Living with chronic pain in the back or neck can be very disruptive and it can limit one's activities considerably. Spinal decompression therapy is a treatment option that can provide effective relief from pain in many patients, and it can be done both non-surgically and surgically. Before deciding to undergo spinal decompression Shavano Park, TX patients should first find out what's involved and if it's suitable for them.
The objective of this procedure is to alter the position and force of the spine slightly by gently stretching it. When this happens, it has the effect of reducing pressure on the disks between the vertebrae, facilitating easier movement, and increasing flow of oxygen and nutrients which are needed for proper healing.
If indicated, both medical doctors and chiropractors will suggest this treatment to their patients who are experiencing persistent pain in the spine due a long-standing disorder or acute pain from an injury. Typically a non-surgical approach will be used first and if this does not help, a surgical technique may be needed. Patients with worn spinal joints, spinal nerve root conditions, sciatica, and herniated or bulging disks have all shown improvement following this procedure.
Patients can wear regular clothes for this procedure. They will be placed on a special table which the practitioner will control using a computer. Lying on either the back or belly, the patient will then be strapped in with harnesses around the pelvis and upper torso. Treatment times vary between 30 and 45 minutes, and they are usually done as a series, consisting of about 20 to 28 sessions spread out over a 5 to 7 week period. Sometimes other forms of therapy are combined with this treatment such as hot and cold applications or electrical muscle stimulation.
If the use of decompression is contraindicated, the physician will take another approach to the patient's pain relief. Certain conditions rule out this type of therapy including advanced osteoporosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, fractures, tumors, metal implants in the spine, and pregnancy.
Some types of back pain, in particular that which is caused bony growths of the spine known as osteophytes or disk problems that do not respond favorably to non-surgical therapy, may be addressed through surgery. Patients who continue to experience numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain can often get relief by undergoing surgery to relieve pressure on the nerves of the spine.
There are different types of surgical spinal decompression which may be performed depending on the particular symptoms the patient is experiencing. Sometimes it is necessary to excise a small portion of either a disk or bone, or it may be necessary to increase the size of the space through which the nerve roots run, or totally remove a disk altogether. All of these measures are done to relieve pressure in the spine.
Sometimes the only way to know if a patient will benefit from surgical decompression is for him or her to undergo the operation and simply wait and see. Many will note an improvement and reduction in pain, while others may feel no differently than before the surgery. Much like all forms of surgery, this procedure does carry some risks such as nerve or tissue damage, bleeding, infection, clot formation, and allergic reaction to anesthesia, but these are quite uncommon and it is generally safe.
The objective of this procedure is to alter the position and force of the spine slightly by gently stretching it. When this happens, it has the effect of reducing pressure on the disks between the vertebrae, facilitating easier movement, and increasing flow of oxygen and nutrients which are needed for proper healing.
If indicated, both medical doctors and chiropractors will suggest this treatment to their patients who are experiencing persistent pain in the spine due a long-standing disorder or acute pain from an injury. Typically a non-surgical approach will be used first and if this does not help, a surgical technique may be needed. Patients with worn spinal joints, spinal nerve root conditions, sciatica, and herniated or bulging disks have all shown improvement following this procedure.
Patients can wear regular clothes for this procedure. They will be placed on a special table which the practitioner will control using a computer. Lying on either the back or belly, the patient will then be strapped in with harnesses around the pelvis and upper torso. Treatment times vary between 30 and 45 minutes, and they are usually done as a series, consisting of about 20 to 28 sessions spread out over a 5 to 7 week period. Sometimes other forms of therapy are combined with this treatment such as hot and cold applications or electrical muscle stimulation.
If the use of decompression is contraindicated, the physician will take another approach to the patient's pain relief. Certain conditions rule out this type of therapy including advanced osteoporosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, fractures, tumors, metal implants in the spine, and pregnancy.
Some types of back pain, in particular that which is caused bony growths of the spine known as osteophytes or disk problems that do not respond favorably to non-surgical therapy, may be addressed through surgery. Patients who continue to experience numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain can often get relief by undergoing surgery to relieve pressure on the nerves of the spine.
There are different types of surgical spinal decompression which may be performed depending on the particular symptoms the patient is experiencing. Sometimes it is necessary to excise a small portion of either a disk or bone, or it may be necessary to increase the size of the space through which the nerve roots run, or totally remove a disk altogether. All of these measures are done to relieve pressure in the spine.
Sometimes the only way to know if a patient will benefit from surgical decompression is for him or her to undergo the operation and simply wait and see. Many will note an improvement and reduction in pain, while others may feel no differently than before the surgery. Much like all forms of surgery, this procedure does carry some risks such as nerve or tissue damage, bleeding, infection, clot formation, and allergic reaction to anesthesia, but these are quite uncommon and it is generally safe.
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