ABOUT DECOMPRESSION

The Beginning And The End Of Discogenic Pain

Intervertebral disc pathology is one of the primary causes of back and neck pain. The discs are prone to degeneration and injury as they are compressed and twisted through daily activities.

As the disc degenerates, the gel-like nucleus loses its hydration, reducing disc height and creating the possibility of facet syndrome and lateral foraminal stenosis. Furthermore, disc degeneration causes the pliable outer coating of the anulus to become brittle and susceptible to cracks and tears that can lead to disc herniations. Bulging or herniated discs often press on spinal nerves, causing severe pain and radiculopathy.

Damaged intervertebral discs seldom heal because they remain under constant pressure, even while a person is at rest. It is widely accepted that the ideal environment to improve disc pathology is to decompress, or reduce the intradiscal pressures of the damaged disc.

The goal of reducing intradiscal pressure is to enhance the osmotic diffusion of fluids and nutrients across the endplates into the disc, furthering the body’s natural healing abilities. Additionally, reduction of intradiscal pressures may help draw the nucleus pulposus of a herniated disc back into the center, thereby relieving pressure on a compressed nerve root—alleviating the problem and the pain.

PROTOCOL

For lumbar procedures, the patient is positioned supine on the SpineMED^® system. The Patented Pelvic Restraints are adjusted to comfortably secure the patient’s pelvis. The upper torso is secured to the fixed section of the table. The Patented Pelvic Tilt section electronically tilts the pelvis to target specific spinal segments. With precise computer controlled tension, the specific disc segment is gently distracted.

For cervical procedures, the cervical unit is first electronically tilted to the angle required to target specific segments of the cervical spine. The patient is then placed on the table with their head positioned in the cervical cradle unit. The patented Cervical Restraints are designed to comfortably capture the base of the patient’s skull for controlled distraction.

The SpineMED^® protocol consists of 20-25 sessions that are 30 minutes each in duration. SpineMED^® sessions are typically administered 3-5 times per week over a 4-6 week period. The procedure is performed with the patient fully clothed and has been described as safe, painless and extremely effective. In fact, it is not uncommon for patients to fall asleep during the procedure. Each session has a cumulative effect designed to significantly reduce pain and improve function as patients progress through the SpineMED^® program.

SpineMED^® Decompression is showing encouraging success rates for patients suffering with lumbar and cervical disc pathologies, both alone and in conjunction with complimentary patient services.