Things You Might Want To Know About
NON SURGICAL SPINAL DECOMPRESSION
What is Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression?
“Decompression Therapy is for disc-related conditions. The easiest way for me to describe how it works is: with you sitting or standing where you are the weight of your upper body is pressing in on the discs of your back.
This downward pressure is called compression and it is a positive pressure. Meaning, if you had a balloon glued to your palms and you pressed them towards each other this compression would make the balloon bulge outwards.
This is positive compression and what causes most herniated and ruptured discs. Decompression therapy applies the reverse effect onto the disc.
Now, what would happen to the balloon if you pulled your hands away from each other? The balloon would be drawn towards the center of your hands.
This is called decompression and represents a negative pressure. This in simple terms how decompression therapy worked.” It is very successful for those that have it prescribed.
Well over 8 out of 10 patients report being better after the series of treatments. The first step is to determine if your condition is one that is even treatable. In a case like yours, I know the doctor would order a discovery visit…”
What Condition Does Spinal Decompression Help?
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Sciatica
- Bulging discs, herniated discs
- Degenerative disc disease
- Worn spinal joints (posterior facet syndrome)
- Injured or diseased spinal nerve roots
- Even Failed Back Surgery if there are no Metal insertions.
What is the difference between Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy and traction? What about inversion therapy?
Answer: Traction is a one-dimensional, unilateral pull of the spine, not specifying any one segment. The downward intradiscal pressure when a person is standing is 100 mmHg of pressure.
When generalized traction or inversion therapy is performed, the intradiscal pressure drops down to 40 mmHg of positive downward pressure.
This is the point that muscle spasms can be relieved, but not enough to create a transfer of fluid from outside of the disc back into the nucleus palposus or the center of the disc.
Inversion therapy is just another form of generalized traction, pulling the ankles, the knees, the hips, the low back, the mid back, and the neck, never creating enough of a decrease in the intradiscal space to allow for the transfer of the fluid outside of the disc back into the center of the disc.
With Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy, the intradiscal pressure goes down to a negative 160 mmHg creating the transfer of fluid from outside of the disc into the center of the disc, vacuuming back in the protrusions or herniations as well.
Why hasn’t my surgeon or primary treating doctor recommended this?
Answer: It is not out of their lack of caring for you, it is most times their lack of knowledge about this procedure.
Keep in mind the tools they are equipped with in medical school are medication, injections, and surgery. Their tool bag has little information about Non-Surgical attempts when treating disc injuries.
The statistics speak for themselves, however. Failed Back Surgery Syndrome is a real entity studied by the medical profession because of the high failure rate when performing spinal surgery.
The non-surgical approach has far fewer complications for secondary permanent negative effects.
Most good surgeons will always recommend exhausting all non-surgical procedures prior to entering into a surgical route to treat your spine pain.
We get a lot of referrals from Medical Doctors and Surgeons that are informed about what we do.
Is this Chiropractic?
Answer: No not at all. The definition of Chiropractic is employing manipulation and adjustment of body structures, such as the spinal column, so that pressure on nerves coming from the spinal cord due to displacement of a vertebral body may be relieved.
There is no manipulation of the spine or the treatment of displaced vertebrae in Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy.
Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy is actually a medical procedure.
Does this hurt or can I become injured from the treatment? Are there any negative side effects?
Answer: No not at all. There are multiple safety features that occur to prevent from any injury happening.
We also check our patients very well to make sure they are a candidate for this treatment program and to further assure the patients' opportunity for success.
Most of our patients sleep throughout their treatment time. Many times we have to awaken them prior to taking them to their next therapy.
It is comical at times because most offices have a difficult time getting their patients to keep their appointments, whereas our patients cannot wait for their appointments and usually show up early.
They also do not want to leave and commonly ask us for more time at the tables.
It is a good problem for us to have however, because how great a practice can you have when not only are your patients getting well, but they enjoy the process while it is occurring.
Our treatment is very different from going for injections or surgery, to say the least.
Is there a maximum age limit to go through this program?
Answer: Spinal decompression therapy is not recommended for some conditions.
If you are pregnant, over 70 years of age, have severe osteoporosis, severe nerve damage, or severe obesity, spinal decompression therapy might not be the right option for you.
It is also not recommended for patients with surgically implanted screws or metal plates. Dr. Nahali will assess each patient’s conditions individually, and recommend the best possible wellness plan.
Can I continue to exercise while undergoing treatment?
Answer: Yes you may. We have had several professional athletes that have been treated in our facility while continuing their exercise programs necessary for their profession.
What we do ask though is that you limit your lifting to an upright position. We say limit because we know it is virtually impossible to eliminate lifting together.
We teach that your spine is like a coil, and when you have a bad disc, it is like having a bad portion of that coil.
