Many people experience pain daily at some point in their lives. The causes of pain can vary from person to person and can be due to environmental factors or normal wear and tear on the body. When the spine is under unwanted pressure, spinal discs can become compressed and musculoskeletal disorders can cause vertebrae to wear down, leading to chronic pain and disability. Fortunately, many treatments are available to alleviate pain and help the body restore itself naturally. This article focuses on a non-surgical treatment called spinal decompression, which can reduce the effects of musculoskeletal pain and help with the back and spine’s cervical, thoracic, and lumbar areas. We utilize and incorporate valuable information about our patients to certified medical providers using non-surgical therapies like spinal decompression to alleviate pain-like symptoms associated with environmental factors. We encourage referring patients to associated medical providers based on their findings while supporting that education is a remarkable tool to ask our providers essential questions at the patient’s request. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., comprises this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
What Is Spinal Decompression?
Do you feel stiffness in your upper or lower body? Are you experiencing any discomfort in your back, neck, or shoulders? Or are you feeling pain during simple movements? If these issues persist, consider spinal decompression therapy to alleviate your pain. Research studies reveal that many people experience pain at least a few times due to compression of the intervertebral discs caused by everyday wear-and-tear injuries and poor posture. This happens when the vertebral bones compress the spinal cord and discs, creating a risk of further complications. Luckily, spinal decompression is a non-surgical treatment option that is safe, gentle, and proven successful. It gently stretches the spine, relieving pressure on the spinal disc. Some of the physical benefits of spinal decompression therapy include:
Pain level decrease
Spine mobility improves
Postural integrity enhances
Develops core strength
Joint flexibility increases
Decrease stress levels
The immune system is boosted
Prevents new injuries from occurring
Chiropractic Care for Disc Herniation-Video
Do you feel pain or stiffness in certain body areas, especially when stretching or bending? These symptoms are often caused by spinal disc compression. Fortunately, many non-surgical treatments are available to help reduce the effects of spinal disc compression and promote natural healing. One such treatment is spinal decompression, as studies reveal that it uses negative pressure to stretch the muscles around the spine and reduce stress. Spinal decompression can be combined with other non-surgical treatments like chiropractic care to relieve pressure from the spine and reduce pain. Chiropractic care involves realigning the spine and reducing referred neck, shoulder, or back pain. Both therapies are non-invasive and can be combined with physical and nutritional treatment for optimal results. The video above explains how non-surgical treatments can help with disc herniation and associated symptoms.
Spinal Decompression For Musculoskeletal Pain
If you experience axial load on your spine from various factors, it could lead to musculoskeletal pain. Research shows that musculoskeletal pain is somatic by nature and can be associated with other pain syndromes related to the spine. Spinal decompression therapy can help alleviate this referred pain by using gentle traction to stretch the spine. Dr. Eric Kaplan, D.C., FIAMA, and Dr. Perry Bard, D.C.’s book, “The Ultimate Spinal Decompression,” stated that this therapy creates space between the vertebrae, allowing herniated or bulging discs to return to their positions in the spine. This reduces pressure on nerves and soft tissues and increases the circulation of oxygenated blood, fluids, and nutrients to the spinal disc. This helps stimulate the body’s natural healing mechanism and reduce musculoskeletal pain in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions. Therefore, spinal decompression therapy can alleviate pain symptoms associated with those areas.
Conclusion
If you’re experiencing musculoskeletal pain in your neck, upper back, or lower back, it could be due to unwanted pressure on your spine. A variety of environmental factors can cause this pressure. Spinal decompression is a non-surgical treatment that can help alleviate this pressure using gentle traction on the spine. Spinal decompression can create negative pressure, increasing disc height and stretching the surrounding muscles. This can help reduce pain and prevent new injuries from occurring. Combining spinal decompression with other therapies can help individuals become more mindful of their bodies and avoid adding unwanted pressure to their spine.
