Spinal Decompression For a Herniated Disc

A herniated disc is a common diagnosis when patients experience back pain, leg pain, or weakness in the lower limbs. It occurs when the vertebral disc that acts as a shock absorber between vertebral bodies goes out of it's normal position as a result of an accident or injury, repetitive stress on the spine, or poor spinal posture.

However, it may occur naturally as well. Due to aging, the body tends to become more susceptible to wear and tear. For example, the vertebral discs become rigid and less elastic which may result in the rupture of the disc.

As the disc ruptures, the gel-like structure of the disc leaks out and a portion of the disc is pushed out of its normal position. This should not be a problem if not for the spinal nerves located near the discs, as the leakage of the gel-like structure may irritate the nerve roots as it exits the spine.

The irritation of the nerves, in turn, produces complications that lead to the occurrence of the following symptoms:

• electrical shock pain


• tingling and numbness


• muscle weakness


• bowel and bladder problems resulting from a condition known as Cauda Equina syndrome which arises from a herniated disc

However, it is important to direct the treatment to the main cause of the problem, herniated discs, rather than the symptoms. Traditional treatments for herniated discs include physical therapy, cold and hot compresses, anti-inflammatory medications, epidural steroid injections, and oral steroid medications.

It should also be noted that herniated discs eventually get better over time, so the first line of treatment should always be rest and activity modification. If rest does not improve the condition, there is an alternative therapy called spinal decompression that is available to aid in the healing of a herniated disc.

Spinal decompression proposes a safe, non-invasive, cost-effective, and non-surgical way of treating spinal conditions such as herniated discs. A machine called DRX 9000 is used for the treatment which applies a gentle force on the spine that decompress the injured discs or vertebrae in order to provide immediate and gradual pain relief.

Decompression works by gently stretching the spine, thus, separating the bone and spine to create a negative pressure inside the disc. A vacuum is created from the negative pressure, and the vacuum releases the pressure from the herniated discs, therefore, also releasing pressure from the irritated nerve roots.

As a result, the release of pressure lessens pain and other symptoms caused by the herniated disc. The vacuum helps in the retraction of the gel-like structure that leaked from the disc, and brings the disc back to its original shape and position. Moreover, the vacuum draws oxygen and nutrients into the injured discs and facilitates the healing process.

Spinal decompression is an effective alternative treatment for herniated discs. It has been proved to be long-lasting. A common side effect of the therapy is minor muscle spasms. Muscles tend to react to stress be tensing up in order to prevent injury, this causes muscle spasms. However, the use of the DRX 9000 minimizes the chances of having muscle spasms as the computer-controlled stretching process incorporates rest whenever the computer senses the muscles experiencing too much stress.