When lifting in an upright position, you put greater pressure on that damaged coil.
It is, for this reason, we recommend when going to the gym to do your lifting exercises, that you do them in a reclined or flat position so as not to put greater pressure on an already damaged disc.
What causes the fluid to go out of the disc in the first place?
Answer: Fluid leaves the disc usually for one of three different reasons including time, injury, or a combination of the two.
People who are more active and enjoy activities that require a great deal of downward pressure on the disc, such as football players, high jumpers, or power weight lifters, are more prone to disc injuries.
We see them at a much younger age. Others, however, are also prone simply due to time and age. By age 55, 85% of the population suffers from degenerative disc disease or dry disc disease.
Just the process of everyday walking, bending or lifting eventually wears out the disc, and the fluid is lost.
Hence the diagnosis of dry disc disease is the same as degenerative disc disease.
After you vacuum back in the fluid, what keeps it from slipping back out when you get up and walk?
Answer: The body is an amazing thing and it assists itself with a little help from us to maintain fluid.
During the process of bringing the fluid back into the disc, the outer cartilage portion called the Annulus Fibrosis begins to adhere to itself thickening the outer layer and strengthening it.
It is similar to adding cement to the outside of a leaky swimming pool to keep the pool water from coming back out.
This thickening process takes time, however, and it is dependent upon the individual patient and their response time.
We have found that to reach maximum medical benefit, it takes somewhere between 20 and 35 visits.
We also provide core muscle strengthening to our patients to further assure that their core muscles are also providing further stability to their spine.
When you decompress one disc does that cause any problems to the disc above or below?
Answer: No, none at all. The computer on the Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression table is designed to create an angle of treatment that is specific to the one damaged disc we have targeted for care.
The above or below discs are not put under any pressure and have no negative effects on them. On the contrary, it has been found in studies of spinal fusions, that when a segment is fused, the segments above and below have to take up the lost motion and they begin to degenerate because of their now excessive use.
When we are re-hydrating a degenerative or dry disc, we are truly helping the discs above and below to have to work less now that the damaged disc is able to assist in motion becoming a working partner with the other discs.
I have already had a Laminectomy and Micro Discectomy, can I still go through the treatment program?
Answer: Yes, at any given time in our practice, 10% to 15% of our patients have had what is called Failed Back Surgery Syndrome and have had a prior Laminectomy and/or Micro Discectomy that failed to decrease the patient’s pain and increase their function.
This type of prior surgery does not preclude us from providing the care necessary to help the patient. As long as there is no spinal fusion, either bony or metal, we can provide our care.
How long does it take to feel better?
Answer: We always pride ourselves on the fact that we give the best answers to every question asked of us by our patients, and with this question, which is one of the more common questions asked of us, there is no answer.
Every person is different from the next. With as many years as we have been doing this and with the thousands of patients we have seen, we have heard everything.
We know it takes a minimum of 20 to 25 visits to provide enough hydration to make a change, and sometimes up to 35 visits.
However, with that said, each person perceives pain differently.
We have seen patients who within the first 4 visits they were out of pain, and we have seen patients who on the 25 visits, it was like someone had thrown a switch and their pain went away.
There is no rule that states the exact moment that will occur and the patient will be feeling much better, however with our very high success rate, most people will reach that level at some point, most earlier than later.
Will this affect my work?
Answer: Most times the answer is no. Most of our patients continue the usual and customary duties of their employment while having to change nothing.
If you are a person that is in extreme acute pain and has a career that requires heavy lifting, it may be in your best interest to try to be put on light duty while going through the treatment program.
Many of our construction workers are unable to do that and we are still able to successfully treat them as well.
Most of our patients have little trouble if any in going through with their program regardless of the type of work they do.
Can I drive after treatment or do I need a driver to come with me?
Answer: Yes you will be able to drive. There is no medication or injections that are given to you during your course of care that would make you drowsy or unable to drive your car.
The only thing you will feel is very relaxed and excitement about finally being able to have the cause of your problem treated, not just the symptoms.
Should I stop my prescription medication when I start treatment?
Answer: No you should not. We advise you to discuss your medication with your Physician and once you have started to have less pain and greater function, ask your Physician to assist you with lessening your medication.
You should always follow your Doctor’s prescription for your medication and never stop without his or her advice.
Is Decompression Therapy Covered by Insurance?
Answer: “Normally, when patients come to our office they want to know two basic things.
How can they finally feel better and how much it’s going to cost? We review benefits completely with each patient to prevent any surprises.
Prior to beginning care, each patient knows the exact costs associated with their treatment plan.
There are never any surprises. Much of the non-decompression part of the treatment can be covered by insurance.
