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Spinal Decompression Therapy
Does it Really Work?

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By Dr. Rik Wahlrab DC,and  Dr. Daniel Roig DPT

When pain medications or steroid injection shots fail to provide much-needed pain relief from chronic back pain, it can be difficult to believe that a safe, non-invasive, pain-free treatment is available to effectively treat your back pain.

The video below demonstrates how spinal decompression works:

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Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy has been proven to be safe and effective in providing both immediate and long-term pain relief from back pain and related symptoms.

Below we explore some selective independent studies conducted to determine the efficacy of non-surgical spinal decompression therapy in treating a variety of back pain problems.

ARE YOU CONSIDERING BACK SURGERY? SPINAL DECOMPRESSION IS A MUCH SAFER AND MORE EFFECTIVE SOLUTION

Many, many of our patients have been told they need back surgery. Some had previous back surgery and it failed. It should ALWAYS be the last resort because once you've had it, you cannot go back, and many people regret doing so.

 

This short booklet details the RISKS and DANGERS of Back Surgery and the positive effects of Spinal Decompression. To download: CLICK HERE

Study 1: Chronic Low Back Pain 

The purpose of this pilot study as published by the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport was to assess the safety and efficacy of non-surgical spinal decompression. 

The study involved 20 patients with chronic low back pain. The condition was associated with the diagnosis of musculoskeletal low back pain, herniated discs, bulging or protruding discs, degenerative discs, pain from failed back surgery performed more than six months ago, posterior facet syndrome, or sciatica. The treatment was provided over 6 weeks with 20 sessions of 28 minutes.

The results of the study showed that there was a reduction in pain score from 6.4 to 0.8 at the 6th week; wherein 0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain. The study also concluded that there was a documented improvement in the range of motion and no adverse effects of the treatment. The study concluded that no patient required additional invasive treatments and so safety issues were reported. 

Study 2: Ruptured Discs

In this study published in the American Journal of Pain Management, it was concluded that spinal decompression provided at least 50-89% and up to 90-100% improvement in pain in patients suffering from Ruptured (herniated) Intervertebral Discs. As a result of the decompression, patients’ sciatica and back pain were relieved.

The study also included the effects of spinal decompression on patients suffering from Facet Arthrosis, which resulted in 75% of patients obtaining at least 50-89% and up to 100% improvement in pain post-treatment.

The study included 39 patients in blind treatment, with 27 men and 12 women ranging in the age group between 31 to 63. The patients in the study had experienced back pain from one to 20 years.

Study 3: Increases Disc Height

The purpose of this cohort study as published in the BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Journal was to determine if there were changes in lumbar disc height for patients treated with spinal decompression therapy over a 6-week treatment period. The study also measured outcomes in pain on a verbal rating scale of 0 to 10 as part of the evaluation. 

The study included a group of 30 patients with lumbar disc herniation. The average age of the group age was 65 years with 21 females and 9 males. Post-treatment it was noted that there was a considerable decrease in low back pain with a decrease from the initial 6.2/10 to 1.6/10 post-treatment. There was also a significant increase in disc height from 7.5 mm to 8.8 mm.

The study concluded that non-surgical spinal decompression therapy was associated with pain reduction through an increase in disc height for those suffering from chronic discogenic low back pain.

Study 4: Herniated and Degenerative Disc Disease

A clinical study published in the Journal of Phys. Therapy Science evaluated the effects of spinal decompression on patients with herniated and degenerative disc disease. The study had 31 patients aged 35-50 with more than one herniated or bulging disc and also they had radicular leg pain.

The results indicated that non-surgical spinal decompression therapy successfully provided pain reduction, normalized range of motion, decreased muscle spasms, and improvement in disc height.

What About Back Surgery?

The attached article provides the facts about the high failure rate of back surgery and, interestingly, how very FEW orthopedic surgeons would ever undergo that procedure on themselves; too risky: CLICK HERE

 

Final Word on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

There are numerous other research articles, publications, and studies conducted over the years that further support the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of spinal decompression therapy as an effective treatment for relieving back pain and increasing the range of motion. Ever since Dr. Shealy (the lead doctor in the first article above) began his quest to duplicate the positive effects on spinal discs due to results seen in astronauts in space (which decreased or eliminated their disc degeneration with only a few days of anti-gravity), spinal decompression therapy has continued to prove its effectiveness, not only to provide pain relief but even repairing the discs and, in many cases, "turning back the clock", making a worn-out spine look younger, function better, and causes less pain.

It truly merits the phrase "The Miracle of Decompression" for the hundreds of people Dr. Rik has helped since 2005 with this amazing breakthrough.

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