Spinal Decompression: What Is the Hooplah?
By Dr. Gary Spunt

What is Spinal Decompression Therapy, and what is it used for?  Let’s go through the basics of decompression and why it is so successful. Variations of decompression have been around for many years. In fact, spinal traction has been practiced since the Roman days, if not earlier. The early years of using a rack to stretch the body was primitive, but helpful at times. The only problem was that it also caused a number of injuries. The computer era has allowed researchers to make traction into an exact science, and the benefits of decompression have soared to new heights.

What are the facts? The facts are that neck and back pain can be devastating. Approximately 5.4 million Americans are disabled annually due to back pain. The total number of spinal surgeries approaches 50,000 per year. On any given day 6.5 million people may be in bed due to neck or back pain. Researchers are constantly looking for methods to decrease the great numbers of people disabled by back pain. Fortunately, spinal decompression has shown great potential in the last few years.

Researchers are still trying to discover why some people have relentless back pain and degeneration while others skirt by with an occasional back strain. Let’s explore the anatomy of the spine, and what conditions will benefit from spinal decompression. The spinal column is made out of a string of bones attached by ligaments, muscles and spongy discs. The enormous flexibility of the spine allows us to bend and twist in a million different directions. The human frame has strength and flexibility to accomplish almost any task.

Unfortunately, when injured the spine and discs may have a hard time healing. This is due to an inadequate blood supply to the gelatin disc that allows us so much flexibility. When the spine and discs are performing correctly, proper movement hydrates the disc and they stay spongy and flexible just like a kitchen sponge. But for reasons we will discover later, the spinal disc may lose its proper blood supply and that is when degeneration may develop. The once soft and flexible sponge becomes dried out and tears with the slightest movement. Bending down to tie your shoe can turn into months of rehabilitation.

Once the cycle of pain has started, the spinal column continues to break down, causing premature degeneration and other painful maladies. The resulting conditions can be anything from a bulging disc, spinal stenosis, slipped disc, or just a painful back syndrome. All of these are aggravated by daily sitting, standing, bending, and by almost any activity you can imagine.

In many instances, Chiropractic, Yoga, Acupuncture, or just simple exercising will help relieve the pain and spasm in the back and neck. In some cases, however, the disc has degenerated far too quickly. The body becomes unable to repair the spinal discs and surrounding tissues.  In return, the body reacts by forming bone spurs and muscle spasms. Once the ligaments and muscles are stretched and torn over many years, the body must use bone, i.e. bone spurs, to stabilize the injured area. In this instance, spinal decompression may be a great alternative. Decompression, aided by an advanced computer program, allows the discs to stretch and hydrate, producing increased blood supply and nutrients to the injured spine. With blood and nutrients rushing through the spinal disc area again, the spongy discs begin the healing process and muscle spasms to relax.

Many patients that have experienced limited success with other therapies have found an abundance of relief with spinal decompression. And that is why you hear all the hype. Spinal decompression in the right situation can create magnificent results. Given that there is a relatively easy solution that does not require painful therapy or surgery, the demand for Spinal Decompression Therapy should be enormous in the coming years, and that is what scientists behind spinal decompression are hoping to see.

Remember that there are no miracle cures out there, but spinal decompression is one of those devices in the last five years that has created quite a buzz in the healthcare arena.

Gary Spunt, D.C. is in private practice in Riverside and can be reached at 951-359-1131.  Dr. Spunt provides spinal decompression in his practice.