DECOMPRESSION THERAPY: AN EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL APPROACH FOR TREATING BACK PAIN
Low back pain is an epidemic. According to a study done in 2020, low back pain was the most common musculoskeletal problem globally, the leading cause of absenteeism and activity limitations at work, and is a large medical burden on out healthcare systems as well as incurring a huge economic cost (Wu et al.).
For a lot of suffers of low back pain, they also experience other symptoms. The most common associated symptom is what is know as “radiculopathy”. This is a feeling of pins and needles, tingling, numbness, and/or shooting pain down the arms or legs. This is most often caused by disc herniations or protrusions that are pressing on the nerves that go to your arms and legs. The most common areas where this can happen is at C5-C6 (middle to bottom of your neck) and at L5-S1 (right where your spine meets your tailbone).
So what can be done about this? As the medical field advances, so does our understanding of the causes of low back pain and the best ways to combat it. One such approach is decompression therapy.
WHAT IS DECOMPRESSION?
Our spines are made up of hard boney vertebrae and soft discs in between, and sometimes, those softer discs can become compressed and/or injured, leading to back pain. Our vertebrae can also be pushed closer together through compression from our day-to-day lives, forcing boney joints together, also leading to back pain. There are many other causes for back pain, so it is important to find a treatment approach that can address a wide range of issues. Decompression therapy is a great tool to meet this challenge. Decompression allows for our spines to stretch out, removing pressure on those discs and joints and helping to combat the pain cause by those injuries. It can also allow any compressed discs to get a better flow of water, oxygen, and nutrients which helps to increase healing. At Zenith, a decompression treatment lasts for about 15 minutes. You are put into a harness to hold your upper body in place while our decompression machine pulls on the other end of your body to create that stretch throughout the spine. It is a very relaxing experience, and most of our patients even take a nap during it!
HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT?
Decompression is not the only option for treating low back pain, as physical therapy such as targeted exercises as well as tissue massage, as well as several other options, can also be utilized to help reduce pain and increase function. However, what the research is finding is that more often than not, one solution is not the most effective. It’s important to have a combination of therapies, such as physical therapy and decompression. One study was conducted and published this year that compared one group of patients that received both physical therapy and decompression to another group that only received physical therapy. What the researchers found that the treatment using decompression was much more effective than just physical therapy alone in terms of improving pain, range of motion, muscle endurance, the ability to do the physical things you need to do, and overall quality of life (Amjad et al. 2022). Another treatment option that has great results when combined with decompression is joint mobilization (hello Chiropractors!). Another study was done to compare one group of back pain patients receiving joint mobilization and decompression therapy against a control group that received thermotherapy, electrotherapy, and decompression therapy. At the end of the study, the group that receive joint mobilization and decompression had a statistically significant increase in their range of motion as well as a decrease of their pain when compared to the other group (Lee et al., 2012).
However, what can you do if your back pain is so bad that you are not able to live your regular lifestyle? What is that pain is stopping you from even considering a physical therapy approach? Decompression can be used on its own to decrease pain to the point where you can function again and be able to meet the physical demands of your life. It has been determined that in over 70% of low back pain cases, pain can be reduced to a 0 or a 1 on a 0 to 5 pain scale by using decompression. Improvements in motion and mobility and regular activities of daily living correlated strongly with pain reduction, so getting to the point where you can start moving again holds the greatest chance of a successful recovery (Gose et al., 1998).
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE UNTIL I START FEELING BETTER? AND WILL THERE BE ANY SIDE EFFECTS?
While it is most common for patients receiving decompression to start feeling better within the first 2 weeks of treatment, every body is different. For some it will be sooner, and for some it may take longer. However, most feel better after their first few sessions. As far as side effects of decompression, they are very minimal. The most common is a feeling of soreness, as you are moving areas of your body that have been stuck for a long time.
Decompression is a safe and effective option when it comes to treating back pain. Combined with other therapies such as chiropractic joint manipulations and physical therapy, it is even more effective at reducing pain and improving the quality of your life. If you are suffering from low back pain and have been feeling discouraged or stuck because of it, let’s talk! We’d love to get your treatment started and get you on your way to recovery!
REFERENCES:
Amjad, F., Mohseni-Bandpei, M.A., Gilani, S.A. et al. Effects of non-surgical decompression therapy in addition to routine physical therapy on pain, range of motion, endurance, functional disability and quality of life versus routine physical therapy alone in patients with lumbar radiculopathy; a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 23, 255 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05196-x
Demirel, Aynur, Yorubulut, Mehmet, and Ergun, Nevin. ‘Regression of Lumbar Disc Herniation by Physiotherapy. Does Non-surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy Make a Difference? Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial’. 1 Jan. 2017 : 1015 – 1022.
Gose, E. E., Naguszewski, W. K., & Naguszewski, R. K. (1998). Vertebral axial decompression therapy for pain associated with herniated or degenerated discs or facet syndrome: an outcome study. Neurological research, 20(3), 186–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616412.1998.11740504
Lee, Y., Lee, C.-R., & Cho, M. (2012, December 1). Effect of decompression therapy combined with joint mobilization on patients with lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpts/24/9/24_829/_article/-char/ja/
Wu, A., March, L., Zheng, X., Huang, J., Wang, X., Zhao, J., Blyth, F. M., Smith, E., Buchbinder, R., & Hoy, D. (2020). Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Annals of translational medicine, 8(6), 299. https://doi.org/10.21037/atm.2020.02.175
If you or anyone you know is suffering from old age problems Zenith Injury Relief & Wellness Clinic will take care of your health and help you recover.
Call us on 972-210-0033 to book an appointment with our specialists, and begin living your life pain-free.