Spinal Decompression - Tales of a Rock and Roll Roadie

Tyler, a good friend of mine, has taken a new lease on life. And I'm really glad he has. For several years he was a wreck. He had the ideal job, a roadie for a famous rock and roll band. And then it happened. While helping to lift a massive speaker column into place, he injured his back and had to be taken from the job to the emergency room on a stretcher.

The injury was just the beginning of a long nightmare. Tyler suffered from a herniated disc. This is a condition where the gel-like substance contained in the discs of our spines bulges out of one of the discs, putting pressure on surrounding muscle and nerve tissue. The condition often comes about as a result of trauma or continued strain to the back.

It took a while for the doctors to come to this diagnosis. Before figuring it out they had Tyler on heavy pain medication and physical therapy three times a week. Nothing seemed to help. It wasn't until the third MRI was taken, more than a year after the accident, that they noticed the herniated disc. During this time Tyler almost became addicted to pain medicine. He'd also have to go and receive painful injections called epidurals, usually with limited relief. The doctors suggested surgery but Tyler wanted to avoid that if it was at all possible.

Finally Tyler took matters into his own hands. He signed up for group therapy. The focus of the group was pain control. This is where things began to look up for him. He learned of a treatment called spinal decompression. In many back injuries like his, one vertebrae presses down on another. This is often what causes the herniation of the disc or 'rupture' as it's sometimes called. Spinal decompression is a relatively uncomplicated, non-surgical procedure that simply separates the discs and takes the pressure away from the traumatized vertebrae. And more often than not, once the pressure is released, the pain stops.

Here's how it works. A patient is placed on a comfortable padded platform called a decompression table. He's secured with padded, yet firm blocks and straps so his body is stable. Once he's securely in place, the table begins to move beneath his body, gently moving the vertebrae apart. This is done slowly in a gradual way over the course of the treatment. If at any time during the treatment there is a problem the patient or an attendant can immediately stop the decompression with an easily accessible safety switch. Most people receiving such treatment for the first time are amazed at the relief they experience.

The treatment is effective for a number of neck and back ailments such as sciatica, arm and leg numbness and tingling, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, generalized back and neck pain and of course, herniated discs.

Tyler told me that he's gotten his life back. He no longer needs physical therapy or massive doses of pain medication every day. Of course, he's decided his days as a roadie are over too. That's okay, I'm just happy he's not suffering.