Spinal Decompression

One of the most common chronic ailments worldwide is arthritis. The term "arthritis" is derived from the Greek... "arthron" meaning joint, and "it is" meaning inflammation. It is used to refer to a group of more than 100 different conditions.

Arthritis remains the leading cause of disability in the United States.

One of the most common treatments used for arthritis are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). These drugs reduce pain and inflammation. Their mechanism of action is through the blockade of enzymes called cyclooxygenase. Cyclooxygenase (there are two types- COX 1 and COX2) is key to the production of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that have many physiologic effects. Some prostaglandins cause inflammation, some are responsible for mucus production to protect the lining of the stomach, some are responsible for normal functioning of the kidneys, and some are responsible for clotting.

As a result of these myriad actions, blockade of prostaglandins can also cause a multiplicity of effects and side effects.

Side effects of NSAIDS can limit their use and effectiveness. The most common side effect is gastrointestinal irritation and the development of ulcers in the stomach and small bowel. This side effect can be mitigated by using NSAID that selectively block COX 2 only since this is the type of cyclooxygenase that specifically channels inflammation and has less of an effect on mucus production in the stomach. Also using proton pump inhibitors- drugs that protect the stomach- along with an NSAID is another effective strategy.

Patients with kidney issues should not take NSAIDS since these drugs can significantly alter kidney function. NSAIDS also cause fluid retention.

Less common side effects include liver damage, bone marrow abnormalities, and allergic reactions.

The major concern is the increased risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks associated with all NSAIDS regardless of whether they are COX-2 selective or not. These drugs should not be used in patients with recent coronary bypass. A major ongoing clinical trial, the PRECISION study, is seeking to answer the question as to whether some NSAIDS are riskier than others.

One option that can reduce the likelihood of NSAID side effect is to use topical (rub-on) NSAIDS. Examples are Pennsaid and Voltaren gel.

So what are NSAIDS good for? I'm going to stop beating up on them and talk about the potentially good things. Obviously, they are excellent analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

In addition, there is accumulating data indicating that NSAIDS may be effective anti-cancer agents. One study published in Cancer Prevention Research showed that former smokers who took Celebrex, a COX-2 inhibitor had reduced levels of Ki-67, a marker of potential tumor growth. Other studies suggest NSAIDS may be protective against colon cancer. And the dermatology literature has suggested that low dose aspirin may reduce the risk of melanoma.

You may be surprised to hear a doctor tell you pain is good. After all, a significant part of your medical doctor's day is spent trying to relieve pain with medications, shots and other means. In the chiropractic clinic, pain relief may comprise 90% of the chiropractor's work day. Untold millions of dollars are spent each year on pain medication research and pain reliever drug advertising.

So how can pain be a good thing?

Pain is a sensation that may vary depending on the condition. Pain may be felt as sharp or dull, piercing or stabbing, electrical or shooting, throbbing or stinging, etc. It may be constant or it may come and go. You may sense pain only during a specific activity or only at a certain time of day.

In any event, pain is a message transmitted by your nerves to tell you something is wrong.

Have you ever been driving and you suddenly noticed a red warning light come on? If so, you may have gotten nervous and immediately pulled over and opened up your car manual. You did this because you know a red light is usually not a good thing. You probably discovered that the manual said to immediately have your car checked because there was a major engine problem. If you're like most people you probably then made an disappointment with you mechanic to determine the problem. You did that because a car is valuable and you feared further damage, which would cause even more costly repairs later.

Consider pain as your body's "red light." It is a warning that you need to stop what you are doing and investigate further. You may feel a slight pain that is directly related to a specific event like a sports injury. In that case, you know what the cause is and with some rest, you may recover and the pain subsides.

Persistent pain, however is different. If your pain continues to recur over and over or is always present, it is a sign of something serious. In these instances, you should consult a doctor to investigate your pain. It may well be something minor that is easily corrected but then again it may be something gravely serious.

By investigating the cause of your pain now, you may be catching a major problem in its early stages while treatment options may be plentiful. Wait too long and your treatment options may be limited.

As you can see, pain is a good thing! It alerts you to take care of problem now before it's too late.

A word about Orange Chiropractic Pain Relief

Chiropractic is a medical specialty that focuses on the spine and nerves. Chiropractors locate the underlying cause of pain to make corrections that correct the problem. Unlike pain relief medications that only mask pain, chiropractic treatment fixes the problem as well as relieve pain. Think of medications like putting black tape over your car's red light. Does that fix the problem? No. It merely makes you unaware of the underlying problem which will undoubtedly worsen because you are not dealing with the real issue. If you have persistent pain, consider chiropractic pain relief.

