Spinal Decompression Therapy
Relieve Pain Without Surgery Using Spinal Decompression
Suffer from back pain, neck pain, disc herniation, or sciatica? Advanced Sports Chiropractic in Bellingham offers a unique, non-invasive solution called decompression therapy.
A decompression table may help dramatically reduce your pain level and symptoms without having to undergo surgery.
Don’t live with the pain. Restore function, relieve pressure on the affected nerve roots and regain mobility.
Call us at (360) 526-8259 or follow the link below to meet with Dr. Bob Curtis.
What Conditions Does Spinal Decompression Treat?
Sciatica
Sciatica is pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which is the longest nerve in the body. Sciatica can be caused by a herniated disk, bone spurs, or spinal stenosis, among other factors, which can lead to pressure or compression on the sciatic nerve. Spinal decompression may provide pain relief.
Herniated Disks
A herniated disk, also known as a slipped or ruptured disk, is a condition that occurs when the soft, jelly-like center (nucleus pulposus) of an intervertebral disk in the spine pushes out through a crack or tear in the outer layer of the disk. Spinal decompression therapy is one non-surgical, non-invasive treatment option.
Worn Spinal Joints
Posterior facet syndrome, also known as worn spinal joints, is a condition that affects the facet joints in the spine. This syndrome occurs when the cartilage on the surface of the joints wears down, leading to bone-on-bone contact. This can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility in the affected area of the spine.
Back/Neck Pain
Back and neck pain can be caused by a number of conditions, including strain or injury, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, poor posture, and stress. Depending on the cause of the pain, spinal decompression therapy may provide relief.
How Spinal Decompression Works
1. Meet with chiropractor
Meet with Dr. Bob Curtis to discuss your back and/or neck issues and assess whether decompression therapy is right for you.
2. Lay on our special table
Once we've determined your eligibility for decompression therapy, you'll lie fully clothed on our Kennedy Decompression Table. Dr. Curtis will fit a harness around your pelvis and the trunk of your body.
3. Chiropractor will provide stretching
Dr. Curtis will operate a computerized machine to place your spine at an angle where the "pulled apart" disk space allows for more spinal movement. Decompression time is about 12 minutes long.
4. Schedule next appointment
If multiple treatments are required, we will schedule your next appointment and recommend any additional therapies.
Spinal Decompression FAQs
A decompression table is a special table that simulates the body’s natural weight-inducing spinal decompression.
You’ve probably heard of decompressive surgery to the spine, which uses discs and other tissue to “re-do” your spine by removing pressure on a nerve in compressed vertebrae. With decompression therapy, we are able to accomplish a similar task without removing any tissue from your body. Instead, we give your body what it needs to heal naturally.
The Kennedy Decompression Table helps place gentle pressure upon your spine in one direction, which helps realign your vertebrae in ways that traditional medicine itself cannot.
We will need to do an examination to determine if decompression therapy is right for you. This is often covered by insurance.
Insurance providers currently will not cover the decompression therapy itself, since the therapy is considered investigational.
Single visits are $52/session.
A treatment plan of 2-9 visits is $50/session.
Packages of 10+ visits are $48/session.
The gentle stretching sensation of their spine being elongated and decompressed can be an uncomfortable sensation that some may initially mistake for pain. But spinal decompression therapy is not painful. The most common side effects are mild soreness or stiffness in the neck and upper back after the initial session. Any initial discomfort decreases as the body becomes accustomed to being stretched and decompressed.
Results will differ based on your specific condition and treatment plan. That said, the first thing most patients notice after a few sessions of decompression therapy is that they sleep better and experience less stiffness when they awaken in the morning. With time, many patients feel significantly better and are able to return to an active lifestyle or play sports again with less pain.
The easiest way to find out if you might benefit from decompression therapy is to speak with your chiropractor about your condition and the treatment options available to you.