I have had low back pain and sciatica for over 16 years. I first injured my back when I was pregnant with my oldest son, I twisted one of my lumbar vertebras while vacuuming. It was excruciatingly painful and I lost feeling and in my legs. I had to pull myself along the ground to the phone to summon help. Since I was hugely pregnant at the time, there wasn’t much they could do for me except physical therapy and traction. Traction helped take the pressure of the nerves so I could walk again and physical therapy help while I was actually receiving treatment, but as soon as I left I had pain again. A friend told me about chiropractic therapy and I decided to try it. I called around and found a local doctor that had a pregnancy table and made an appointment for later that day. With some apprehension, I received an adjustment. I had immediate relief and went from a pain level of unbearable to mild. I went again for the next several days with my pain decreasing with each adjustment. So this is the history of my low back pain for the next several years; an injury or over use followed by a series of chiropractic visits until the pain was under control.
Then this last spring, we sold our ram who weighs about 350 pounds. We were trying to load him into the trailer and before we could latch the door of the trailer, he hit the door knocking me into the fence behind me. I knew I was hurt, but I underestimated the extent of my injury. The next day I could not move without terrible pain in my lower back that radiated down my left leg and knew I had done some serious damage. I called my chiropractor and he started treatments right away. This time instead of feeling relief, I hurt more. The adjustments hurt so much I thought I was going to vomit on the table. I continued treatment for three weeks without any relief and I feared I was making the injury worse. I knew there had to be some sort of alternative treatment, but I didn’t know where to go. I consulted my physician who told me surgery would probably be my only option to relieve my low back pain. Frustrated, I hit the internet. I soon came across a website called Spinal Aid Centers of America.
Spinal Aid Centers of America is a group of chiropractors who have received specialized training in treating low back pain with an alternate form of treatment developed by NASA. The web site was very informative and intrigued me to explore further. I learned from this web site that low back pain affects 8 out of 10 Americans and that one third of all adult Americans have had back pain in the last 30 days. I also learned that back problems are the 8th leading reason for visits to physicians and the #1 reason for visits to Neurologists and orthopedists.
I also learned from spinalaid.com that there is a difference between lower back pain and low back pain that radiates down the leg. Lower back pain is usually muscular or mechanical that is caused by overuse, strain or sprain of the low back. Lower back pain that radiates down the buttocks and leg usually results from pressure or “pinching” on a nerve.
Chiropractors who are affiliated with Spinal Aid Centers of America are regular licensed chiropractors who have received specialized training on spinal decompression. I learned from spinalaid.com that Spinal decompression is a breakthrough therapy that is a non-invasive procedure for the relief and cure of chronic and severe low back pain due to bulging discs, herniated discs or ruptured and protruding discs of the lower back.
According to the web site, decompression therapy reverses the effects of gravity and pressure by drawing the areas of herniated disc back into place by creating negative pressure within the disc. This is referred to as negative intra-discal pressure. This negative pressure creates a vacuum action which draws the bulging and herniated disc material back into the disc space and relieves pressure. Decompression also strengthens and heals the ligament bands that hold the disc material in place after they have become stretched or torn due to bulging and herniation. This helps prevent future recurrences.
Decompression therapy offers the highest percentage of recovery of low back pain, with 86% of patients reporting relief of pain according to the American Journal of Pain Management. I had absolutely no lower back pain after my first treatment and I could tie my own shoes again after the third treatment. “Decompression therapy is the most effective procedure for severe and chronic cases of bulging, herniated discs, degeneration, arthritis, stenosis and pressure on nerves.” spinalaid.com
Treatment lasts about 4 to 6 weeks with each session lasting about 45 minutes. Each session starts with heat, massage and a laser treatment to get the blood flowing in the effected area to promote healing. Next is the decompression treatment which is kind of like being in traction, but instead of a constant pull, the machine pulls and releases at different percentages depending your treatment plan. Last comes the ice and more massage then you get to go home or back to work. After the treatments are finished there is some physical therapy required to rebuild your core strength. At this time, I have no more treatments or follow up maintenance required.
The only negative aspects of the whole experience are the very restrictive no glutton diet and the fact that my insurance did not cover any of the treatments. Decompression is still considered “experimental” and is considered to be an elective procedure like cosmetic surgery.
The positive aspects of spinal decompression are that it is painless, non-invasive, and short term, but the biggest positive aspect is that it is permanent and starts working after the first treatment. No more pain, no surgery, no needles, no mind numbing drugs and no missed work for recovery time. I am proof that it works with no more low back pain and no more pain radiating down my leg two years after decompression therapy. I am so happy that I found decompression therapy; I have my life back now.