More than $50 billion is spent on lower back pain every year in America. It is a leading contributor to missed work, the most common cause of job-related disability, and one of the most common neurological ailments, second only to headache. Still, knowing that you are in good company does not offer much relief for the pain of spinal compression or other lower-back issues.

Sitting in cars and office chairs for long periods of time with a slumped posture compresses the spine and places pressure on the nerves. The abdominal muscles relax and the back muscles tighten over time, leading to pain and stiffness when standing or walking. Regular Yoga practice can help restore healthy length to the spine and can stretch and relax the over-tightened muscles; over time, you may even gain height as the vertebrae decompress!

Several Yoga asanas are especially helpful for lower back pain; caution should be exercised when beginning these postures if the back is already compromised. Take care not to overextend or force any stretches. Inversions have long been considered helpful for spinal decompression, but many students do not feel comfortable in more advanced inversions. It should be noted that the entire spine does not decompress during a Yogic inversion - compression from the lower back is simply transferred to the upper back or neck for a period of time. This may provide relief, but it is not essential to relieving pain.

Ushtra Asana, or Camel pose: this asana exercises all of the back muscles and extends the spinal column, by bending your back fully. It increases spinal and hip flexibility, which can prevent recurrent pain.

Bhujangasana or Cobra pose: by holding this posture, both the superficial and the deep muscles of the back and abdominal region are strengthened. This asana increases bending flexibility backwards in the spine and relieves tension in the lower back region.

Purna Titali Asana or Butterfly pose helps remedy poor posture by stretching and strengthening the muscles of the legs and the back.

Supta Virasana or Saddle Pose is very effective for realigning the sacrum and lower spine, and re-establishing the natural lumbar curve, which may be lost from years of poor posture.

All of these asanas, plus inversions which are comfortable for the practitioner, should be done regularly to help alleviate lower back pain. Poses which strengthen abdominal muscles are also important, to help support the core and take the strain off the lower back.

穢 Copyright 2011 - Aura Wellness Center - Publications Division

Knowing the cause of sciatica is the finest way to achieve sciatica nerve pain relief. When the sciatic nerve or incorrectly referred to as sciatic nerve is squeezed or swollen, sciatica occurs. Oftentimes, this nerve compression is called pinched nerve.

A number of problems may lead to sciatica. The following are some of these disorders:

• Herniated Disc in the Lumbar Spine. Bulging of the material of the disc center compresses the spinal cord or nerve roots.
  
  
• Spinal Stenosis. The spinal cord and nerve roots are pressured as the space in the spinal canal narrows.
  
  
• Spinal Osteoarthritis. The sciatic nerve is aggravated by the bone spurs and broken bits of cartilage and bone.
  
  
• Spondylolisthesis. Misalignment of the vertebrae causes impingement of the sciatic nerve.
  
  
• Muscle Strain.
  
  
• Piriformis Syndrome.
  
  
• Pregnancy

Sciatica nerve pain typically entails sharp pain in the lower back and buttocks that extends to the back of the leg, knee, and then foot which will typically occur when these problems are found. Quite often, sciatic pain is experienced on only one side based on the place where nerve impingement is found.

Often concentrating on pain relief, treatment of sciatica is typically traditional. However, for some, these treatments may not be adequate. There is ordinarily an immediate intervention on the problem that is inducing nerve annoyance and compression when speaking about sciatica nerve pain relief. Numerous basic massage therapy and stretching exercises are included in these basic procedures that concentrate on calming tight and spastic muscles.

Some doctors recommend pain prescription medication or muscle relaxants, and also anti-depressants that will help you manage chronic pain. In much more serious conditions an epidural steroid injection could be recommended in lowering inflammation and pressure on the nerve. These injections are not usually very effective and can also cause significant side-effects. Due to the risks, there's a limit on how many of these injections an individual may receive, which are not generally more than 3 per year.

Compression on the nerve caused by a herniated disc can be relieved by disc decompression which will draw the bulging disc contents back into the center. Remedial surgeries for spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis also alleviate sciatic nerve impingement. Surgery is especially suggested in patients with accelerating weakness or loss of bladder or bowel function ("cauda equina syndrome").

Whether the treatment is just conventional, natural, minimally invasive, or a total surgical procedure, the outcome should be sciatica nerve pain relief.

Inversion therapy? At first glance it may sound like a proposed cure for over-taxed mathematicians, but it is actually a treatment for joints and muscles touted by no less than that the enormously clever secret agent, Angus MacGyver. If the man who popularized using duct tape and Swiss Army knives as cure-alls for every conceivable household or mechanical ailment and who once hotwired a broken truck with little more than a turkey baster, a paper clip, and tweezers used inversion therapy, it must be good.

