DRX9000 Spinal Decompression

Archive for August, 2008

For those who have been dealing with back pain, one of the alternative forms of treatment is inversion table therapy. Many people have found inversion therapy to be beneficial for temporary lower back pain relief.

The way that an inversion table works is relatively easy to understand. It is a flat table that you lie on which is resting on a pivot. You slip your feet into restraints or hook them underneath a bar that is at the bottom of the table. You either turn the table upside down yourself so that your head is toward the floor or allow somebody else to twist it on its pivot so that your head is in the down position.

Another form of therapy that also attempts to provide back pain relief by relieving spinal pressure is spinal decompression therapy using the DRX9000. This system takes a slightly different approach to relieving stress on the spine and discs.

Rather than using inverted gravity like the inversion table, the DRX9000 incorporates a series of small, oscillating pull-release motions that is controlled by the DRX9000 computer system.

For more information on inversion table therapy and how it compares to the DRX9000 see DRX9000 versus inversion table therapy.

Whether you use inversion table therapy or therapy using the DRX9000 spinal decompression machine, be sure to consult with your medical professional first so that you understand all your options as well as the risks.

Spinal decompression can be used for treating herniated discs, degenerative disc disease as well as sciatica related pain.

Following is a brief description of sciatica, the causes of sciatica, and possible treatments.

Sciatica is not a disease in and of itself, although the pain that results from it may make it seem like a dreadful disease. The term sciatica simply refers to pain located along, or radiating from, the sciatic nerve.

Because the sciatic nerve runs from the spine, through the hip and buttocks area, and down into the legs, that is where symptoms generally occur. Pain that is in your back and shoots down one leg is the most common complaint, but a tingling sensation or numbness in the toes or foot is also signs.

As with many back conditions, age is a factor. A job that requires you to lift a lot or drive a lot is also a risk factor. Diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle, too, may contribute to sciatica.

A frequent cause of sciatica is a herniated disk in the back, which happens when one or more discs in the back develop little tears or holes and the gel from the disc leaks out into the surrounding area. Degenerative disc disease is a common cause of herniated discs. A herniated disc is probably the most common cause of pain along the sciatic nerve, but really there are many other causes, as well. Spinal stenosis, the narrowing of your spinal canal, is also a common cause of sciatica. Other causes include a tumor on the spine or somewhere on the sciatic nerve itself, trauma, spondylolisthesis, and conditions with the piriformis muscle.

Treatments for sciatica range from non-invasive such as spinal decompression therapy to surgery. Your doctor will probably first recommend using heat or cold, certain stretching exercises, and medications you can get over-the-counter, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

In addition to medications, physical therapy may also help alleviate sciatica; generally, doctors will prescribe physical therapy to begin as soon as possible, and the physical therapist will probably teach you exercises you can do at home, also.

Non-invasive DRX9000 spinal decompression therapy is a treatment that is growing in popularity since it is non-surgical and many patients prefer to explore non-invasive methods before resorting to surgical attempts at relieving their back pain.

If these less aggressive treatments do not provide adequate relief, your doctor may suggest more drastic treatments. You may have injections of steroids into the spine and/or surgery.

Spinal fusion is a type of surgery that is often used to treat lower back pain problems resulting from degenerative disc disease.

You may be a candidate for spinal fusion surgery if your pain has not been not been helped by other methods such as extensive physical therapy, medications, homeopathic remedies, and chiropractic techniques.

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There are numerous risks involved in spinal fusion surgery and you should clearly know, understand, and consider the risks as compared to the possible benefits.

When the surgeon performs a spinal fusion, a tiny fragment of bone is placed in the disc space in the front of the spine. Even though the surgery is called a spinal fusion, the surgeon does not really fuse the spine. By placing the bone in those areas, the bone grows together, and essentially, the spine fuses itself. When the vertebrae fuse, the movement in that area is eliminated, so the pain is reduced or eliminated.

To read more about the basics of spinal fusion or how spinal decompression therapy maybe a suitable alternative see http://www.drx9000-spinal-decompression.com/spinal-decompression-therapy/.

A discectomy is a surgical treatment for back pain resulting from a herniated disk. In a discectomy, the surgeon removes the center portion of the disc that is located between the vertebrae of the spine, and sometimes he or she may also remove a little piece of the vertebrae bone as well. A discectomy may also be performed as a microdiscectomy, which requires a smaller incision and damages less tissue and leaves a smaller scar.

Generally speaking, surgical treatment for a herniated disk is the last option your doctor will try, as it is the most invasive. Before you have surgery, you and your doctor will probably try other treatment methods, such as medications, rest or limited activity, chiropractic care that may include decompression therapy, physical therapy, and cold compresses and heat compresses. It is not until other measures have been exhausted that most doctors will turn to discectomy as the treatment of choice.

To read more about the pros and cons of a discectomy and microdiscectomy for herniated discs and how spinal decompression therapy maybe a suitable alternative see http://www.drx9000-spinal-decompression.com/discectomy-treatment-for-herniated-disks/.