When to consider spinal decompression

Lumbar decompression with the DRX9000

About 80% of the general population will experience a serious bout of low back pain at some point in their lives.  A certain percentage of these people will develop chronic low back pain…which is back pain that persists for over 90 days. In fact…the #1 predisposing factor for chronic back pain is previous back pain.

Of the patients that develop chronic low back pain, a certain percentage will become severe and debilitating, mostly due to conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease.

There are many treatment options for severe chronic low back pain. As far as conservative treatment, there is chiropractic, physical therapy, exercise, and acupuncture.

The medical approach is typically pain pills, muscle relaxers, cortisone, and surgery.

Some back pain clinics combine both medical care and conservative care.

Recently…about 7-8 years ago, a new nonsurgical treatment option for low back pain came to the marketplace.  It’s called nonsurgical spinal decompression, and is performed with a machine that costs about $100,000 (the best ones). The machine we use at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center is the DRX9000…the Rolls Royce of spinal decompression systems.

Spinal decompression machines are able to isolate on a specific spinal disc,  say L5/S1 and promote healing. It does this by enlarging the disc space, re-positioning the disc, elongating the spinal ligaments, stretching the spinal muscles, and re-hydrating the injured disc. Results are outstanding.

You should consider spinal decompression either at the point you have been diagnosed with a herniated or bulging disc, or after more conservative and less expensive treatments such as chiropractic and exercise have failed. Certainly before you have surgery. Because if you have fusion surgery you can never try spinal decompression…you are permanently disqualified.

Now, chiropractors like myself have a “next step” if chiropractic fails to deliver. Before spinal decompression we would have to refer out for surgical options. Times have changed.

So if you have been diagnosed with a herniated disc, bulging disc, spinal stenosis, facet syndrome, or disc degeneration…or are suffering with chronic back pain…consider nonsurgical spinal decompression. You just might be a candidate!

To schedule a complimentary consultation with a spinal decompression doctor in San Francisco call 415-392-2225.