A New Treatment For Herniated Discs
Dr. George Best
Herniated disc sufferers used to be limited to the treatment choices of over the counter or prescription medications, spinal steroid injections, physical therapy, or some type of spinal disc surgical intervention. These treatment approaches have had an overall poor success rate and carry a significant chance of side-effects. Now a new treatment option is providing improved results and safety in alleviating the suffering associated with a herniated disc.
A new kind of intermittent spinal traction known as spinal decompression is rapidly becoming the treatment of choice for herniated disc sufferers. The old kind of traction was used for many years in herniated disc cases, but it was not particularly effective, and it even made symptoms worse in some patients. Regular traction often sets off muscle spasm, which may increase pain and may even compress a herniated disc further, increasing the bulging.
Spinal decompression systems avoid the problems seen with earlier forms of traction. Even though spinal decompression machines are still traction machines, the true spinal decompression machines pull slowly and gently to avoid setting off muscle spasm. Some of the more advanced spinal decompression systems also have sophisticated computer-sensors and controls on the motors. The sensors monitor the body's resistance and any sign of muscle contraction will cause the machine to reduce its pull and lull the body back into a relaxed state. The most advanced of the spinal decompression machines monitor and respond to the body every 1/17th of a second and react so quickly to the body's resistance that spasm can be avoided.
This ability to avoid the body's muscle spasm response allows spinal decompression systems to dramatically lower the pressure within a herniated disc. In fact, disc pressure is actually dropped into the negative pressure range, creating a suction that pulls the bulging disc material back towards the center of the disc and away from sensitive nerves. In addition, fluid and nutrients are pulled into the disc from the surrounding tissues, and this assists in disc healing. Over time and repeated treatments, the herniated disc material is pulled back in, and the healing of the disc provides stabilization of the outer wall of the disc to prevent further bulging.
The frequency and duration of spinal decompression treatment will vary depending on the age and condition of the patient, the severity of the herniated disc, and the number of herniated discs. Spinal decompression can be used in both the lumbar and cervical spine very effectively.
Statistically, spinal decompression with the more advanced machines, and with appropriate patient selection has a success rate of 80-90%, and of those who are successfully treated, the results hold up well long-term in most cases. Given the success rate and the fact that the most common side-effect is some temporary post-treatment muscle soreness, spinal decompression is often the best option in herniated disc treatment.
Recently, hype and unfounded advertising claims, as well as inappropriate application of spinal decompression by some providers has led to unrealistic patient expectations and in some cases legal action by regulatory agencies and this has damaged the reputation of spinal decompression. Spinal decompression is not a cure-all, it is not effective for all patients, and it cannot be used in every case, but it is a dramatic improvement in the treatment for people suffering from a herniated disc.
In appropriate use, spinal decompression does return the vast majority of patients to sufficient health so that they can live normal lives and enjoy favorite activities, but it does not restore a herniated disc to a completely normal condition. No treatment can. Surgery, including the highly-touted disc replacement surgery (which is still experimental) does not restore a damaged disc to normal. Regardless of the treatment, poor posture, improper lifting and other damaging activities can precipitate a return of disc problems no matter how successful the initial disc treatment was.
With appropriate patient selection and by giving patients realistic expectations, spinal decompression providers can supply a very safe and effective treatment option for those with a herniated disc.
Dr. George Best is a spinal decompression provider in San Antonio, Texas. To get additional information on herniated discs, http://ezinearticles.com/?Breakthrough-In-Sciatica-Symptom-Relief&id=925426) sciatica, or degenerative disc disease, visit http://www.spinesa.com/bulgingdisc.html Herniated Disc.
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