Space Technology

By: Mike McCoy
l Decompression Gives You Back Your Life Spinal decompression has become a hot topic on the radio, television, and in newspapers. When you hear these ads, you are generally listening to someone promoting the use of a spinal decompression machine recently approved for some uses by the FDA. Remarkable claims about NASA and astronauts fill your ears, but as the commercial passes, you begin to wonder if these claims are valid. The simple answer is yes. The new spinal decompression machines do work on some problems and can be part of a total program towards back health, but they are not the only options for spinal decompression. For people with a bulged or ruptured a disc, daily pain is often part of their existence. It isn't hard to believe that someone suffering from pain in their back and down his leg is willing to try almost anything for relief. That said, few people really want to consider surgery if at all avoidable. For this group of people, mechanical decompression is an option. There are currently two machines that have been approved by the FDA for use on spinal disc issues, and you can find chiropractors, physical therapist, and back care specialists who use them. These machines provide a computer-controlled program of stretching and releasing for those who use them. The patient is connected to the table by the use of straps across the pelvis and chest. The table is directed to treat a specific area and away it goes. Each treatment takes about 20-30 minutes and is often followed by ice, heat, stretching, or electrical stimulation. A normal course of treatments requires attending several times a week for about six weeks. Since insurance companies don't cover this therapy, finances can be a major concern. The main question is whether this therapy is better than any other. Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer. Other traction-based techniques like inversion tables or traditional traction do much the same thing; they are just more complicated to apply. They also don't have the potential advantage of computerization to help pinpoint specific areas of difficulty. Studies are still being conducted as to the efficacy of spinal decompression and so far reviews and results have been somewhat mixed. It really seems to come down to a person-by-person basis. Another method of spinal decompression involves surgery. Since surgery is clearly much more invasive than lying upon a table, it is recommended that you leave it as a final option. In surgical decompression a portion of the inhibiting bone is removed, the exuded disc material is removed and then the back is stitched up. Healing time varies based on the type of surgery performed and the extent of the damage discovered. If you are suffering from disc related back problems and you want to give spinal decompression therapy a try, it may well be worth your time. Find an experienced practitioner who is willing to combine the decompression with other modalities such as chiropractic care or massage, and give it a try. It generally takes several weeks before you feel an effect, so you need to stick with it for a while. If your pain increases, stop immediately and consult your physician. Just like so many other new medical treatments, mechanical decompression will need to be around for a while before anything conclusive can be determined.