Spinal Decompression

The first experience I had with a pinched nerve, I was in my twenties and had no idea where it came from. It felt like someone had run me through with a dagger in my upper chest, and I was surely dying. I went to the clinic and they took a chest x-ray. I expected them to come back and tell me I had a major growth in my lung and only a matter of weeks till I died. At the time I hurt so bad, it would have been a good offer.

Well, the results were nadda, zip, zero. No growth, no dagger and no holes in anything. The doctor explained to me that I had probably "pinched a nerve" between my ribs. For the life of me it made no sense at all, because I could not recall doing anything that would have caused it.

I expected him to put me in the hospital and prescribe heavy doses of Morphine. What I got was, "go home, take an aspirin, and in a few weeks you will feel better". I wanted to throw apples at him, but followed his advice and in a few long weeks felt my normal self once more.

It was a few years later, still in my twenties that I injured my back. I took a running jump at a huge air cushion off the patio deck and missed it clean. Landed right on my tail bone and once again thought I was dying. With a few more bottles of beer, the pain passed in a couple hours and I was sore for a few days after. However...

Since that day I have had back problems. At first it was every couple of years I would throw my back out and be laid up for a few days. But, as I grew older, the episodes became more frequent, and lasted longer. Finally, it wasn't a matter of lasting longer, but one of forever.

Today, I have two ruptured discs, disc degeneration, stenosis and mobility issues as a result. Over the years, I have tried everything to keep me off of the operating table. Until recently the only thing that gave me any relief to speak of was pain pills and anti inflammatories. These of course threat they symptoms and not the root problem, but back surgery is the last thing anyone should try. The reason I say that is the alarming rate of failed back surgeries and the poor definition of successful ones. When the doctors can only offer you a 50/50 chance of improvement, and that improvement may not be substantial, you have to stop and think. What if it gets worse?

For thirty years I have avoided going to a Chiropractor. Perhaps it was foolish on my part, but I always thought of Chiropractor's a charlatans. Then, two years ago, I was in an automobile accident which added to my back problems. Because my auto insurance would pay for the Chiropractor (my regular medical won't) I did some research and decided to try Decompression Therapy. On paper, in theory, it looked promising.

The first Chiropractor I went to used a machine called the "Evolution DT". The procedure was simple enough. When I arrived at the office, they would first align my back using normal Chiropractic techniques. Then they would have me sit in a chair and apply a moist heat pack to my lower back for about 10 minutes to loosen me up.

The Evolution table is a newer model of decompression table. Think of it as a "split" bed that moves. The lower half goes South and the upper half stays fixed. For lower lumbar decompression, they have what amounts to a chest strap to hold you down to the table and then a hip or pelvis belt that is wrapped around your waist, just above the hip bones. This belt is what will pull your lower torso to the South.

The table has a built-in computer which is set, for the amount of pull or tension and the session time. The initial settings are based upon your weight and then gradually increase with each treatment until the tension equals half of your body weight. The machine goes through a series of applying tension and then releasing it. As I recall it is about 60 seconds on and then 30 seconds off. This creates a negative vacuum in the discs helping to pull fluids into the disc to revitalize it.

The session lasts about 20 minutes and then they have you sit in a chair again and apply a cold pack this time to reduce any swelling that the stretching may have caused for about 10 minutes.

I had good results with the Evolution for the first four or five treatments. But then, because I am on the obese side of overweight, the tension became too much and the hip (pelvis) belt would slip from my hips. Regardless of how hard they tried to tie me down to the machine, the style of the belt prevented it from getting a good grip on my hips. After six sessions, I started looking for a different machine. I knew the decompression was working because there was an almost immediate improvement in my mobility. Less pain.

I found the DRX9000 on the Internet and looked at dozens of reviews. The way it attaches to your hips is with what is more like a girdle than a belt. The DRX9000 is the latest in terms of innovation in Decompression tables. The overall procedure however remains about the same. They align, apply heat, you spend about 25 minutes on the table and then they put a cold pack on you.

The major differences in the two machines is the way your lower torso is held in place, the fact that you get into the machine standing up and it lays you down, and last but not least, they can change the angle that your lower torso is pulled at. This last feature allows them to be more specific in directing which vertebra they treat. They adjust the angle of the strap attached to the machine and belt attached to your hips. In my case, the ruptured discs are L4 & L5. The first ten treatments I had were directed at L4, the next ten at L5.

