How Does Spinal Decompression Stack Up?
With the wide spectrum of back and neck pain treatment options and slight variations of treatment types, it is difficult to determine which will work for you and why. The following sections will answer many of your lingering questions.
How is Spinal Decompression different from traction?How do various Spinal Decompression tables compare including the DRX-9000?
How does Spinal Decompression compare with surgical options?
How is Spinal Decompression different from traction?
Traction is a simple static force that is put on the patients body with the intent of unloading the body's joints, muscles and other structures. For example, hanging upside-down is a common method to put the spine into traction. Rather than one's body weight putting stress on the spine, which is what happens when standing erect, the body weight is working to unload the spine.
Various forms of traction have been around for over 1000 years; however, pain relief has been inconsistent and short-lived. In fact, several clinical studies have shown traction to be an ineffective form of back and neck pain relief. The reason is unexpected, but pretty simple. Our bodies react to the static unloading of the spine by contracting, or squeezing, the muscles surrounding the spine. Rather than achieving the desired effect of unloading the spine, the pressure on the spine is actually increased, thus increasing intradiscal pressure. This does NOT allow the discs to rehydrate and heal, which is what ultimately yields pain relief.
Spinal Decompression, on the other hand, is a modified, updated form of traction. Computer technology is used to control variations in the unloading of the spine, effectively avoiding the body's muscle contraction response. Notice in the figure below that the traction tension is varied over time according to the graph. The doctor can control how many progressive tension steps are experienced by the patient before reaching the maximum tension. The doctor also has complete control over how long the tensions are held steady and how often they are repeated.
Figure 1. - Computer Display from Triton DTS Spinal Decompression Bed
Because Spinal Decompression avoids the muscle contraction response, the intradiscal pressure is actually lowered to the point of being a vacuum, negative pressure. This vacuum is what allows herniated material to be drawn back into place and permits rehydration of the disc. Once the herniated material is not in contact with the nerves and the disc is in good health, pain is relieved. Spinal decompression is different from traction because it works. If you would like a more detailed comparison of traction and spinal decompression, please reference the clinical studies listed on our website.
How do various Spinal Decompression tables compare including the DRX-9000?
After a significant amount of research, the Pro-Care Spine Center chose the Triton DTS from the Chattanooga Group, the world's largest manufacturer of rehabilitation equipment. The Triton DTS has quickly become the gold standard among spinal decompression tables due to the flexibility of patient positioning, effectiveness of loading protocols and the time-tested belting system.
For instance, tables that support the patient under the arms have been reported to be much less comfortable, even causing injury to the shoulders and surrounding structures. Traction support under the arms does not permit the unloading to take place only at the specific problem area of the spine, unlike the Trition DTS belting system which can be very specific, if positioned properly. Furthermore, many of the tables that support under the arms do not allow the patient to be positioned in the prone (face down) position. For lumber injuries, many experts agree that the prone position, compared to the face-up position, allows the unloading of the spine to be even more specific and effective for the problem area.
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Figure 2 - Patient on Triton DTS in Prone Position
Does the Triton DTS have a television or headphones like the DRX-9000? No. However, when deciding which spinal decompression program to choose, consider all of the parts of the program including the spinal decompression bed, quality of chiropractic adjustments, quality of physical therapy (Is the physical therapy administered by a Dr. of Physical Therapy?), and all of the other therapies such as cold laser therapy that will speed you to recovery. Does the term "True Spinal Decompression" attract you? Consider the fact that the Triton DTS and the DRX-9000 have the exact same FDA classification. Also consider that the term "True Spinal Decompression" was made up by the manufacturer of the DRX-9000 and was simply part of the machine's name when the manufacturer applied to the FDA, "DRX9000TM True Spinal DecompressionTM". Please see the FDA documents for both the Triton DTS and the DRX-9000 to compare for yourself. With all of that stated, patients find our office to have the expertise, equipment and professionalism to get the desired result from our therapies.
How does Spinal Decompression compare with surgical options?
In some cases, surgery is the only option. For those candidates, surgery can prove to be a successful option; however, there are inherent, and significant, risks associated with any surgical procedure. Because the spine is such a complex and important structure in the body, the risks of anesthesia are multiplied by the risk of serious injury due to surgical mistakes or complications.
Spinal Decompression is keeping a significant number of surgical candidates from ever having surgery. It doesn't help everyone, but the outstanding clinical results, as well as the results we have seen in our office, are difficult to ignore. It is responsible to weigh the safety, the proven success rate and the cost of each treatment before deciding which treatment option is best for you.
| Treatment | Non-Invasive? | Safe? | Cost | Success Rate | Painless? |
| Trition DTS Spinal Decompression | Yes | Yes | $2,500-4,500 Patient Portion: $500-4,500 |
Excellent | Yes |
| Laminectomy (Surgical Excision of Herniated Disc) | No | Standard Significant Surgical Anesthesia Risks | $15,000-40,000 Patient Portion: $3,000-8,000 |
Poor to Fair (Approx 50%) Depends on Severity of Condition and Skill of Surgeon) | No |
| Discectomy (Surgical Excision of Diseased Disc) | No | Standard Significant Surgical Anesthesia Risks | $10,000-30,000 Patient Portion: $2,000-6,000 |
Poor to Fair (Approx 50%) Depends on Severity of Condition and Skill of Surgeon) | No |
| IDET (Intradiscal Electrothermal Treatment) | No | Standard Significant Surgical Anesthesia Risks | $15,000-25,000 Patient Portion: $3,000-5,000 |
Poor to Fair (Approx 50%) Depends on Severity of Condition and Skill of Surgeon) | No |
| Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression | No | Standard Surgical Risks | $8,000-14,000 Patient Portion: $1,600-2,800 |
Fair to Good | No |
| Do Nothing | Yes | Condition Continues to get Worse | High cost due to disability and loss of normal life | None: Can have a very poor prognosis | Very Painful, Not Advised |