By Janine Hughes


Living with chronic pain in the back or neck can be very disruptive and it can limit one's activities considerably. Spinal decompression therapy is a treatment option that can provide effective relief from pain in many patients, and it can be done both non-surgically and surgically. Before deciding to undergo spinal decompression Shavano Park, TX patients should first find out what's involved and if it's suitable for them.

This procedure gently stretches the spine, altering its force and position. The non-surgical approach uses motorized traction to accomplish this. Pressure on the spinal disks is alleviated, allowing easier movement with less discomfort, and improved flow of oxygen and nutrients which encourages healing of the affected areas.

Chiropractors as well as medical doctors may refer patients to this treatment if they have been suffering with long-term back pain and also in some cases of acute pain such as an injury. Disorders which have shown improvement through the application of this procedure include sciatica, worn spinal joints, pathology of the spinal nerve roots, and bulging or herniated disks. Normal protocol is to attempt non-surgical techniques first.

Most patients will need to attend between 20 to 28 sessions which will be scheduled throughout a period of 5 to 7 weeks in order to get the best results. Wearing regular clothes, patients will be asked to lie down either on their abdomen or back on a special table which they will be secured to with a harness across both the upper torso and pelvis. The practitioner controls the action of the table with a computer and adjusts treatment to the patient's specific needs, the session generally lasts 30 to 45 minutes. It may be used alone or in combination with hot and cold therapy or electrical muscle stimulation.

There are some patients which will not be considered good candidates for this form of treatment due to the nature of their particular condition. These people will be referred for another pain management approach. If a patient is pregnant, has a tumor or fracture, metal implants in the spine, or suffers from an abdominal aortic aneurysm or advanced osteoporosis, decompression is contraindicated.

Instances in which a non-surgical approach did not produce satisfactory improvement may be helped through surgery. Examples of this include the presence of osteophytes, which are painful, bony growths on the spine, as well as some disk problems. Surgery effectively eases pressure on spinal nerves and is a good choice for patients afflicted with ongoing pain, numbness, weakness, and tingling.

There are different types of surgical spinal decompression which may be performed depending on the particular symptoms the patient is experiencing. Sometimes it is necessary to excise a small portion of either a disk or bone, or it may be necessary to increase the size of the space through which the nerve roots run, or totally remove a disk altogether. All of these measures are done to relieve pressure in the spine.

It is not always possible for doctors to tell if a patient will benefit from surgical decompression, so they opt to proceed with the operation with the hope that it will. Some will enjoy a better outcome than others. Risks are relatively small, but as with all types of surgery they exist and include clots, infection, bleeding, nerve or tissue damage, and an adverse reaction to the anesthesia.




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