The first ten treatments I had were very effective. My range of motion without pain increased. The distance I could walk before I had to sit down doubled. My overall pain level decreased by at least 50%. After ten treatments I was feeling better than I had in a few years.

When they adjusted the settings on the machine to pull on L5, I did not improve any further. I think I would have been better off to have those 10 treatments focused on the L4 vertebra.

After 20 sessions I was impressed with the improvement. Thoughts of giving in to surgery had diminished and I was getting around much better. I finished those treatments about 18 months ago and although the benefits have slowly faded, I'm still in better shape than I was before I had them.

The cost is what keeps me from doing another series of treatments. Without insurance to pay for it, you are looking at around $3,000 for 20 visits.

Two months ago, I came across an article for a product called Spinal Stretch. Developed by a Chiropractor for his patients to use at home, it works on the same basic principles of the Decompression Tables. Compared to the tables it is low tech. You have a strap you either hold by closing a door on it, or attaching it to a hook you have screwed into the floor or baseboard. You then attach a belt around your hips, lie down on the floor and tighten it with a ratchet type device thus applying tension to your spinal column.

Although it doesn't apply as much tension, and does not cycle between on and off as far as the tension goes, it does create relief.

I have found that using it twice a day for 30 minutes has improved my back problems substantially. I have to be very careful on how I attach it to my hips because of the girth I carry, but by hooking the belt onto my regular belt I get enough of a grip to get the job done. I might add, that you use this machine while laying on carpeting. If you tighten it to much, you slip forward. I have not tried it while laying on something you can't slide on, but have given it thought to increase the tension.

In closing, if you have lower back problems, I'm a firm believer in the DRX9000 being able to help you. And, if you can't afford the $3000 for the treatments, shop around, you might find a Chiropractor that is willing to do it for less. If not, invest the $100 or so in the Spinal Stretch, it will be the best $100 you have spent this year.

A foot drop represents a patient's inability to dorsiflex the foot (flex the foot towards the sky). There are a number of reasons it happens, and this article discusses foot drop that occurs from any reason outside of spine surgery. For instance, it can be the result of a spinal cord injury, stroke, tumor, or compression/injury to either the peroneal nerve or the lumbar nerve root itself.

When a patient develops a foot drop, the first important consideration is to figure out the cause. The primary contributor to a person being able to dorsiflex the foot is the L5 nerve root. Other nerve roots may help as well, such as L4, which can sometimes explain a partial foot drop. If the cause ends up being farther down the leg (more distal), it can be the peroneal nerve.

An electromyographic exam is a vital test to determining the level of the problem, whether it's in the back or in the leg. Along with this, an MRI can be vital to seeing if there is a herniated disc pushing on the L5 nerve root. That would be the most common cause, but in certain instances even something rare like a spinal cord tumor may show up. One should have an extremely low threshold for ordering an MRI for evaluation of a foot drop.

If the electromyography and MRI are consistent with a herniated disc compressing a nerve root, then the answer is clear. But what's the solution? There is no definitive answer as to how long it is acceptable to watch a foot drop. However, the current theory is that over 3 to 6 months it may be a permanent situation despite fixingthe problem. This means that if it is observed 6 months for improvement, none occurs, and then surgery is undertaken, it may never get better even with a perfectly done procedure.

So what's the answer? Patients are different in healing capacities, so it's not a black and white answer. But if a foot drop has been present for 3 months, heavy consideration should be given to decompressing the problem area. If this means a herniated disc on the L5 nerve root, a discectomy should be accomplished. If this means a compressed peroneal nerve, it is a short procedure to free it up.

It should never be ignored. The cause should be figured out, and then an action plan put into place. That may mean an observation period to see if it resolves, but after a certain point the risk of a permanent situation makes it prudent to take away the compression despite the surgical risks.

Chiropractic adjustment is a method of care designed to correct alignment issues in the body, most commonly in the spine. Other areas of the body such as the hips, wrist, knees, and elbows can receive benefit as well.

A chiropractor who uses the activator technique uses a spring loaded instrument with a rubber tip that is hand held. The activator adjustment instrument is used to target specific joints providing a thrust which is designed to move the vertebrae into proper alignment and restore nervous system function.

In preparation for the activator adjustments, chiropractors perform a complete musculoskeletal exam including looking for alignment problems in the spine. The tests help the chiropractor identify the exact areas needing correction. During the adjustment, the chiropractor places the activator tip against the skin close to the joint being worked on. The spring then fires, and the rubber tip taps gently against the joint. The activator is designed to deliver a controlled, high speed, low force thrust that the patient experiences as a gentle pulse. It is perfect for patients who are unable to tolerate a regular manual manipulation or for instance a pregnant patient.

The chiropractor may utilize the activator to tap multiple points along the spine, extremities, and pelvis. The goal is to realign vertebrae and pelvis improving the spine's range and quality of movement.

Spinal adjustments in the back and neck have been shown to be safe and effective for many pain conditions and may play a large role in restoring one's ability to enjoy life.

There are various ways to learn how to grow taller. Some are more effective than others and it's important to note that these methods can be used synergistically - all at the same time - to promote the quickest, most effective, and most permanent means of height increase.

The first method of learning how to grow taller is stretching exercises. It is entirely possible to learn how to grow taller with stretching exercises. Results do take time since there are three levels of development but this is the absolute most effective way to grow taller effectively.

Grow taller exercises - on their own - can add up to three inches of height permanently. While there are numerous exercises that target the spine, research has shown that the best possible combination of yoga style exercises that tone, strengthen, and develop the muscles that support the spine leading to height increase.

Once these muscles have developed appropriately, the spine will begin to lengthen as well as straighten another inch or two through spinal decompression. Then, with time and proper implementation of the exercises the spinal discs as well as the cartilage that supports your arms, legs, and spine will begin to thicken leading to a proportionate and taller body.

Learn how to grow taller using stretching exercises to read more about stretching exercises and their benefits.

Since you have to feed your body appropriately in order for it to have the nutrition it requires to grow taller, the second method of learning how to grow taller is proper supplementation. In short, the correct balance of height-supporting supplements are as important as implementing proper grow taller exercises. There are numerous supplements currently available but most of them do not contain the vital ingredients that stimulate growth.

Fortunately, most supplements that promote healthy height growth are available in your local grocery store. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive pills ordered over the internet from unscrupulous companies. In fact, it's much better if you didn't. The vast majority of companies that sell so-called "grow taller" pills online are deceptive at best and downright fraudulent at worst. "Buyer beware" when dealing with any company that sells any supplement that promises height growth.

One method that will definitely make a difference in your height, but is not recommended by any means for a number of different reasons is limb lengthening. Limb lengthening is a surgical procedure that requires either internal or external rods placed inside the limbs which have to be adjusted periodically. This procedure is currently being performed for cosmetic reasons outside of the United States. Although limb lengthening is very effective it does require extensive recuperation and time. Approximately 1mm of height per day can be added which translates to an inch per month. Pain medication, hospital stay, and a high cost makes this procedure almost very expensive and out of reach to most individuals.

Limb-lengthening is very expensive, very painful, and takes months and months for true height increase to take place. Added to that is the high risk of adverse side effects from the procedures including minor deformities, decreased quality of life, increased joint inflammation and even paralysis of the limbs.

On the other hand, you can learn how to increase your height using a combination of proven stretching exercises and nutrition and gain up to three to four inches of true, natural height in just a few months. You'll save tens of thousands of dollars and be an overall healthier individual.

If you have not noticed, the US is experiencing a verifiable epidemic when it comes to drug abuse. A CDC report last year showed that pain reliever abuse has increased 111% in the last 5 years.

In addition, a new Institute of Medicine report showed that over 100 million Americans are dealing with chronic pain, at a cost to the country of over $540 billion dollars a year. Yes, that is not a typo! Twenty percent of doctor office visits involve a narcotic prescription.

Most physicians, when asked if they drug test their patients, say "I know my patients, they are not selling it or diverting it." This is a fallacy, as studies have shown that 30% of patients divert their medications. This means they are either selling it, giving it to someone, or trading it for illicit substances. The culprits include young patients who one would suspect all the way up to retired individuals looking to supplement their social security.