The human body has muscles surrounding and protecting the spine to prevent pain and disability. The spine is divided into three sections in the body: cervical, thoracic, and lumbar, which form an S-shape curve to promote stability and good posture. The spine has several discs, facet joints, and spinal nerves that work with the surrounding muscles, making the body mobile. However, various factors can pressure the spine, compressing the spinal discs and invoking referred pain to the surrounding muscles and tissues in different locations, leading to overlapping risk profiles if left untreated. This article focuses on the lumbar spine, explaining what vertebral pain syndrome is and how non-surgical treatments such as spinal decompression can restore mobility to the lumbar spine. We utilize and incorporate valuable information about our patients to certified medical providers using non-surgical therapies like spinal decompression to alleviate vertebral pain syndrome associated with the lumbar spine. We encourage while referring patients to associated medical providers based on their findings while supporting that education is a remarkable tool to ask our providers the essential questions at the patient’s request. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., comprises this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
An Overview Of the Lumbar Spine
We will concentrate on the lumbar spine, one of the three spine sections. The lumbar spine or low back begins at the T12 (the last thoracic vertebra) and ends at the S1 (the sacrum). It comprises five vertebrae with a common structure supporting the low back. These vertebrae are as follows:
The body
Pedicles
Laminae
Transverse processes
Spinous process
Superior/inferior articular processes
The lumbar spine has bigger and stronger bones that provide stability to the upper and lower parts of the body. Research studies reveal that the lumbar spine performs three essential functions that enable the body to function properly:
It supports the upper body.
It absorbs axial forces that move from the head to the trunk. This allows the muscles in the trunk to move without causing pain.
The lumbar spine forms a canal that safeguards the spinal cord and nerves.
The Structures Of the Lumbar Spine
The spine comprises several structures, including the vertebrae, spinal cord, spinal nerves, facet joints, and intervertebral discs. Each structure plays a unique role in keeping our bodies functioning properly. The vertebrae protect the spinal cord and nerves from injury, while the facet joints guide the motion of the vertebrae and help maintain stability. The spinal cord and nerves work with the central nervous system to send signals from the brain to the body for coordinating reflex actions. Intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers, allowing the spine to be flexible. Muscles, tissues, and ligaments protect the entire lumbar spine structure from pain. However, traumatic injuries or unwanted pressures can cause misalignment and low back pain. Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint, and several factors can contribute to its development, often confused with vertebral pain syndrome associated with the lumbar spine, as research studies reveal.
Move Better, Live Better- Video
Do you have stiffness in your lower back or experience constant aches in certain regions? These may be signs of low back pain related to vertebral pain syndrome. Research shows that pathologic degeneration in the lumbar spine can cause low back pain, affecting all components. Several mechanical, traumatic, nutritional, and genetic factors contribute to spinal degeneration. However, non-surgical treatments can help reduce muscle pain and alleviate unwanted pressure on spinal discs. Chiropractic care and spinal decompression are two treatments that enhance mobility and function in the spine, relieving pain. The video above talks more about these treatments.
What Is Vertebral Pain Syndrome?
Experiencing pressure on the lumbar spine can result in various issues that can worsen low back pain. One of these issues is called vertebral pain syndrome. In “The Ultimate Spinal Decompression,” Dr. Eric Kaplan, D.C., FIAMA, and Dr. Perry Bard, D.C., explain that this syndrome occurs when environmental factors start affecting the lumbar spine. It can be caused by visceral pain in the lower back that disrupts neuron signals in the lumbar spine. This can irritate spinal nerves, leading to referred pain in the lower body. The book also mentions that vertebral pain syndrome can happen when the vertebrae end plates on spinal discs wear thin, causing pressure to move with the disc. This can inflame the spine, causing chronic low back pain.
How Spinal Decompression Alleviate Vertebral Pain Syndrome
How can non-surgical spinal decompression treatments help alleviate vertebral pain syndrome in the lumbar spine? Research studies revealed that spinal decompression could reduce pressure on the spinal disc and gently stretch the spine, restoring disc height. This treatment can relieve many people from low back pain and its associated symptoms. Moreover, it can rehydrate spinal discs by promoting the flow of blood and nutrients, which aids in the healing process to reduce the effects of vertebral pain syndrome.
Conclusion
Taking care of your spine is crucial as everyday factors can put pressure on it, causing damage to the spinal discs. This can lead to vertebral pain syndrome, which can cause lumbar back pain and referred pain linked to visceral problems. Luckily, spinal decompression therapy can ease the effects of this syndrome by gently stretching the spine and restoring hydration to the discs. Incorporating spinal decompression into your routine allows you to enjoy a pain-free life without worrying about lower back pain.
Kang, J.-I., Jeong, D.-K., & Choi, H. (2016). Effect of spinal decompression on the lumbar muscle activity and disk height in patients with herniated intervertebral disk. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(11), 3125–3130. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.3125
Kaplan, E. & Bard, P. (2023). The Ultimate Spinal Decompression. JETLAUNCH.
