What is Spinal Decompression?
If you’ve ever been to a chiropractor in Imperial, MO, you may be familiar with the term spinal decompression. Chances are, your chiropractic visits were prompted by back, neck, shoulder or joint pain, as they are among the most common types of ailments treated by chiropractors. Sometimes, though, when treating back pain, neck pain or addressing issues with stiff joints, chiropractors discover that a patient may need more than a manual adjustment to correct the problem. When the spinal column gets “pinched” by bony overgrowths on the vertebrae or its connecting discs, this can lead to chronic pain or impaired function in the back, upper body and legs. Spinal decompression is a procedure that removes the pressure from the spine, thereby relieving pain and restoring function.
Is There More than One Kind of Spinal Decompression?
Spinal decompression can be done surgically or non-surgically. The surgical decompression is minimally invasive and usually involves one of three kinds of surgery:
- IDD Therapy - IDD stands for Inter vertebral Differential Dynamics and it’s a kind of non-invasive decompression that uses computer-controlled medical devices to coax pressure off of pinched nerves while also stretching out tight muscles.
- Laminectomy - a laminectomy removes the bone (the lamina) that covers the spinal column, lifting the pressure off the spine.
- Laminotomy - a laminotomy shaves off a portion of the lamina to make more space for the spinal column.
- Discectomy - is the partial removal of the disc that is placing pressure on the spinal nerves.
Of course, not everyone wants, or needs, to endure the expense and discomfort of surgery. At Advanced Family Chiropractic & Rehabilitation we are advocates of all-natural, holistic healthcare and we have found non-invasive decompression to be a very effective, drug-free, alternative to surgical intervention. This type of decompression makes use of a specially-designed table that eases the pressure on pinched nerves. The patient is securely attached to the table and the table is tilted in a way that shifts the weight of the damaged bones and discs off of the spine. The shift is initially small, but over time, with repeated treatments, the space becomes large enough to relieve the pain and the pressure on the nerves.
Will Spinal Decompression Work for Me?
Spinal decompression can be used to address many conditions, including:
- Herniated disc
- Bulging disc
- Sciatica
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
Although spinal decompression can very effectively relieve these conditions, there are some people who should avoid both surgical and nonsurgical decompression. If you’re pregnant, have osteoporosis, spinal implants, a broken vertebrae, a tumor, spinal stenosis, a spinal infection or a condition that requires blood thinning medication, spinal decompression is probably not the treatment for you.
Is Spinal Decompression Painful?
The short answer to this question is no. With surgeries, general anesthesia is used so you would be unconscious during the whole procedure. As far as a nonsurgical decompression, patients lie comfortably on the decompression table, held in place gently by soft straps. Patients generally tolerate the relaxing procedure very well and many report that the inversion is actually enjoyable.
Do I Have to Go to the Hospital to Have a Spinal Decompression Procedure?
Surgeries, of course, are performed in a hospital but for nonsurgical decompression, Dr. Amato is an Imperial chiropractor who can perform the procedure right here in our Warren Road office on an outpatient basis.
Advanced Family Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
Imperial MO chiropractor
5207 Warren Road
Imperial, MO 63052
Phone:
