Decompression the Answer to Chronic Low Back Pain?

Chronic low back pain is a condition that many people suffer from. If you have suffered for any length of time you most likely have tried many treatment options to find relief.

The disc by far is the main cause of low back pain. Research has indicated that the majority of cases are attributed to disc pain. The second most common reason for back pain is facet joint pain followed by SI joint pain.

An important thing to understand about the disc is that it is only pain sensitive in the outer 1/3. This is important to understand because often damage can occur over time and you may never know, until the outer 1/3 of the disc is contacted by the inner material. This is why back pain can come on so suddenly out of the blue.

The disc is very susceptible to dehydration and degeneration primarily because if it’s lack of a direct blood supply. It receives it’s vital nutrients and hydration from the bones above and below where a rich blood supply is present. Once the disc becomes damaged the disc loses it’s ability to maintain hydration and it becomes dry and much more likely to deteriorate.

One little known fact about disc pain is that once a disc begins to dry out it becomes more pain sensitive. That’s because certain cells that hold hydration in the disc also inhibit the growth of pain sensitive nerves in the disc. So once a disc drys out painful nerves become more abundant.

There is only one treatment that actually creates a healthy and nourishing influx on hydration into the disc and that is spinal decompression. This treatment creates an active fluid exchange so that the disc receives the nutrition that it needs to heal.

Muscle contraction response is a common problem when applying any type of traction force to the spine, however the technology known as spinal decompression has a patented computer technology that allows it to overcome contraction of these muscles in real time. This allows a true spinal decompression effect to take place.

Once decompression is achieved a negative pressure in the disc creates 2 very important scenarios. First it actively retracts any herniated or bulging material centrally to relieve nerve compression or irritation and secondly it actively draws in nutrition so the disc can heal.

Treating the primary source of back pain is what makes spinal decompression unique, other treatments try to mask the pain and never create a structural benefit.

If you have tried other treatments with little to no success you really owe it to yourself to look into spinal decompression. The benefits are lasting unlike most of the other treatments available.

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What Should Be Done With Spinal Decompression?

Many people are confused by the treatment protocols offered with spinal decompression. Some patinets are given cold packs, heat , massage or a combination of all of these. While some do other exercises in conjunction with their decompression therapy.

While many of these additional treatments may give short term relief many the majority are not productive in adding any long term value to the treatment.

This is common in the therapy world, as passive treatments are often performed because they make the patient feel good at the time, but they don’t offer much in the way of structural change.

Many studies have been done showing a significant amount of muscle atrophy and weakness associated with common disc problems.

These common problems include herniated discs, degenerative discs and bulging discs.

Many of the studies have shown that the muscle weakness leads to more progressive breakdown of the discs and less protection and allows another episode to take place.

This is why spinal decompression coupled with aggressive core strengthening is the best approach.

Dealing with the muscle weakness and spinal instability must be done cautiously as to not load or irritate the disc, but must be done nonetheless if full recovery is expected.

Therefore if you are going through a spinal decompression program spinal rehabilitation is a must if a long term outcome is desired.

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What Are The Best Treatment Options for Sciatica?

The condition known as sciatica is often used to describe any pain going down the leg. If you have lower back pain, it is likely you may suffer from leg pain at some point. The term sciatica while often used to describe these symptoms may not be the correct diagnosis.

The sciatic nerve is made of several spinal nerves combining together as they exit the spine. This nerve travels down the posterior thigh and splits into 2 nerves at the knee. Pain caused by sciatic irritation most often starts in the lower back and radiates down the back of the leg and into the calf or foot. Sensations may include burning, stabbing, shooting and numbness. If the pain is high enough difficulty with movement or straightening the leg is often seen.

Having a herniated or bulging disc is the most common cause of sciatic nerve irritation. This can be caused by direct contact from the disc material or just inflammation from the disc causing chemical irritation.

The accurate diagnosis of sciatica is quite easy to make. A series of orthopedic and neurological tests are performed to determine the involvement of the sciatic nerve. If the diagnosis is made then I usually order an MRI to determine the cause.

Most treatments for sciatica are geared more towards symptom relief instead of actually fixing the problem. That’s why I use spinal decompression in most cases for the treatment of sciatica. As you recall sciatica is usually caused by direct pressure or irritation of the sciatic nerve from the discs in the spine. Spinal decompression is the best way to deal with this as it actually heals the disc and reduces the pressure on the nerves.

If you have been diagnosed with sciatica then going through the necessary steps to confirm a diagnosis and move forward with a proactive treatment plan is your best chance of long term recovery. Many patients deal with it on their own and end up suffering repeat episodes, because the cause has not been addressed.

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