decompression therapy

Decompression therapy is a non-surgical procedure for the relief of pain directly associated with bulging and herniated discs. This would include neck pain, low back, hip pain, tingling, numbing, burning, and weakness in the arms, legs, hands, and feet.

It is a form of traction but to compare it to standard traction is a disservice.

How do they differ? I explain it to my patients this way.

Let�s say you were driving across the country from New York to LA and you had two choices of automobiles. The first is a 1967 Volkswagen beetle with 325,000 miles on it, a bad carburetor, and bald tires. Your second choice is a 2007 Rolls Royce. It�s a no brainer.

When scientists and engineers developed decompression therapy they essentially built a better mousetrap.

It is significantly more effective and in most cases that I have treated, has relieved the patient�s symptoms or vastly decreased the intensity and frequency of their pain.

Want a more scientific explanation, please read on.

The theory behind traction is that the intervertebral disc spaces are always under a load or pressure which is referred to as a positive pressure. Whether you are sitting, standing or laying down the disc space is still under this pressure or load.

Traction in its purest form was designed to create either a no load situation or zero pressure, or a negative load or negative pressure which in traction is where the healing begins!!

The problem with standard traction according to documented studies is that it only attains zero pressure or a negative pressure 5 to 15% of the time. Therefore, 85% of the time it doesn�t work.

Decompression on the other hand has been documented to attain zero or negative pressure 75 to 80% of time.

This dramatically increases your chances of decreasing or eliminating your symptoms that are associated with disc problems, and oftentimes eliminates the need for surgery.