Inversion therapy works by suspending a person head down at an angle. The ankles are first clamped to an inversion table, allowing the body to rest at an inverted angle. This decompresses everything below the ankles and allows every joint to benefit from an equal and opposite action from that in an upright position.

This is especially beneficial for those suffering from back pain. Inversion therapy releases pressure on the discs, ligaments, and nerve roots of the spinal column, allowing them to return to their natural shape. This is great for treating sore muscles, shoulder tension, and joint pain.

Because only the movement of your feet is prevented, the rest of the body is free to move. There are several exercises which can be done in an inverted position which will increase your body's flexibility. As the muscles are already pre-stretched from being upside down, exercising in an inverted position will allow for stretching of muscles that will result in greater flexibility.

While not a cure for serious back ailments, inversion therapy offers great relief from occasional stiffness, soreness, back and joint pain. In addition, proponents of inversion state that it aids in improving posture by aligning the spine and increasing blood flow by acting on the circulatory system in an opposite manner than when the body is standing.

Managing and alleviating pain caused by herniated discs or disc injuries is a two-prong approach. First, is the actual treatment and second, is adjunctive therapy to ameliorate daily pain over the course of treatment.

Because treatment for herniated discs (and many back injuries for that matter) typically requires more than one treatment session before substantial pain relief is achieved, adding pain management to the treatment regimen can greatly increase patient comfort over the course of treatment and can help accelerate the return to daily activities.

In addition to acupuncture, other successful pain management techniques for herniated discs include physical therapy and the Flexion-Distraction Technique by a chiropractor.

What Is A Herniated Disc?

A herniated or bulging disc is a displaced piece of the center part or nucleus of the disc that is pushed through a tear in the outer layers. Pain results when irritating substances are released from this tear and also if the jelly portion touches or compresses a nearby nerve. Disc herniation has some similarities to degenerative disc disease and discs that herniate are often in an early stage of degeneration, which is why immediate treatment is critical to the long-term health of a patient.

Acupuncture Therapy For Disc Related Back Pain

Acupuncture therapy cannot cure a herniated disc, but studies have shown that when acupuncture therapy is performed at the onset of symptoms, recovery time is improved and pain is decreased. As an adjunctive therapy to non-surgical back pain treatment, acupuncture therapy can help stimulate blood flow to the injured disc, and can help produce valuable endorphins that may be used by the body in the healing process. These endorphins help reduce swelling which may reduce pain.

An acupuncture treatment involves inserting fine needles into the skin, along the pathway of the pain. Since acupuncture needles are 25-50 times thinner than a hypodermic needle, most people feel no pain at all when the needle is inserted and often describe the experience as 'relaxing'.

Many chiropractors now include additional pain management treatments such as acupuncture to coincide with other non surgical herniated or bulging disc treatments including spinal decompression therapy or the Flexion-Distraction Technique (chiropractic).

More Non Surgical Treatment Options for Disc Injuries

Today patients have many more options with regards to treating a disc injury without the use of surgery. Other options include physical therapy, shock wave therapy, trigger point therapy, and spinal decompression therapy. The ultimate course of treatment is as individual as the patient. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for disc injuries. Diet and lifestyle changes may also be incorporated for long-term success.

In the treatment of musculoskeletal problems, cortisone injections may be extremely effective. Also called corticosteroid injections, they provide a focused anti-inflammatory effect aimed at providing pain relief for patients that is coming from a joint problem, such as osteoarthritis, or a soft tissue problem, such as lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow).

The medication in a steroid shot contains some of the same hormones that the human adrenal glands produce. These hormones, corticosteroids, perform vital functions in the body, such as being released and providing anti-inflammation when stress is experienced.

These injections into either joints or soft tissues provide pain relief, but it is not permanent. The effects wear off after a few weeks to months, and it may actually take a few days for the pain relief to kick in. Typically some numbing medicine is included with the steroid to give immediate relief.

Patients frequently ask if the cortisone will help with cartilage restoration. Steroid injections are not disease altering treatments, they are simply symptom altering and meant to decrease pain.

So what are the benefits of a steroid injection?

1. Pain relief - This is the main benefit, as the injection of steroid doesn't alter the course of arthritis. But it does make life more tolerable by decreasing pain for what may be quite a few months.

2. Low Risk - Compared with surgery for a musculoskeletal condition, an injection maintains a much lower risk profile.

3. Low Cost - Also compared with surgery, an injection cost exponentially less.

4. Focused Injection - The steroid is injected into either a joint which is a confined space or into a soft tissue area where the medication stays predominantly local.