The spinal decompression itself is an out-of-pocket investment. The good news is that the cost of decompression has been going down over the years not up.
This is because there are more machines now in the marketplace.
The standard protocol for spinal decompression therapy is 20 one-hour sessions done over a 6-week period.
In the beginning, this was about $8000. Now, the out-of-pocket costs are around $4500-$5500.
Results are dependent on the experience of the clinic and their ability to utilize the technology on a case-by-case basis.
There are many decisions that need to be made throughout the treatment process and what matters most is experience… we have the most experience in Orlando.
We have the ability to treat cervical and lumbar disc herniations, disc bulges, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis (soft tissue), and facet syndrome. Satisfaction rates are high and the process of decompression is usually something patients look forward to as the machine is very comfortable and relaxing.
Symptoms such as back or neck pain, sciatica, arm or leg pain, numbness or tingling, and weakness, can respond favorably to spinal decompression therapy.
The question you have to ask yourself is that "is Therapy worth the investment of my hard-earned money to improve my quality of life.”
I went to another clinic but they did not do everything you guys do, what makes this facility so different?
Answer: Many clinics for some reason feel they are smarter than the founders of this type of therapy, both of them being Neurologists.
Here we are a group of very intelligent Doctors; however, we do not want to recreate the wheel.
We follow every aspect of what the founders call for in the treatment program.
From the necessary pre-therapy treatments to the amount of time and degree of angles necessary during the Non-Surgical Decompression Therapy portion of the treatment to the post-therapy treatment, and all the way to the absolutely necessary core muscle therapy provided to our patients by a Doctor.
To us, it is like opening an expensive safe. You must hit every number correctly while turning the dial on the safe to the left and the right or the safe will not open. It is the same with our clinic.
We know that not giving you the proper pre and post-therapies at the times necessary, not use the finest decompression tables available, and not addressing your core muscle strengthening, only will result in not obtaining the results desired.
Our clinic is different in that we do address every aspect of your care to give you the highest percentages possible of relieving your pain and increasing your function to allow you to enjoy the life you so very much deserve to enjoy.
I do not have any pain, just numbness in my toes/fingers – can this help?
Answer: Yes it can. Many patients do not experience pain and only have a loss of sensation or even loss of motor function.
If we determine that you are a candidate for care and that your numbness is coming from nerve root pressure due to a bulging or herniated disc, then yes this treatment utilizing Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy can work very well to increase sensation and increase function even in the absence of pain.
When do you say that you will see if I am a candidate for care, who are the people that are not candidates for care?
Answer:
- Severe Osteoporosis: Patients with severe Osteoporosis cannot undergo treatment, but the severity needs to be assessed as it may not always preclude treatment.
- Pregnancy: Pregnant women are not eligible for treatment.
- Above grade 2 Spondylolisthesis: Patients with Spondylolisthesis above grade 2 are unable to receive care; an evaluation by our doctors is necessary to determine the degree of Spondylolisthesis.
- Descending Aortic graft: Individuals with a descending Aortic graft cannot receive our care.
- Bone cancer: Patients with bone cancer are ineligible for our care.
I’m currently in physical therapy, do I need to stop prior to seeing the doctor?
Dr. Nahali will carefully evaluate your case and recommend the most suitable approach for your specific condition.
It is advised to continue with your current treatment until a comprehensive evaluation has been completed to determine if decompression therapy is an appropriate option for treating your condition.
Do you think decompression will help me?
Answer:
While decompression therapy can be highly effective, it may not be suitable for everyone.
The initial step involves determining whether decompression is a viable treatment option for you.
To assess your eligibility, we will schedule a discovery visit where the physician can thoroughly review your case and make an informed decision regarding your candidacy for decompression therapy.
How many visits will I need?
Every case is unique, and the number of visits required is determined by the severity of the patient's condition.
Factors such as the duration of delayed treatment and previous treatments received elsewhere also play a role. Ultimately, the decision regarding the treatment plan rests with the physician.
The doctor carefully selects cases where a significant improvement is anticipated.
To begin, it is essential to undergo a discovery visit to determine if your case is suitable for care.
This visit will help establish if decompression therapy is a viable option for you.
In the event that it is not, the doctor will explore other specialists or alternative treatments that may offer potential improvement.
Please let us know which day works best for you to schedule your visit.
How long is each appointment?
The length of each appointment at our facility is based on the individual patient's needs and the required care.
Typically, appointments do not exceed one hour. However, the duration may vary depending on the patient's condition and the prescribed treatment.
It is crucial to assess whether decompression is a viable option for you before proceeding further.
What Do I Do Now?
Contact our office @
407-277-5555 to schedule an initial consultation with our Doctor to determine if you are a candidate for care.