Back Clinics of Canada Patient Question of the Week: Spinal Decompression at Home

Hi, Dr. Ron.

I’ve been hearing about Spinal Decompression treatments one can do at home, for relief from low back pain and neck pain. What is this exactly? Does it really work?

First, let me quickly explain what non-surgical spinal decompression is. This is a technology-based back and neck pain decompression system. The doctor overseeing treatments programs each session for the specific patient who is receiving care. Highly specific decompression forces work to gently impact vertebrae on either side of the spinal disc that is injured or compromised. As the vertebrae move apart, the disc in between now can begin to heal. Because treatment is so focused on the specific spinal discs requiring care, the treatment is highly effective. It’s also extremely safe, with no notable side-effects.

Now, to specifically answer your question… any device that offers “spinal decompression at home” will be a general traction device. I would guess you are thinking about an inversion table, or an over-the-door cervical traction device, and the like. These devices can offer a nice stretch for temporary relief of back or neck pain, and not much more. They cannot be programmed to target specific vertebrae in the back or the neck. The user is not necessarily prepping themselves properly before use, or treating themselves appropriately after use; all of which can result in more harm at the expense of the feel-good stretch.

There is potential to use the over-the-door cervical traction device incorrectly; too much applied weight can actually cause more injury to the neck.

There are also risk associated with inversion tables. These include changes in heart rate, blood pressure and eye pressure. These risks may outweigh the benefits of “possibly” easing low back pain. Inversion tables are also expensive and take up room.

In attempting to treat one’s low back pain or neck pain with “spinal decompression at home”, one may achieve temporary relief, and one may harm themselves further. Any at home device is in no way as effective and safe as the technology offered at Back Clinics of Canada.

I also have found in our Toronto back pain clinic that for true, lasting healing, non-surgical spinal decompression should be supplemented by additional therapies, before and after, to boost healing and ensure maintenance of the progress achieved at each session. These treatments are bundled into the High Performance Healing System, only available at Back Clinics of Canada.

For more information, call Back Clinics of Canada at 416-633-3666.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Ron

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