The Science Behind Spinal Decompression for Chronic Back Pain

Imagine waking up every day with a sore back. It hurts no matter what you do and can be frustrating. You may have tried stretching or taking medicine, but the pain does not go away. Many people feel tired from dealing with this all the time.

Back pain often happens because of pressure on the nerves or discs in your spine. You might wonder if you will ever feel better.

How Spinal Decompression Works

This treatment can help your back feel better. It uses a unique motorized table to pull and stretch your spine gently. This stretching helps relieve pressure on nerves and other parts of your back.

The treatment lasts about 30 minutes, and you might need to return several times over a few weeks to feel the full benefits.

Spinal decompression does two main things:

• It creates space between the bones in your spine, which helps alleviate pain from bulging or herniated discs.

• It also improves blood flow to the injured areas, which helps them heal over time.

This treatment is not invasive and does not take long to recover from.

The Science of Pressure and Pain

To understand how decompression helps, think about the spine like a stack of boxes. The discs between the bones in your back act like cushions.

Over time, things like gravity, bad posture, or injuries can squish these cushions. When they get squished, they can press on nerves. This can make you hurt, feel tingly, or experience leg weakness and other symptoms.

The discs can soak up fluids and nutrients when we reduce the pressure. This helps them work better as cushions. For people with back pain or other problems, this can mean they feel less pain and can move better.

Who Benefits Most From Spinal Decompression?

Spinal decompression is not the same for everyone. It is most effective for specific conditions, such as:

• Herniated or bulging discs.

• Sciatica (nerve pain radiating down the leg).

• Degenerative disc disease.

• Persistent lower back pain lasting over 12 weeks.

A spine specialist can assess whether it is right for you.

What to Expect

You will lie on a soft table with a harness to hold you in place during your session. The machine will gently stretch your back and then let go. Many people say it feels like a light pull, similar to when you stretch after sitting for a long time.

How much it helps can differ for everyone, but many people feel less pain after a few sessions. Keep going, and do not skip sessions.

Safety and Alternatives

Most people handle this treatment well. You could feel a little sore afterward, like the muscle ache you get after a good gym session. Serious issues are uncommon, especially when a trained provider does the work.

If this approach does not click for you, options like physical therapy or nerve-blocking injections might work better. Save surgery for when nothing else helps.

Chronic back pain can feel overwhelming, but there is hope. Spinal decompression aims to fix the root cause of your pain. If back pain affects your daily life, consider spinal decompression as a solution.

For more on spinal decompression, visit Disc Centers of America at our Kansas City, Missouri, office. Call 816 339 5900 to book an appointment today.