There has been much information in the media recently about the merits of spinal decompression. In order to appreciate the merits of the new technology, you must first understand the condition it treats.
Spinal decompression puts negative pressure on each disk, to alleviate the pressure and pain associated with compressed disks. When a disk is compressed, the disk material moves from its place between each disk, into the space occupied by the sensitive nerves. When the nerves become crowded, the patient experiences great pain and pressure. This pain is not alleviated by even the strongest of pain medications. Many times, the condition warrants the use of highly addictive medications, such as morphine to mask the pain long enough to give the patient some relief. Long term however, the risk for addiction increases, while the source of the pain is untreated.
Surgery attempts to treat the condition by shaving the part of the disk to create room for the material that is crowding the nerves. Spinal decompression eliminates the source of the pain, therefore eliminating the need for risky spine surgery and the subsequent months of down time post surgery.
The DRX9000 is an innovative technology that uses spinal decompression to treat various spinal conditions. It is being hailed as a state of the art alternative to invasive and risky back surgery. Axiom Worldwide developed the technology and it has received FDA clearance for treatment of back pain. The DRX9000 is effective in treating herniated discs and degenerative disc disease. It has also shown to be effective in treating sciatica. It should be noted that not all patients are good candidates for the DRX9000. Your chiropractor will evaluate each patient independently.
The DRX9000 uses traction to slowly and gently elongate the spine to increase the intervertebral disc spaces. The process is precise, which eliminates the risk for additional injury. The machine is computer controlled and programmed by a trained professional.
The treatment usually takes two weeks of daily sessions, and then 3 weeks of 2-3 sessions. In several clinical trials, 86% of the test subjects reported immediate resolution of their pain following treatment. Of those 86%, 90% reported lasting pain relief beyond 90 days. Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy has been studied and discussed in several academic and industry papers.
Project Briefs: Back Pain Patient Outcomes Assessment Team (BOAT). In MEDTEP Update, Vol. 1 Issue 1, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville, MD, Summer 1994.
Thomas A. Gionis, MD, JD, MBA, MHA, FICS, FRCS, Eric Groteke, DC, CCIC, Spinal Decompression, Orthopedic Technology Review Nov/Dec 2003, Vol. 5, No. 6