Herniated Disc - A New Treatment Option

Herniated disc sufferers used to be limited to the treatment choices of over the counter or prescription medications, spinal steroid injections, physical therapy, or some type of spinal disc surgical intervention. These treatment approaches have had an overall poor success rate and carry a significant chance of side-effects. Now a new treatment option is providing improved results and safety in alleviating the suffering associated with a herniated disc.

A new kind of intermittent spinal traction known as spinal decompression is rapidly becoming the treatment of choice for herniated disc sufferers. The old kind of traction was used for many years in herniated disc cases, but it was not particularly effective, and it even made symptoms worse in some patients. Regular traction often sets off muscle spasm, which may increase pain and may even compress a herniated disc further, increasing the bulging.

Spinal decompression has solved these problems though. Although still technically traction machines, true spinal decompression systems pull very slowly and gradually in order to keep the muscles relaxed and avoid triggering spasm. In addition, the more advanced of the spinal decompression systems also have computer-controlled motors and have sensors to measure the body’s resistance to treatment. Any hint of muscle contraction sensed by the system causes it to reduce its pull and allow the body to relax again. The most advanced of these systems can respond to what the body is doing in an amazing 1/17th of a second. Since the body’s reactions take place in approximately 1/5th of a second, these advanced spinal decompression systems can modify treatment before the muscles can spasm, allowing for comfortable herniated disc relief.

This ability to avoid the body’s muscle spasm response allows spinal decompression systems to dramatically lower the pressure within a herniated disc. In fact, disc pressure is actually dropped into the negative pressure range, creating a suction that pulls the bulging disc material back towards the center of the disc and away from sensitive nerves. In addition, fluid and nutrients are pulled into the disc from the surrounding tissues, and this assists in disc healing. Over time and repeated treatments, the herniated disc material is pulled back in, and the healing of the disc provides stabilization of the outer wall of the disc to prevent further bulging.

Decompression treatment varies in terms of the number of sessions and duration and frequency of treatments depending on several factors such as patient age, the severity of the problem, and the number of herniated discs present. It can be used in both lumbar and cervical herniated discs with a high rate of success.

Statistically, spinal decompression with the more advanced machines, and with appropriate patient selection has a success rate of 80-90%, and of those who are successfully treated, the results hold up well long-term in most cases. Given the success rate and the fact that the most common side-effect is some temporary post-treatment muscle soreness, spinal decompression is often the best option in herniated disc treatment.

Recently, hype and unfounded advertising claims, as well as inappropriate application of spinal decompression by some providers has led to unrealistic patient expectations and in some cases legal action by regulatory agencies and this has damaged the reputation of spinal decompression. Spinal decompression is not a cure-all, it is not effective for all patients, and it cannot be used in every case, but it is a dramatic improvement in the treatment for people suffering from a herniated disc.

Spinal decompression, when used appropriately, does produce enough improvement and disc healing in the vast majority of cases to allow patients to resume normal lives and return to most activities (even playing golf or tennis and working in the yard), but it does not restore a herniated disc to 100% normal. No treatment can. Even the still-experimental disc replacement surgery does not restore the spine to a normal condition and future back problems following disc replacement are to be expected. Overwork, poor posture, or failure to use good bending and lifting techniques can set the stage for a recurrence of disc problems no matter how good the results of treatment are initially.

By carefully selecting patients for spinal decompression and effectively communicating realistic expectations to patients, spinal decompression providers can supply an unusually safe and effective treatment option for those with a herniated disc.

 

About the Author:

Dr. George Best has been treating people suffering with herniated discs since 1992. To get additional information on herniated discs, sciatica, or degenerative disc disease, visit Herniated Disc.