Decompression Therapy Works When Others Fail.

No profession owns decompression. Medical doctors use it, physical therapists use it, chiropractors use it. Why? Because it works! We all know that drugs may mask symptoms, but let the problem get worse. Surgery might work, but it has serious long term side effects. Even surgeons agree that conservative options should be exhausted before considering surgery.

So patients try stretching and exercise with a physical therapist or they get adjusted by a chiropractor. Both provide some degree of relief, but not enough. They give up, start taking medications and consider surgery. What most people don't do is TRY DECOMPRESSION! Since no profession owns decompression, it isn't well known to patients who need it. Previous decompression machines before computers were crude and hard to tolerate. We offer a selection of three different decompression machines. Each specializes in treating a specific area of the spine, like the low back or neck.

Modern decompression machines like the ones at Straight Up Spine and Posture use a carefully controlled force to pull the low back in two different directions, opening the spaces between the bones where the discs are. Here is a short time-lapse video demonstrating the basic concept behind decompression:

This separation of the vertebra does not occur naturally. Even by hanging a person upside down, the forces experience by the spine are not the same. The low back spine can stretch up to 4 inches while under decompression, allowing vital nutrients to be "sucked" into the disc. This re-hydrates the disc and helps to pump inflammatory chemicals out of the disc material. This short video below illustrates this concept:

You can expect to get some reduction in pain levels, and a lessening of shooting pain into the legs, numbness, and weakness (if present). Treatment programs usually require between 6-18 visits. A typical treatment session begins with an adjustment if necessary to restore movement to the low back. Then the patient is harnessed into the decompression table and 50-100 lbs of pressure is applied for 15-30 minutes. Results are not instant! Patients are commonly sore after their first treatment, but feel better in the morning. Once the pain is manageable, we recommend performing some simple exercises to maintain the correction while the disc continues to heal.

Yes, this is basically a cobra pose if you know yoga. A New Zealand physiotherapists Robin McKenzie found that patients that performed this movement experienced less back and leg pain. Like decompression, this movement allows the disc to "suck" back into its' proper position when used daily. This short video demonstrates the basic movement:

They're easy to do. Patients typically perform 30 repetitions of this movement 3 times per day. This keeps pulling the disc into the center. Since most painful discs are displaced to the posterior or back of the spine, we want to move it to the anterior or front of the spine. We call this backwards bend "extension". So the McKenzie stretches are an extension stretch. Below this concept is demonstrated with a model. Note the red bulge represents a disc. You can clearly see how the front of the spine (on the table) opens in the front and closes in the back when this movement is performed.

Lordosis is a term that describes the curvature of the low back. It should have a curve that is deeper at the bottom and eventually flattens out at the bottom of the ribcage. A loss of this curve can increase the pressure on the discs, making them more prone to be injured and re-injured. In other words: A straight spine will heal slowly, if at all. Decompression therapy is a double edged sword in that it helps heal the disc, but pulls the spine straighter. So it is helpful to force the spine back to its' proper position by using a simple device called a Denneroll. You can see how this works below:

Pretty simple! Just lay on the block, relax, and let the spine stretch back into it's proper position. The concept is demonstrated with a model below. Just like the McKenzie exercise, the spine opens in the front and closes in the back. This forces the disc to move to the center of the disc, and relieves nerve pressure.

Some practitioners who use decompression do not provide rehab strategies to keep the disc healthy, and very few take the time to rehabilitate the shape of the low back to ensure that it is less likely to become re-injured.

If you feel that you have run out of options for treating your pain, consider decompression before adding a drug or undergoing surgery.

If you live in the Gurnee IL area, we would be happy to do a free MRI reading to see if you are a candidate. Call us at 224-656-5778 to schedule an appointment. We'd love to be your Gurnee Chiropractor !