SpineMED
Q. Why is the spine so prone to injury?
A disc separates each vertebrae and acts like a cushion, absorbing shock along the spine. The disc is made up of jelly like substance known as the nucleus, covered with many strong outer layers called the annulus. The discs do not have a supply of blood vessels to nourish and replenish them, rather, they depend on a transfer of fluids, nutrients and oxygen from the bones (vertebrae) above and below them. This transfer of fluid depends on the difference in pressure between the inside of the discs and the surrounding vertebrae and blood vessels. This is why most disc nutrition and regeneration takes place when we lie down and the pressure inside the discs is reduced. This process is not very efficient, and as we age, the disc is exposed to wear and tear greater than its ability to heal and regenerate.
The discs are prone to injury and degeneration as we use our backs each day, as they are compressed and torqued through sitting, bending and lifting. In the two lower levels of the lumbar spine, stress forces can equal 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. Repeated injury weakens the annulus, while the earliest changes that occur in the discs are tears in the annulus. With increased pressure inside the disc, the tears in the annulus may allow the disc to bulge like an old tire with a broken casing. Any internal damage to the disc may cause severe pain in the back. If all of the layers of the annulus break, the jelly-like nucleus will ooze out of the disc, causing a disc herniation. A bulging or herniated disc may press on spinal nerves, causing sciatica, which can be felt as weakness in your muscles, loss of sensation in the skin or a tingling or burning sensation along the nerves in your buttock and legs.
Spinal Decompression
Q. What is Spinal Decompression?
SpineMED Decompression Therapy is a non-surgical spinal disc rehabilitation program that uses FDA approved medical technology that gently distracts the spine and decompresses the discs. This technique of spinal decompression therapy, that is, unloading due to distraction and positioning, has shown the ability to gently separate the vertebrae from each other, creating a vacuum inside the discs that we are targeting. This "vacuum effect" is also known as negative intradiscal pressure.
The cycles of decompression and partial relaxation over a series of visits, promotes the diffusion of water, oxygen, and nutrient-rich fluids from the outside of the discs to the inside. These nutrients enable the torn and degenerated disc fibers to begin to heal.
Patients are treated fully clothed and are fitted with a pelvic harness that fits around their pelvis as well as a thoracic harness as they lie face down or face up on a computerized controlled table. The doctor operates the table from a computerized console. Each treatment takes about 30 minutes. Most patients find the sessions to be comfortable, and relief of pain can sometimes be noticed in the first few sessions. Of course, this varies depending on the individual condition.
Q. Will Spinal Decompression help a slipped disc?
A “bulging” or "herniated" disc is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a "slipped" disc. Studies demonstrate that Spinal Decompression Therapy succeeds at treating bulging or herniated discs. This of course varies depending on the complexity of the injury and other factors. Many times patients are able to avoid more costly and invasive procedures.
The most important thing to remember is that back pain is usually the result of a structural problem, and until the structure of your spine is addressed the pain will persist.
Your spine is composed of several bones called vertebrae, and between each vertebrae is a fibrous structure with a soft inner core called the disc.
The outer portion of the disc is called the annulus fibrosis and the soft inner structure is called the nucleus pulposus. This structure provides flexibility and cushioning to the spine. It also creates space between the vertebrae so that the delicate spinal nerves can pass through the openings called foramen to reach their target destination. If the discs become damaged in any way, a cycle of pain begins with the start of progressive problems which can culminate in a herniated disc or ruptured disc.
Q. Why do we get back pain?
The negative pressure can induce the retraction of the herniated or bulging disc into the inside of the disc, and off the nerve root, thecal sac, or both. It happens only microscopically each time, but cumulatively, over four to six weeks, the results are quite dramatic.
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