5. Outpatient - The injections are done either in the doctor's office or as an outpatient procedure. No overnight stays necessary.

6. Can delay the need for surgery - If a patient is in his 50's and has terrible osteoarthritis, doing a knee replacement may only last for 15 years. This may lead to the need for a revision surgery which typically has a less satisfactory result. So the injections may provide an impressively tolerable delay for years.

7. Can be placed in multiple joints - If a patient has pain and arthritis in multiple joints, such as the knees, shoulders, and spine, steroid injections may be placed in a few joints (with appropriate care not too many at once)

What are the risks of a steroid injection?

1. Temporary blood sugar elevation - this is most common in diabetics and may raise blood sugars temporarily for 24-48 hours. It would be unusual for this to be an actual clinical problem, but people should be aware of the potential temporary issue, especially diabetics.

2. Cartilage damage - It's unclear in humans if this is clinically relevant. In animal studies there has been shown cartilage alterations with repetitive injections. The key here is moderation with the amount of injections administered to each joint.

3. Adrenal gland suppression - this type of complication may occur with oral steroid medication on a repetitive basis, it would be extremely unusual for a focal steroid injection to end up with this complication.

4. Infection - with appropriate sterile technique obtaining an infection after a steroid injection is rare, much less than 1%. Prophylactic antibiotics are not necessary.

For most individuals, cortisone injections represent an excellent pain relief option for musculoskeletal conditions. The key is moderation.

Back pain affects 90% of Americans at some point in life. The vast majority of it, 90%,? will resolve within 6-12 weeks no matter the treatment. What about the other 10%?

If the back pain is emanating from facet arthritis, also called facet syndrome, the pain can be chronic and disabling. It can wax and wane or remain present like a pebble in a person's shoe. The tough thing about arthritis is that no treatment exists which can reverse the pathology. One can only hope to try and contain it with pain relief options that alleviate the symptoms.

Treatment options include:

• Activity Modification


• Physical therapy


• Chiropractic treatment


• Physiotherapy


• Acupuncture


• Spinal decompression


• NSAIDS


• Narcotic Medications


• Bracing


• TENS Units


• Interventional Pain Management

Activity Modification refers to basically not doing those kinds of activities that cause the pain. If golfing truly aggravates the back pain then the treatment is to cut back on golfing. Not ideal, but it is better than surgery most of the time. This is the same type of treatment utilized for hip and knee arthritis in order to prevent surgery as well.

Physical therapy involves strengthening the spinal musculature around the arthritic facet joints in order to try and take pressure off of those joints and achieve back pain relief. This involves core strengthening and lumbar stabilization along with spinal stretching.

Chiropractic treatment can alleviate pain with spinal manipulation and physiotherapy involving interferential treatment, ice, heat, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation.

Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in back pain including facet arthritis and back strains and sprains.

Spinal Decompression Therapy is a revolutionary treatment that has been shown to assist tremendously with the pain of facet arthritis. Decompression Treatment is low risk, highly effective, and low cost compared to spinal surgery.

Medications including NSAIDS, Aspirin, and potentially narcotics can help with facet syndrome pain. Making sure to keep dosages within manufacturer's recommendations can protect one's kidneys and GI tract. Narcotics are best for short term to prevent the risk of addiction or liver issues.

Bracing can help with pain and so can TENS units for pain relief, although research is equivocal in their efficacy.

Interventional pain management includes treatments such as facet injections (facet blocks), medial branch blocks, and radiofrequency ablation. In conjunction with other treatments such as physical therapy, chiropractic, spinal decompression, acupuncture, etc, comprehensive pain management with interventional treatments can alleviate pain substantially.

All in all there are multiple pain management options for facet arthritis which can help prevent surgery and increase quality of life. Proper pain management can allow patients to work better, play with their kids, play sports, and simply enjoy life!

One of the main risk factors for people suffering from back pain is sitting for prolonged periods of time. And the person's posture for the length of time they sit may not have anything to do with creating the conditions that lead to discomfort or injury of the lower back. This article will discuss why sitting can lead to a back injury and chronic soreness, as well as what doctors and clinicians agree are some ways to mitigate the risk of becoming injured as a result of sitting for too long.

The main problem is that many people sit in a position where their lower spine is flexed. With this rounding of the low back, more pressure is put on this area. As well, sitting down causes a loss of activity in the muscles of the abdominal wall. The abdominal muscles are important for adding stability to the spine, especially when the spine is in positions that may put it at risk for injury. And sitting down puts the spine in one of these positions, and then turns off the muscles that should provide the stability to prevent injury.

