Spinal Decompression Treatment of Herniated Disc: What Will I Experience?

In my clinic patients who receive spinal decompression treatment for herniated discs are first treated with ultrasound to heat up the connective tissue allowing the tissue to elongate easier. Ultrasound treatment prior to spinal decompression makes the treatment more effective.

Patients with herniated disc of the lower back (lumbar spine) are treated either face up or face down on a table. A harness is placed around the chest and another harness is placed around the lower back at the beltline just above the big wings bones of the pelvis. The table will then be adjusted for comfort and to enhance treatment effectiveness. Then a cable from a computerized traction head is connected to the lower harness and the lower half of the table is released to allow it to slide creating the decompression effect. The traction head is set with a treatment time ranging from 10-15 minutes. The pull pattern is typically set for 45 seconds of pull and then relaxes to 20 pounds of pressure for 25 seconds. Lumbar disc patient are typically started at 30% of their body weight and proceed up to 90 pounds of traction if necessary. The least amount of traction that gives the best relief is the best choice to treat and more traction pressure is not always better.

Herniated disc treatment of the cervical spine starts with the patient lying face up with their head in a sliding carriage that has two cushions placed below the base of the skull. The patients head is strapped to the carriage and the traction cable is then connected to sliding carriage. Traction can be started with a pull tension of 15 pound but never to exceed 40 pounds of pressure. The pull pattern most often in the neck is 45 seconds of holding traction and relaxes to a resting traction 5 pounds of pressure for 25 seconds. Again treatment time is 10-15 minutes.

Patient being treated for one area should allow 30 minutes in the clinic and patient with two areas should allow a total of 45 minutes of treatment time.

Remember, spinal decompression is

1) extremely safe,
2) likely effective,
3) cleared by the FDA,
4) non-surgical, and
5) affordable.