Spinal Decompression FAQ

What is spinal decompression?
Spinal decompression is a non-surgical traction-based therapy that treats herniated, bulging, or degenerative discs in your neck or lower back. Spinal decompression works by stretching your spine.

Decompression therapy also promotes the exchange of water, oxygen, and nutrient-rich fluids from outside the discs to the inside. This exchange of nutrients stimulates healing in torn and degenerated disc fibers.

What are discs?
Your spinal column contains 33 separate bones, known as vertebrae, stacked on top of each other like a deck of cards. Between many of these bones are discs that cushion the discs and prevent the bones from grinding against each other. Discs can develop weak spots that allow the discs to bulge and press against nearby nerve. A ruptured disc can spill its gooey contents, which can irritate nearby nerves to cause pain and poor mobility.

What technology does spinal decompression use?
Spinal decompression uses FDA-cleared technology that gently stretches your spine to create a vacuum inside the discs. This vacuum allows a herniated or bulging disc to retract to its normal position between the vertebra, thereby reducing pressure off the nerve to reduce pain and mobility problems.

Who can benefit from spinal decompression?
Almost anyone suffering from back, neck, arm, or leg pain may gain relief from spinal decompression therapy.

How long does the treatment last?
The typical spinal decompression treatment lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Stimulation, ice packs, and spinal manipulation optimize results of spinal decompression therapy. You can expect to come for several visits each week over a four to six week period for maximum relief from neck, back, and leg pain.

Each spinal decompression treatment creates microscopic changes that cumulatively, over the course of four to six weeks, provide dramatic results.

When is spinal decompression therapy appropriate?
Our chiropractor, Dr. Scott Barnhart, may prescribe spinal decompression treatments if you have suffered an injury, especially from an auto accident. Depending on the cause of your pain and its severity, our chiropractor may recommend spinal decompression as a first line of treatment or begin spinal decompression only after standard chiropractic adjustment.

How does decompression therapy work?
You will lie on a comfortable table. Our chiropractic team will secure a fabric harness around your abdomen and legs. This harness keeps your body in the right position throughout your treatment.

Our chiropractor will start the spinal decompression machine, which gradually exerts a suction force that pulls gently on your spine for a brief period. The decompression action relieves the pressure on your vertebrae and discs. This pressure relief also works to leave your vertebrae in the correct position when the decompression machine returns your spine to its normal length.

What should I wear?
You will remain fully clothed during your spinal decompression session. Please wear something comfortable.

Does spinal decompression therapy hurt?
Spinal decompression therapy is not painful. In fact, many patients say the procedure alleviates symptoms, including pain and pressure.