Disc Decompression

Disc Decompression Specialist in Lake County

disc decompression treatment in Gurnee IL

Learn About our Most Popular Treatment and How We Help People Avoid Surgery

Most people learn about non-surgical disc decompression after having the unpleasant experience of injuring a disc. Most of these people have tried chiropractors or physical therapists in the past, and may have tried massage or some type of injection too. If that sounds like you, then you're probably in the right place.

Here at Straight Up Spine and Posture we have a passion for treating disc injuries. We offer several different types of non-surgical spinal decompression as well as a variety of complementary treatments like chiropractic manipulation (of course) and disc-specific rehabilitation programs like the McKenzie Method and Chiropractic BioPhysics. 

What Exactly is Disc Decompression?

Disc decompression is a pretty confusing term. There is a surgical "disc decompression" that removes some or all of the disc. That's not what we do. We offer non-surgical disc decompression. This is also known as "decompression traction", "axial traction", or "axial disc decompression therapy". 

Don't worry about the name. The non-surgical therapy essentially stretches the spine in two different directions. This stretching is performed by a computerized decompression machine. A mechanical stretching of the spine is known as traction. Traction is different than traditional stretching like yoga because the muscles are allowed to relax. 

The basic idea is that a disc can be injured, which can lead to a disc bulge which can press onto a nerve and lead to sciatica. It's a bit more complicated than that, but that is the most simple and common type of injury.

Disc decompression is a therapy that seeks to help reduce the size and severity of a disc bulge. This should relieve pain and reduce sciatica symptoms. The image below shows three examples of injuries that can lead to sciatica. Disc decompression treats the one circled in red.
Disc injury treatment in lake county

Who is a candidate for disc decompression?

Not everyone! This is important! Disc decompression will only work for people with a specific type of injury. Not all back pain is caused by disc injuries. Not all sciatica is caused by a disc injury. Lastly, not all types of disc injuries will respond to non-surgical disc decompression.

The most important part of the treatment process is a comprehensive examination. Shameless plug here, we specialize in this! You'll want to be sure that your pain isn't being caused by an injury to the facet joint, the sacroiliac joint, the piriformis, scoliosis, etc... Dr. Ryan Winslow can help you figure out what is causing your pain and get the right treatment for you. 

One of the most helpful tools for diagnosing your back pain is an MRI. MRIs are 3D images which allow the soft tissues of the spine to be examined and measured. X-rays can be very helpful in aiding this, but MRIs are the gold standard. 

Chiropractors do not write prescriptions for medications, but we can and do write prescriptions for advanced imaging studies like MRIs. We also have a relationship with a local imaging center and can get you an MRI for about $300. Dr. Ryan Winslow is skilled in reading MRI images. He offers a free reading service if you are interested in our therapies or in a simple second opinion.

An ideal disc decompression candidate has a type of disc injury known as a bulge or a protrusion. This is basically a mild to moderate sized disc bulge. There are many ways of categorizing these injuries, but the image below summarizes it nicely. Red check marks indicate the types we can treat with confidence.

  • Herniations and protrusions can be successfully treated with non-surgical disc decompression. 
  • Extrusions are harder to treat with non-surgical decompression unfortunately.
  • Sequestrated discs are severe disc injuries that respond very well to surgery.
non-surgical disc decompression in lake county

An Overview of the Disc Decompression Treatment:

Disc decompression is one of several therapies we use to help disc injuries heal. It works best with other therapies like gentle manipulation of the spine, basic stretching, and simple exercises.

The decompression therapy itself is done on one of several tables that we have. We have tables that are made to treat the low back and others that are made to treat the neck. The treatment takes between 8 and 20 minutes to perform. 

The patient lays on the table and the hips and rib cage are harnessed to the table. The table separates in two different directions. This separation leads to an increase in the space between the bones of the back where the discs are. This allows the disc to be moved back towards the center of the disc, where it should be.

We start with a gentle force and gradually work up to a firm stretch over multiple treatment sessions. Most people notice a positive response after 3-4 sessions. 

Once pain levels begin to reduce we add in stretches and exercises to increase the strength and stability of the back or neck. We may also attempt to correct the general curvature of the spine if that is a complicating issue. You can learn about our spinal correction therapies here.
Low back and neck disc decompression

What Kind of Outcomes Does Disc Decompression Produce?

Most of our patients who are examined and found to be good candidates for disc decompression experience relief from sharp pains and radiating nerve pain (sciatica). There is generally some residual soreness for a time after relief from more severe symptoms. We work with patients to develop a home therapy program to support theirs spines as they heal and avoid re-injury.

Many patients with disc injuries have become sedentary due to pain when exercising or performing vigorous activities. One of our main goals with treatment is to restore the ability to exercise and work without pain. We encourage patients to get active after disc decompression therapy to stay healthy and develop a strong and healthy core.

What Happens if I'm Not a Candidate or Disc Decompression Doesn't Work?

We try our best to select the best candidates for decompression therapy. Sometimes patients have other conditions like severe scoliosis, severe stenosis, or multiple varieties of spinal injuries which complicate treatment. Sometimes disc decompression just doesn't work as well as we'd like.

We may have other therapies in our office for you besides disc decompression if you are not a candidate. We also have a wide professional referral network and will help you find another spine specialist if need be.

Sometimes we refer out for less conservative therapies like dry needling, injections (epidural, facet, sacroiliac, and intramuscular), minimally invasive procedures like radiofrequency ablation of a nerve, the MILD procedure for lumbar stenosis, microdiscectomies, and laminectomies.

In severe cases we may have patients consult with local surgeons who specialize in artificial disc replacement in an effort to help people avoid fusion surgeries. We are generally not in favor of spinal fusion in all but the most severe cases. 

Find Out If You Are A Candidate For Disc Decompression

The process for determining whether you might benefit from disc decompression starts with a comprehensive examination with Dr. Ryan Winslow. You can do this through one of the following ways: 

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