In fact, prolonged sitting can actually cause disc herniation. A herniated disc occurs when one of the discs in between the vertebrae in the spine begins to bulge out of the spinal column. This can lead to pain in the back at the site of the injury, a lack of proper movement and functioning, and even nerve damage. Thus, finding better ways to sit and prevent back injury is extremely important for people who have careers where they spend much of their time in front of a computer.

The easiest way to prevent a low back injury from sitting is simply changing postures frequently. People sitting in a position with their spine flexed may be at risk of herniating a disc over time. But sitting straight up also increases some types of muscle activation which put even more pressure and compressive loads on the spine. Changing the position in which one sits can help to transfer these loads to and from different tissues. This will help make sure that no one position is held long enough to cause serious injury.

It is also important that people get up from time to time while they are working. Sitting down for hours and hours -- even if they change sitting positions -- can still lead to fatigue and injury. But standing up and extending the back can help the spine return to a neutral position and reduce the prolonged compressive loads that occur after prolonged sitting. The maximum amount of sitting has been recommended to be about 50 minutes at once before a break should be taken, although this will differ for each individual.

It may come as some surprise that sitting can lead to back injuries as serious as a herniated disc, but the truth is that the compression of the spine that occurs during sitting can lead to the conditions that cause back pain. But changing sitting positions and occasionally getting up and extending the back can help prevent such problems for a large number of people who must sit for most of their day while they are working.

So what is spinal decompression and what does it mean to you as a durable medical equipment supplier?

That's an excellent question. Wikipedia defines spinal decompression as "the relief of pressure on one or many pinched nerves (neural impingement) of the spinal column."

There are two ways to treat neural impingement, surgically and non-surgically. Surgically there are two common procedures called microdidectomy and laminctomy (also known as open decompression). During microdisectomy the herniated portion of a disc is removed by surgical knife or laser under the guide of a microscope. Laminctomy is more invasive and involves the removal of a small portion of the arch of the vertebrae.

For most back pain sufferers, a non surgical approach is by all means the preferred treatment choice.

One of the most effective non surgical solutions to evolve in the last decade is computerized mechanical decompression, usually found at a chiropractor's office. Computerized mechanical decompression is similar to more traditional decompression tables, only the decompression is applied through an on-board computer that controls the force and angle of disc distraction, which reduces the body's natural propensity to resist external force and/or generate muscle spasm.

As a compliment to this treatment, or even in lieu of the treatment, a chiropractor or physician may prescribe the use of a unique spinal brace designed to mimic and/or continue the decompression effect achieved during spinal decompression therapy. This type of brace is called a spinal decompression brace, and selling these braces is where profits for durable medical equipment providers can really come in.

If you have been in the durable medical equipment industry for a while you undoubtedly know about the hundreds of back or spinal braces on the market. But which of those braces provide spinal decompression?

The answer is tricky because, as an unintended but positive side affect, almost all braces may provide some decompression. But when it comes to traditional spinal bracing, decompression is not a primary intention. Traditional braces work by cinching tight in order to prevent movement in the affected area. Their main purpose is immobilization. However, as the intestinal cavity is compressed and the internal organs are forced upward thereby pushing on the upper torso, some minimal lumbar decompression may result. According to proponents of traditional bracing, this "compression" of the intestinal cavity provides sufficient decompression of spine.

There is another option however. A new brace on the market designed specifically to create decompression is rapidly gaining acceptance and popularity. It works by expanding vertically after it is on the patient. It has internal vertical air cell chambers that the user inflates via a hand air pump. As it inflates the brace grows vertically as opposed to constricting inward. It lodges up under the rib cage pushing upwards and down against the pelvic girdle pushing downwards. The resulting "stretch" provides spinal decompression and creates an environment where herniated or bulging discs can distract into the inter-vertebra cavity.

The centers of the discs consist of a jelly-like substance encased in a tough, fibrous outer skin shell. A herniated disc is one where the jelly like substance has erupted through the fibrous skin due to trauma or degenerative disc disease. In most cases this eruption can push on or pinch a nerve in the spinal column and cause severe pain. When proper spinal decompression is achieved and the weight bearing forces are removed from the lumbar area a distractive force is created and the jelly like material of the disc retracts back into its natural shape and position within the vertebrae, reabsorbs the disc fluid it lost when it was compressed, and with time it has the ability to completely heal itself.

A proper understanding of spinal decompression and the remedies available, particularly how spinal bracing comes into play, can mean big profits to you as a durable medical equipment provider.