Here are 5 reasons why doctors should drug test their patients who they are prescribing narcotics.

1. Drug testing provides the clinician with an objective test documenting prescription adherence. With the numbers of patients diverting their medications in all age groups, testing will help make sure that patients are taking their medications and also not abusing illicit drugs. How betrayed will a pain doctor feel if his patient is negative for the medications prescribed and positive for heroin and cocaine? It happens more than you would think!

2. As states become more regulated with narcotic prescriptions (e.g. Washington state), drug testing your patients will become the standard of care. Multiple medical boards now recommend it for chronic narcotic patients. With its low cost of doing the testing, instituting it now is an excellent pre-emptive maneuver for compliance.

3. Protects your practice from legal issues. If a patient sells the medication they are being prescribed to a person who becomes impaired while driving and hurts someone, the trail of narcotic may lead back to the prescribing doctor. If a screening mechanism has been in place to detect prescription compliance, it will serve as a legal deterrent to anyone who tries to say that the prescribing doctor was not properly monitoring the patient.

4. Places the practice on a level playing field. Testing on a random basis is a very common pain management screening method with urine cups. However, it is not random if only the 18-15 year old crowd is selected. A "level playing field" for testing would include random testing for all age groups receiving chronic pain medications.

5. Patients who call in early for refills or are first time patients. Establishing a baseline for patients' narcotic usage or illicit substance intake should be standard practice for first time patients at the office. This will ensure that patients' results correlate with what they write on their history and the medical records detail. Also if a patient is calling in early for refills a smart approach would be to make the patient show up in person for a refill and find out what's going on and perform a urine screening to ensure legitimacy with the request.

Prescribing narcotics is risky business these days, but with proper precautions can be effectively monitored for diversion. One of the best methods currently is urine drug testing.

Chiropractic Treatment has become essentially mainstream in the US. About thirty percent of patients with low back pain use the services of chiropractors. Chiropractic Manipulation is now included on a very short list of national guidelines for managing acute low back pain.

There are many different "schools of thought" with chiropractic education, and hence chiropractors treat patients with various disciplines. These include variations with the types of spinal manipulation administered. But what a lot of people do not realize is that chiropractors do a lot more than just manipulations.

These additional treatments include Spinal Decompression Therapy, Physiotherapy, Physical Rehabilitation, Bracing, and Manipulation Under Anesthesia. A lot of Chiropractic Doctor Offices resemble physical therapy centers with all of the pain management treatments being offered. Certain Chiropractic Schools teach physical rehabilitation, which includes many of the same concepts as physical therapy such as core strengthening, lumbar stabilization, etc.

In conjunction with the physical rehabilitation, chiropractors include therapeutic modalities for pain relief including interferential treatment (transcutaneous electrical stimulation), cryotherapy (ice), ultrasound, and massage therapy. A typical rehab session would include active stretching and strengthening, therapeutic modalities, spinal manipulation, and potentially spinal decompression if indicated.

Bracing for patients can provide significant pain relief as well for the spine, knees, and extremities. Certain Chiropractors are trained in identifying who it will help and are also able to fit patients for them.

All of these treatments can be performed within the scope of a chiropractic doctor's training depending on the program attended. Completing additional certification in spinal decompression treatment along with manipulation under anesthesia expands the potential pain relief options.

Manipulation Under Anesthesia can be an excellent option for patients with stiff shoulders, pelvis, and spinal column if they have failed primary conservative treatment.

As you can see, going to see a chiropractic doctor can involve multiple options for pain relief on top of simply receiving a spinal manipulation.

Chiropractor treatment has expanded in the past 15 years dramatically. Decades ago, chiropractic treatment consisted mainly of spinal manipulations and a few exercises along with maybe some weight loss treatment. That is no longer the case by an exponential amount as multiple additional treatment are now being offered by chiropractors.

Chiropractors receive considerable education after college that it's actually four years just like medical school. They receive a very good education on the musculoskeletal anatomy, physiology, and treatment of the problem. As with most modern medical fields, advancements in chiropractic treatment have definitely kept up with the rest of pain management.

