Treatments
Spinal Decompression Therapy
The End of Discogenic Pain
Back and neck pain are the number one medical complaint in North America, affecting 80% of us at one time or another. Intervertebral disc pathology is one of the primary causes of back and neck pain. Millions of people live with chronic neck and low back pain each day. Excessive loading of the spine from our lifestyles such as lifting heavy objects, extended periods of sitting (driving or working at a desk), poor posture, and inadequate diet are but a few of the things involved in the genesis of back and neck pain. These factors can cause premature degeneration of intervertebral discs, facet joints, and repeated injury of the disc annulus. As the disc degenerates, the gel-like nucleus loses its hydration, reducing disc height and creating the possibility of facet syndrome and lateral foraminal stenosis. Furthermore, disc degeneration causes the pliable outer coating of the annulus to become brittle and susceptible to cracks and tears that can lead to disc herniations and bulging. This leads to symptomatology such as back pain, arm/leg pain, weakness and numbness.
With all of this unnatural positioning and loading of the human spine, it is not hard to see that it is very difficult to get damaged discs to heal. Blood and nutrients get to the tissues of the spine primarily by diffusion or "soaking in". There is no direct blood supply. When the disc is damaged this process is additionally compromised. In order to get the disc and surrounding structures to heal we need to find a way to unload the spine and lower the intradiscal pressure. This can greatly facilitate the process of diffusion and accelerate healing with a more favorable environment.
Conservative therapies are used as a first line treatment and often provide us with some relief, although often this is just temporary. Medications can be helpful in controlling the pain, but they don't help us to heal, and are often fraught with problems including tolerance, dosage escalation, addiction, adverse effects, and even impaired healing. As a last resort many patients turn to surgery for relief, and in many cases this is appropriate, but often surgery does not provide the long term solution sought after by patients. Furthermore, a patient must consider the inherent risks of undergoing any surgical procedure. Another option is accurate and controlled non-surgical decompression with the SpineMED® system.
The Pain and Stress management Center is a certified SpineMED® center specializing in non-surgical spinal decompression.
SpineMED® Indications
| SpineMED® is a conservative procedure for patients suffering discogenic pain caused by: | |
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| SpineMED® is designed to help patients with lumbar or cervical disc pathologies and is congruent with other conservative treatment options. | |
Click the play button on the video below to become familiar with the SpineMED® spinal disc decompression procedure.
What Is It Designed To Do?
Damaged intervertebral discs seldom heal as the discs are constantly under pressure. Decompression, or the reduction of pressure inside the discs by the SpineMED® procedure, facilitates the transfer of fluids, nutrients and oxygen back inside the disc which promotes the retraction of bulging or herniated discs. It is widely accepted that the ideal environment to improve disc pathology is to decompress, or reduce the intradiscal pressures of the damaged disc. The goal of reducing intradiscal pressure is to enhance the osmotic diffusion of fluids and nutrients across the endplates into the disc, furthering the body's natural healing abilities. Additionally, reduction of intradiscal pressures may help draw the nucleus pulposus of a herniated disc back into the center, thereby relieving pressure on a compressed nerve root-alleviating the problem and the pain.
History
Early efforts at decompression involved traction devices that were difficult to control. At times they created as many problems as they solved. This led to the development of decompression tables but these had their problems too, such as bulky harnesses and cables. Muscle spasm was common on these tables because when the force was applied the body often responded by contraction of the musculature as a defense.
The SpineMED® system does not employ antiquated traction components such as traction boxes, pulleys, drums, ropes, or pelvic harnesses. It captures and distracts the human skeletal structure through a computer controlled, unique and proprietary design that is not found on the older devices in the world. The forces are applied via a direct high-speed actuator controlled by a computer. The actuator tension is monitored every few milliseconds and the computer makes a decision about every 20 milliseconds as to how much force to apply. The body can make a decision to create a defensive contraction in about 50 milliseconds. Thus, the system stays ahead of the body by about 30 milliseconds. When the system senses the body going into a defensive contraction it lets off and the muscle never actually initiates the contraction. All of this sounds quite complicated but the end result is that the system produces a much more efficient distraction of the spine. This in turn reduces the amount of force required to decompress, which in turn eliminates any untoward discomfort or side effects for the patient. It also allows for unparalleled healing of acute and chronic degenerative conditions of the discs, facet joints, and spine.
SpineMED® Protocol
The SpineMED® protocol consists of 20-25 sessions that are 30 minutes each in duration. SpineMED® sessions are typically administered over a four to six week period. The procedure is performed with the patient fully clothed and has been described as safe, painless and extremely effective. In fact, it is not uncommon for patients to fall asleep or enter into a deep alpha state during the procedure. Each session has a cumulative effect designed to significantly reduce pain and improve function as each patient progresses through the SpineMED® program.
SpineMED® is a registered trademark of CERT Health Sciences, LLC.
