Recently I encountered two herniated disk patients for which spinal decompression therapy failed to produce any lasting benefit: relief of pain and ability to resume regular activities. One was my own patient, Mrs. X, the other Mr. B is a gym acquaintance who knows I'm a chiropractor and bends my ear with his tales of back pain woe while I'm working out on the the stair master.
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Disc Herniation pain can be
helped with spinal decompression therapy |
Mr. B herniated a disc in his neck, MRI show 4-5 mm of bulge, with excruciating pain into his arm. He went to his MD who sent him to physical therapy where they are performing spinal decompression therapy on his neck. After several weeks of spinal decompression therapy the arm is still numb and now he is getting severe headaches. On questioning it turns out they are using the wrong amount of weight for the spinal decompression therapy to his neck. This man is a huge body builder type and it was not strong enough of a decompression program. He was not give any instruction for hydrating himself or vitamin supplementation to nourish the herniated disk in his neck. Last but not least the therapist in desperation to get results was now manipulating his neck! Not a chiropractic segment specific manipulation, but rather a swift twist to the left and the right, a real "Hail Mary" maybe this will work effort.
Mrs. X, my patient, was a case on it's own. She refused to modify or stop her vigorous Zumba and yoga workouts. Refused to take vitamins (made her get indigestion), refused to hydrate herself (have to go to the bathroom too often), and last, but not least refused to come in on a regular basis for spinal decompression therapy (2-3 times a week depending on the case), to ease her pain--which it did when she showed up. This is a patient with, per MRI, a 6-7 mm bulge in the low back with shooting pain in her leg.
So yes, spinal decompression therapy will be a failure if the person administering it does not know what to do. Yes, spinal decompression therapy is a failure if the patient doesn't follow the knowledgeable instructions and comply with life style changes that healing requires. Yes, spinal decompression therapy has to be done with some regularity and consistency to get results.
Will spinal decompression therapy work for all spinal disc herniations? The answer is no, but in my clinical experience the odds are pretty good it will work with the right doctor administering the spinal decompression therapy and a patient who follows his instructions for healing.
I have been successfully treating injured backs and disc problems in Thousand Oaks for over 30 years in my family Chiropractic practice. I feel that spinal decompression therapy is a highly advanced and effective protocol when administered by a trained professional such as myself.
If you are in the Thousand Oaks area and are interested in finding out if spinal decompression therapy can help your severe disc problems please give me a call at 805-496-4532.