The spine holds the body together by ensuring that it is kept upright and not in pain when it is in motion. The musculoskeletal system is connected to the spine as the spine makes sure that the body’s center is supported when a person moves, walks, twists, and turns when doing daily activities. When the back gets injured, or the spinal cord gets compressed, it can cause back and spinal pain issues that can hinder a person causing them to be in immense pain and affect their daily lives. Even neck pain can be a nuisance as the cervical discs get compressed and the muscles get stiff. Luckily, many treatments can alleviate back pain and help with neck pain through non-surgical methods. In this article, we will be looking at axial pain and how it affects the neck, and how cervical axial decompression can alleviate neck pain. By referring patients to qualified and skilled providers specializing in spinal decompression therapy. To that end, and when appropriate, we advise our patients to refer to our associated medical providers based on their examination. We find that education is the key to asking valuable questions to our providers. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
Can my insurance cover it? Yes, it may. If you are uncertain, here is the link to all the insurance providers we cover. If you have any questions, please call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900.
What Is Axial Pain?
The spine is an S-shaped curve protected by ligaments, soft tissues, the spinal cord, and spinal discs from injuries. When the spine gets injured, many back issues start to affect the spine as the spinal discs get compressed, herniated, or even touch the nerve root like the sciatic nerve, causing sharp shooting pain down the leg. However, it is known as axial pain when a person starts to have mixed pain symptoms that begin to affect a person’s quality of life. Research studies have shown that axial pain is considered a syndrome with both nociceptive and neuropathic pain while also being a high socioeconomic impact on people. When individuals have neuropathic pain, it can be due to the result of injured nerves that will contribute to back pain and neck pain.
Neck Pain
As one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders that affect many individuals, research studies have shown that neck pain is a multifactorial disease that causes individuals to be in pain. Some of the risk factors that can cause neck pain can be from:
Other research studies have shown that since the neck is flexible and supports the head’s weight, it is vulnerable to many injuries and conditions that will cause pain and restricted movements like muscle strains, worn-out joints, nerve compression, and whiplash injuries. There are also two types of neck pains that can affect the cervical spine: axial pain, where the pain is felt in the neck mostly, and radical pain, where the pain affects the shoulders.
How To Operate The DRX9000-Video
The video above explains how to operate the DXR9000 decompression machine. The DRX9000 is part of spinal decompression therapy. It utilizes traction to gently stretch the spine to all the nutrients that go back into the spine and cause instant relief to many individuals. Many decompression machines allow many decompression treatments to the lumbar spine and provide relief to the cervical spine. With physical therapy, decompression therapy can alleviate the painful symptoms that affect a person’s quality of life and continue on their wellness journey. If you want to learn more about spinal decompression therapy, this link will explain the benefits of spinal decompression and how it can alleviate low back pain symptoms.
How Cervical Axial Decompression Reduces Neck Pain
Since many individuals suffer from neck pain, many treatments can alleviate neck pain. Research studies have shown that treatment for neck pain usually depends on the cause and the best way to reduce neck pain includes:
Gentle stretches
Use heat or ice packs
Traction therapy
Physical therapy
With traction therapy, many individuals are placed in a supine position on a decompression traction table and are strapped in so they won’t slide off. For cervical treatment, individuals are lying on the table as their head is positioned in a cervical cradle unit and strapped in as the traction machine gently stretches the cervical spinal joints to reduce the pressure on the neck. Research studies have shown that cervical decompression can directly reduce the volume of the hernia by creating negative pressure on the intervertebral discs to cause instant relief. Cervical decompression can also increase the intervertebral disc height and decompress the cervical nerve root to diminish the painful symptoms that cause neck pain.
Conclusion
All in all, neck pain is common for many individuals worldwide, caused by stress, injuries, or neuromusculoskeletal disorders. With neck pain, many individuals will feel muscle stiffness and compressed discs that can hinder a person and cause many unwanted issues that they don’t need. Utilizing decompression therapy can help alleviate neck pain and help repair the cervical disc by allowing the nutrients to rehydrate the cervical spine. With physical therapy, many individuals can feel instant relief from decompression and even add small changes to their lifestyle habits that can lower their stress levels and continue on their wellness journey without being in pain.
References
Förster, Matti, et al. “Axial Low Back Pain: One Painful Area–Many Perceptions and Mechanisms.” PloS One, Public Library of Science, 2 July 2013, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3699535/.
Kazeminasab, Somaye, et al. “Neck Pain: Global Epidemiology, Trends and Risk Factors.” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, BioMed Central, 3 Jan. 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8725362/.
Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Neck Pain.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 31 July 2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/neck-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20375581.
Xu, Qing, et al. “Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression System Traction Combined with Electroacupuncture in the Treatment of Multi-Segmental Cervical Disc Herniation: A Case Report.” Medicine, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 21 Jan. 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8772752/.
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