Upon going to a modern chiropractic doctor's office, you'll often see a significant amount of electronic equipment. This includes a spinal decompression therapy machine, which is a technology involving computerized intermittent traction that can effectively relieve back pain, neck pain, or arm and leg pain. This has revolutionized the treatment of degenerative disease, sciatica, spinal stenosis, and facet arthritis along with ruptured or bulging discs.

Another piece of treatment equipment you may see is electrical simulation and ultrasound. These devices are great for helping patients get better and involve laying on the table and having foam pads placed over the painful area. Then electrical stimulation is administered through the skin in order to alter the way that pain is perceived by the brain and is designed to tire out the muscles that are being treated in order to relieve pain. Ultrasound can help decrease inflammation along with pushing steroid medication from the skin a couple centimeters into the soft tissues acting as an intense anti-inflammatory medication.

Additional equipment that you may see in a chiropractic office might look exactly like physical therapy equipment. The reason is that a lot of chiropractors are trained in physical rehabilitation, which is the same exercises involved in physical therapy except being performed by the chiropractor. This can work exceptionally well for low back and neck pain and along with the other treatments now being offered. This explains why chiropractic treatment is over 85% effective in the US.

At any one point in time, over 10% of Americans are under the care of a chiropractic clinic. Based on the continually modern treatments being added to the profession, one can easily see why. Chiropractors in the US do not prescribe medications, yet the success rate for effectiveness in pain management is very high. The reason that these treatments along with spinal manipulation are great, and provide patients with the pain relief needed to increase their functional abilities.

The Logan Basic technique is a very low force treatment that some chiropractors use. It involves the muscular structure that surrounds the sacrum and is used as a lever system. The doctor puts a light pressure on a leverage spot on the sacral bone while the patient is in a face down position. He holds the pressure for a few minutes as he uses the other hand to rub the back muscles to release tension. This causes the entire spine to move toward balance. The light pressure allows the muscles to relax. This is a very gentle treatment but it's extremely effective.

An examination is given to a patient before the Logan Basic technique is administered. This is usually done while the patients in a standing and lying position. The examination includes a weight bearing postural analysis which looks at the structural landmarks of the body. This gives significant information to the doctor. Full spine A-P and lateral x-rays may also be taken. Patients that are very large or tall usually aren't candidates for full spine x-rays because it's difficult to get a good image. All parts of the x-ray film need to be of diagnostic quality so the doctor can read it accurately.

Fatigue poisons or build up chemicals in the body can cause severe exhaustion. The Logan Basic technique releases these poisons by relaxing the muscles. This treatment may be an effective treatment for eliminating headaches, fatigue, insomnia, digestive problems, mood swings, sinus and allergy problems. It works well for low back and pelvic alignments. Patients with osteoporosis can be treated with this method because of its low force adjustments. The low force also makes it an ideal and gentle treatment for infants, children and the elderly.

Logan Basic technique is often used successfully to treat women during their entire pregnancy and labor. Pregnant women may experience uncomfortable symptoms such as tightness and pain in their hips and lumbar and gluteal muscles. This treatment can reduce some symptoms and help the pelvic function correctly. The table used to give the treatment is a high-low table which is very comfortable and safe. Procedures that are used include piriformis contact, sacral unlock and the main contact called apex. The apex contact is meant to establish proper sacral alignment. Perineal contact is used starting at the fifth month to improve muscle tone in the pelvic muscles which helps with a healthy delivery. Doctors may need to get verbal and written permission before using the perineal contact.

The Logan Basic technique involves analyzing the spine and its biomechanics in normalcy and with problems that are caused by sacral subluxations. Biomechanics means studying the stability, motion and deformation of the spine/ it's learning about various spine disorders and the best way to treat them. Dr. Logan, the inventor of this technique, stated that since the spine rests on the sacrum, it could obstruct the stabilization of spinal subluxations if the sacrum were unleveled or subluxated. This gentle but powerful treatment has helped many people find pain relief and correction of postural distortions.

Over five million Americans live with back pain every day of their lives. Many of the Low back pain people who suffer are found to possess the pain related to the Sciatica Nerve. Dealings with back pain, both physically and mentally is something many people have to endure most of their adult life.

