What is Spinal Decompression?

We work with many back pain patients in our Waldorf, MD chiropractic office, and Dr. Lipsitz and our staff uses a variety of techniques to help get you out of pain and restore your spine's normal, healthy function. We find spinal decompression to be an effective approach.

To help you better understand spinal decompression therapy, think of the discs in your spine like small balloons filled with jello. When you compress them (which occurs due to normal living, sustaining an injury, or other medical conditions), they can protrude, placing pressure on the nerves in your spine. This affects your brain's ability to communicate with tissues in the rest of your body.

If the stress on the discs becomes too high, the discs can herniate or bulge. This reduces the cushion between your vertebrae and can cause pain. The purpose of spinal decompression therapy is to alleviate this pressure to help restore your body's function and also reduce your level of discomfort.

Spinal decompression therapy relieves disc pressure through the use of a specially designed table that gently elongates your spinal column through slow and controlled movements. This decreases the pressure placed on your discs. Some studies report an increase in disc height by as much as 1.3 millimeters after just six weeks of spinal decompression therapy.

If you're wondering if spinal decompression therapy could help you feel and function better, simply call our Waldorf, MD office and schedule an appointment with Dr. Lipsitz today. Your optimal health is our number one goal!

Resources

Apfel CC, Cakmakkaya OS, Richmond C, et al. Restoration of disk height through non-surgical spinal decompression is associated with decreased discogenic low back pain: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010;11(155). doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-155