If you have the misfortune of suffering from a herniated or slipped disc, you have probably been told that you will need back surgery to completely heal.  Thankfully, there may be an alternative available to you, it is called spinal decompression.

If you are like most people, the thought of surgery, especially back surgery is very scary.  You may have never heard of this procedure before as it is starting to gain in popularity and since it generally isn’t covered by health insurance, most doctors don’t often recommend it.

What exactly is decompression?

Decompression is a non-surgical procedure that helps to relieve pressure from the spine and therefore, the discs that are injured.  This is done in a chiropractor’s office and can often take several visits to completely cure the pain.  The patient is fitted into a harness and lies on a table. The harness is then manipulated by the chiropractor via the computer operated table that the patient is on.

The manipulation gently stretches the spine, giving a herniated or bulged disc the chance to heal, again over time, as the pressure from inside the spine is relieved.  In general, a session will last anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes and may be required over the span of a couple of months.  Decompression is done with the patient fully clothed and awake the entire time.

What is a chiropractor?

Spinal decompression is done in a chiropractor’s office.  If you have never been to see a chiropractor, you may be hesitant to start now, or you may have heard from people who have had a bad experience.  Please do not let these reasons stop you from checking into decompression, and remember that no matter what  you are looking into you will find some people who won’t like it for some reason or another.

A chiropractor is a medical professional who has specialized training in the area of the spine.  Many times people will see a chiropractor to gain relief for back or neck pain, and will only require a readjustment or realignment of the spine.  While decompression is more involved than that, it is a completely safe procedure and a chiropractor is a completely competent person to perform it.

What else do you need to know about decompression?

During decompression, you may get dehydrated. To combat this, your chiropractor may require that you drink up to a gallon of water on the day of, and perhaps the day following your procedures. While drinking this amount of water may seem difficult or excessive, it will allow the body to rehydrate itself quicker.

Your chiropractic doctor may also require you to take nutritional supplements to ensure that your body recovers quickly from the decompression session. These supplements help to boost your body’s natural healing ability, without the use of prescription or over the counter pain medication.

Is decompression safe?

In a word, yes, decompression is safe. It is a non-surgical alternative to solving back pain issues such as bulged and herniated discs. However, that does not mean that it is a perfect, pain-free solution. Some patients may experience some discomfort during the procedures, but this is quickly resolved by following the doctor’s instructions for aftercare.

Everyone remembers their injuries as a child because they were terrible and you were so sure the end of the world was coming…that is until your mom washed it, put on antibiotic cream, a band-aid, and then kissed it all better.  As a parent, you know that not all of the injuries that your child suffers are that simple to deal with.  How will you know what to do when your child gets hurt? 

Quick Fix to Childhood Injuries

All children fall down, suffering from scrapes, cuts, and bruises.  For these types of basic injuries, your mother’s instincts are best.  These should be cleaned up with soap and water to eliminate any foreign matter that may be present.  Then apply a liberal amount of a quality antibiotic ointment and cover with a band-aid. 

These steps help the wound to heal without becoming infected.  Then, of course, kiss it and make it all better.  This is for the child.  Because every child knows that moms and dads have kisses with magic to help them feel better.

When a Kiss Won’t Work

If, however, the cut seems to be unusually deep or around the face, stitches may be necessary to promote proper healing.  Often cuts on the face stand a better chance of not scarring if they are properly stitched up in a timely manner. 

Other cuts, depending upon where on the body they are or how deep they are will also benefit from being closed with stitches.  This is something your doctor will need to be involved in.  They will be able to tell you if the stitches will be required.

If the fall is the result of riding a bike or climbing a tree, the injury could be more serious.  Often these types of falls result in sprains or breaks.  If the break isn’t an obvious compound fracture (when the bone has broken through the skin), it can be hard to decipher if the bone is actually broken and requires medical attention or if it is a sprain that can be treated at home.

Sprains and Fractures

If the child’s crying does not subside after a normal amount of time (this is different for each child), if the child is complaining of pain and can’t put weight on the injured limb, or if the point of impact begins to swell, please seek the advice of a medical professional. 

Often times, children will be diagnosed with a “green tree” fracture.  These types of fractures will have bent the limb, but not broken the bone completely…as if you were to bend a green tree limb, the outside doesn’t necessarily give way.

This used to be called a sprain, and was treated by simply wrapping the area for a while.  X-rays will be required to diagnose a fracture, after that point, your doctor will work with you to determine if the area requires a cast, a splint or just to be wrapped up.

It is very important that any of these childhood injuries are treated correctly and watched closely.  If they aren’t, they could easily be the cause of adult issues such as spinal column problems, back pain and other issues that may require the assistance of a doctor or chiropractor.

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Low back pain keeps you from enjoying the small things in life such as spending time with your kids, taking your pooch on his daily walk, playing a game of golf with your buds, or just lounging in your favorite chair watching television. Almost every movement you make involves the use of the muscles in your back.

So naturally, when your back is injured, the quality of your life will suffer drastically. Here are some common causes of lower back pain. 

Improper Use of the Back Muscles

The most common causes of back pain are strains and sprains from injuries to the back due to improper use of muscles. Back muscles can inadvertently be injured from engaging in day-to-day activities such as heavy lifting, picking up children, improper bending, toting an oversized purse, slouching in your chair, sitting for long periods of time, and sleeping on a rickety old mattress.

Being overweight can also put extra strain on the muscles in your back and cause lower back pain. The onset of pain from strains and sprains can come immediately, or days later. When the muscles in your back are injured, they will knot-up, or spasm in an effort to prevent more damage. These spasms result in severe low back pain, and difficulty moving. 

Slipped or Herniated Discs

Slipped discs, also known as herniated discs can result from several things including trauma to the back, disc degeneration, aging, sudden twisting movements, excessive pressure on the disk from heavy lifting, and being overweight. A slipped disc in the back puts pressure on the nerves, causes inflammation, and varying degrees of back pain.

A herniated disc can affect more than just the lower back area. If the damaged disc puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, it results in a condition known as sciatica. Sciatica causes burning and needle-like pains that shoot from the lower back, all the way down the distance of the back of the leg.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that can affect several parts of the body, including the back. This condition doesn’t happen overnight; it gradually causes deterioration of the discs between the vertebrae that cushion the bones. Once these disks deteriorate, the vertebrae will press against each other and cause back pain and discomfort. 

Osteoarthritis is more common in older people because the body changes as you age. Body parts travel south, skin starts to thin, and your bones become more fragile due to calcium loss. This loss of calcium makes your bones brittle and more prone to compression fractures that put you at risk for back pain. 

Strains and sprains from improper muscle use, slipped discs, and osteoarthritis can all cause pain in your back. Thankfully, technological advances and improvements in modern medicine have made it possible for chiropractors to offer their patients several choices to manage or end debilitating back pain for good.

If you have pain in your lower back, don’t suffer in silence. Contact a back pain specialist to ask about available treatment options.