How Can Spinal Decompression Alleviate Nerve Pain?  

If you suffer from back pain, the condition can be debilitating. Finding an effective treatment can help improve the quality of your life. There are several treatment options, mainly based on the cause of the pain.

Your healthcare provider can help you to determine the best option for you. Spinal decompression is a treatment option that can help take the pressure off the nerves. Here's how spinal decompression can alleviate nerve pain.

The Function of the Spine

The spine helps support the body, and it consists of vertebrae, ligaments, and spinal discs that provide flexibility. The spinal column acts as a pathway for nerves that run down the bones, disks, and ligaments.

Spinal degeneration or injuries can cause severe pain as compression puts pressure on the nerves or spinal cord. Spinal decompression can help take the pressure off the nerves, easing the pain.

Spinal Decompression Therapy

This therapy involves using motorized traction to offer back pain relief. The treatment stretches the spine, leading to changes in its force and position. It helps take pressure away from the gel-like spinal discs between the bones.

The process creates negative disc pressure. It can lead to the discs retracting and taking the stress off the nerves and the spine. It helps promote the movement of oxygen, water, and nutrients to the discs.

Conditions Treated With Spinal Decompression

Spinal decompression can help treat several conditions, including:

·      Pinched nerves that cause numbness, tingling, or pain

·      Degenerative disks that occur when the cushion between the spinal vertebrae wears out

·      Building disks where the cushion bulges out

·      Herniated disks, which occur when the disk pushes against a nerve

·      Spinal stenosis, characterized by the narrowing of the spaces in the spine

·      Sciatica, or damage to the sciatic nerve

How Spinal Decompression Alleviates Nerve Pain

Nonsurgical spinal decompression can be performed in a chiropractor’s office. The patient is fully dressed during treatment, lying face up or face down on a computerized table. A harness is fitted around the patient’s pelvis and another around the trunk.

The practitioner operates the computer set to provide customized treatment to suit the patient’s needs. Treatment usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes, and patients often need 20 to 28 sessions over several weeks.

Results of Spinal Decompression

Spinal decompression can help treat the issues causing back pain. Your healthcare provider can recommend the best treatment plan for you. Patients looking for noninvasive treatment options can benefit from the therapy.

Studies show that spinal decompression is effective in alleviating nerve pain. Many patients experience improvements after the first session. More sessions, however, help ensure long-term relief. Chiropractors create individualized treatment plans for each patient, depending on their health condition.

Some people should not get spinal decompression. If you are pregnant or have metal spine implants, you should not get the treatment. Others may not be candidates for the treatment: These include those with fractures, tumors, advanced osteoporosis, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.