote healing.
Some patients report calcium build ups or bony growths. They would be subject to Osteophyte Removal which would take these growths out through surgery.
During a Laminotomy or a Laminectomy, you’d also be losing portions of bone. Surgeons remove a portion or a complete bony arch. This would increase the size of your spinal canal and lead to a relief in pressure
The risks of surgery are many. They include problems with healing, infections, and blood clots. You could be risking nerve or tissue damage through improper surgical techniques.
If you decide you need surgery, be sure you’re not allergic to anesthesia before you go under. Also, make sure you exhaust all of your conservative options first.
Find A Decompression Solution Today
There are lots of options before you have to consider the risks of surgery. Thankfully, we can suggest several options to help alleviate your pain today. A Decompression Therapy System (DTS) is a service we provide at our office. Make your appointment today!
If you’re still searching for a solution for your back pain, contact us for more info on how to get relief ASAP.
