Pros And Cons Of Spinal Decompression Treatment

Spinal decompression is a high-tech form of traction used to treat disc bulging and degeneration and their associated pain and disability.  Spinal decompression differs from regular traction in that it uses computer-controlled motors to trick the spinal muscles into remaining relaxed and uncontracted during the treatment session.  This results in much greater reduction in disc pressure than regular traction, which usually must work against the resistance of contracted muscles.  Most people get excellent results from spinal decompression treatment, but some do not get any improvement, and a few may actually get worse.  The following is an explanation of the reasons for the failures in spinal decompression treatment and ways you can know whether or not spinal decompression is likely to help in your particular circumstances.

Spinal decompression in my San Antonio office has been quite successful for most patients, but it is not appropriate or effective for every patient.  It has been my observation that some providers of spinal decompression services will recommend it as a “cure-all” for all patients in an attempt to keep their machines full and maximize their return on investment on the equipment.  Even the best doctors don’t have a 100% success rate, because no treatment works for everyone.  The problem is when doctors accept patients who are not really good candidates for treatment, the results are lacking, and some poorly-selected patients may even temporarily get worse when they receive this form of treatment.

From my experiences in my San Antonio practice, the patients who get the best results with spinal decompression are those with one or more bulging/herniated discs and patients with mild to moderate disc degeneration.  Patients who have previously undergone disc surgery are somewhat more complicated, but most still get good results when they meet the selection criteria (no metal implantation in the spine, no spinal instability, and no impaired healing at the site of surgery). The vast majority of people who meet these criteria get very good results and are usually able to return to their normal activities without any significant pain.

While there are case reports that indicate complete disc ruptures can be treated with spinal decompression, in my experience, people with actual ruptures tend to not do very well with this form of treatment.  It should be noted that even doctors sometimes incorrectly call a disc bulge or herniation a rupture.  True disc ruptures (also called extrusions and sequestered discs), in which the inner gel of the disc is actually leaking out, are relatively rare, so it is good to find out for sure what your actual condition is. 

In addition to the importance of applying spinal decompression only in the appropriate cases, it is extremely important for the doctor or technician operating the machine to set the patient up properly for the treatment.  Several factors are involved, and every spinal decompression system has its own unique set-up procedure.  Ongoing training of any personnel who operate this type of equipment is essential.  It is very easy to get sloppy with setting up patients on the equipment, and this leads to ineffective treatment.  Overall, because of the design of the better spinal decompression systems, even very poor patient set-ups rarely lead to patient injury, but mistakes in the use of the machine can definitely prevent the patient from getting the desired results and might cause a temporary flare-up in symptoms.  To help avoid this problem, I recommend asking any potential spinal decompression provider you may be considering seeking treatment with about his or her training for the operators of the equipment.  A one-time training done when the equipment was first received is simply not sufficient.  I strongly recommend working with providers who perform re-training on the equipment on at least a quarterly basis. 

One other consideration is the fact that some patients are not good candidates for spinal decompression treatment because of their inability or unwillingness to follow the recommended treatment protocol.  In my experience, the primary reasons why a patient can’t or won’t follow the treatment recommendations are usually related to money and/or time. 

A full spinal decompression treatment program that includes spinal decompression and other adjunctive treatments can seem somewhat expensive.  In actuality, it is a much lower-cost treatment option than surgery for most people and has a statistically much higher success rate, so it can be a very good value, but nonetheless, some people try to cut down their costs by trying to cut down the amount of treatment.  This can be a big mistake.  In my San Antonio office, most people who complete the recommended treatment plan get lasting relief and can safely return to their normal activities.  Those who discontinue care prematurely will often relapse, and may suffer worse pain and worse damage to the disc because they resume excessively exertive activities before the disc has stabilized.

The other reason that some people don’t follow the recommended spinal decompression protocol is time.  Some will frequently skip appointments or discontinue treatment altogether because they have busy schedules and just can’t or won’t take the time to get the treatment they need.  The key to lasting results with spinal decompression lies in having the recommended number of treatments at the recommended frequency to allow for maximum correction, stabilization, and healing of the disc.  The treatment just doesn’t work as well when patients don’t make it a priority for their time.  Some people can get away with neglecting themselves for a while, but in my experience, if you don’t make time for your health, sooner or later your health condition will absolutely force you to take the time (by means of a severe pain crisis), and this usually occurs when it is least convenient in your schedule.  You are far better off to simply make your treatment a high priority and get the problem taken care of properly. 

In summary, spinal decompression is a very effective means of treating the pain and disability associated with herniated and degenerated spinal discs, but there are some important factors in getting maximum results.  Doctors and patients alike are responsible for making sure the treament is done properly to get maximum results. 

Dr. George Best has been providing spinal decompression in San Antonio, Texas since 2006 with the DRX9000 system.  For additional infomation, visit his website at www.spinesanantonio.com.