Lets look into out the human spinal column

Sciatica, in its most essential form, is compression of one particularly long nerve called the sciatic nerve. The Human spine should be discussed when talking about Sciatica and why nerve compression takes place. We should also discuss the human nervous system. The human CNS, or "central nervous system," is comprised of the spinal cord and all of the millions of nerves that are distributed across the body.

The central nervous system is what really is responsible for transmitting millions of chemical messages across a large network of tissues, organs, and cells. It is the lifeline of the brain and the control of voluntary muscle tissues that puts all this together for us. The human central nervous system is powerful enough to simultaneously and effortlessly communicate with billions of cells in the human anatomy.

Now, how is the brain able to communicate with cells, tissues, and organs throughout the different levels of the human body? The Nerve highway or the spinal column is how the brain accomplishes this wonderful form communication. The human spinal column is a solid, bundled column of nerves running from base of the skull all the way down to the coccyx, or human 'tail bone.'

This nerve column branches off into the various areas of the body, which then allows uninterrupted communicating between the brain and the different systems of the human body.

As you can probably see, the human spinal column is a very important structure in your body. Chiropractors are specialized in this area, and I believe, personally, can fix a whole ton of problems by igniting the communication nerves in the body, by knowing the spinal column inside and out. Unfortunately the medical world, for whatever reason, does not fully recognize chiropractic work as 100% legit. Sometimes I feel that is a conspiracy to keep us on drugs, and I believe, as we learn more and more about the spinal column, and certain exercises, and natural cures, many would agree with me.

The Sciatica nerve, is one of these nerves, and when its pushed against, it can be painful in the buttocks area, and that is called Sciatica. Of course, you would get "pain pills" for this from a doctor, but there are plenty of ways to cure Sciatica, per say, and lots of exercises to do to get rid of sciatica when you get it, and/or prevent it from every happening.

As shown above, five million Americans, and who knows how many world wide, have and live in back pain, and many of them have sciatica, and many do not realize that most of sciatica can be relieved in hours or even a few days, and in some cases, minutes!

I suggest you look around for Sciatica exercises, and cures. There are many, and they are not strenuous at all, in fact, Sciatica exercises are some of the few I know where your feeling better while exercising, its actually awesome! Why don't doctors tell you this? I don't know, maybe that topic is for another day.

The disc is a gel like structure that sits between the vertebrae and when it becomes herniated it pushes out of its normal position. The herniated disc is a problem because it is irritating to the spinal nerves which are close to the discs. As we become older the spinal disc becomes less flexible. Some individuals as young as thirty years of age have been seen to have deterioration.

When the spinal disc loses its flexibility it can become ruptured. When that happens then the disc will push out of its normal position and is then herniated. When this occurs then the spinal nerves become pinched. There is usually some space between the spinal cord and the nerves but when the disc is pushed out of its normal position it will become compressed.

A herniated disc can happen in the case of an accident or an injury or it can happen slowly during a strain on the back caused by a job or sports. Sometimes it may happen when the space between the spinal cord and the nerves becomes smaller. A small space between the cord and the nerves can cause irritation of the nerves.

Some of the symptoms of a herniated disc are: leg and arm pain, weakness in the muscles, numbness, and in more severe cases there could be bowel and bladder incontinence. If you are feeling any of these symptoms it is a good idea for you to see your chiropractor and get a diagnosis as to what kind of condition you may be suffering with.

Treatment for a herniated disc that is most often recommended is spinal decompression. Spinal decompression therapy is a not invasive nor is it a surgical procedure, but it relieves the pressure from the nerves. Spinal decompression creates a vacuum effect that sucks the gel like structure back into position thus relieving the pressure on the nerve.

About eighty percent of the American population suffers from some form of back pain either intermittent or chronic. If you are one of that eighty percent you should see your chiropractor and get a diagnosis as soon as possible. If you have a herniated disc it will not go away on its own if it is ignored. A herniated disc can become progressively worse if it is not treated.

Spinal decompression is definitely an available treatment option if you live in the Bala Cynwyd / Philadelphia Pennsylvania area. You should see a chiropractor right away. They can tell you what treatment you should have for your herniated disc condition. They will gladly explain your condition to you and what therapy will help to relieve the pain.

There is no need to suffer from back pain when there is help available to relieve the pain, and allow you to take part in your former activities whether they are everyday activities of sport activities.