GMDH 9: Spinal Decompression
21 September 2008
Morning Dr. Hollander
I keep seeing these commercials for spinal decompression, I was wondering what that is all about and how that works. What does it help with and what your professional opinion is on it?
-Dave
Good Morning! Good question.
Spinal decompression as a treatment for neck and low back pain has recently become very popular and also very controversial. Some chiropractors and also other physicians have been charging very high fees for this "miracle" therapy. Some even tried billing insurances the thousands of dollars; however they were doing so under coding for surgical decompression. Not too honest there. They were brought up on charges for fraud. Incredible.
There is some truth however, to the ability of spinal decompression to help heal disc injuries and thereby alleviate neck and back pain. To address this it is necessary to discuss the physiology of the disc.
Imbibition
The human spine contains 23 cartilaginous discs. These discs provide mobility to the spinal column while allowing it to protect the spinal cord. The intervertebral disc (IVD) is largely an avascular structure in the adult. It has a very poor blood supply to begin with and as we age this blood supply lessens.
There are however, still cells that reside in the IVD, Chondrocytes that require nutrients to survive and carry out their function (secreting cartilage). They, like any other cell require the intake of glucose and oxygen, and the removal of waste products like carbon dioxide. In the absence of blood vessels, the disc uses a "pumping" action with the movement of the spine to diffuse the nutrients and waste products across the disc's tissues. This process is commonly referred to as "imbibition."
Subluxation
In the event of vertebral subluxation, the movement of the spine is compromised and thereby the process of imbibition cannot occur. The chondrocyte cannot take in oxygen and glucose. It literately begins to "suffocate" and "starve." You thereby have the mechanism for "Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)."
You also then also have a mechanism to prevent and reverse this process. If you restore proper motion to the spine (i.e. the chiropractic adjustment), you also restore the disc's ability to imbibe itself.
Curiously, the "standard of care" for discal injuries, medication and bed rest, does nothing to help promote imbibition and thereby does very little to promote healing within the disc itself.
Spinal Decompression
Imbibition can be promoted in the IVD in a variety of ways. Spinal decompression promotes imbibition by simulating a "pump" in the body, often by a series of neck and low back traction followed by relaxation.
There are many other ways to promote imbibition in the IVD. Exercises as simple as sit-ups, leg raises, upper body extensions, even running all help to promote global imbibition. Obviously these exercises are not appropriate in cases of acute low back pain. There are some rehabilitative chiropractic exercises that can target imbibition at specific disc levels. And there are other modalities used in the chiropractic office that can produce a similar effect like Flexion-Distraction.
Money
Some chiropractors and other physicians have decompression therapies that they will charge somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 for a series of treatments, usually 12-14. These costs usually correlate to the cost of their decompression table, which is often in the vicinity of 100-150k.
It is my opinion that the fancy decompression table doesn't do all the much more than the not-as-fancy decompression table. They usually have flat-screen monitors that play videos and music while you're in therapy.
Decompression is decompression. In our office we offer spinal decompression as one of our services. Our table cost about 14k, and we charge about $1400 for a series of treatments. It is very reasonable and produces the same effect of any other spinal decompression.
Conclusion
The IVD is an avascular structure that requires a process called imbibition to live. Chiropractic adjustments and movement/exercise helps maintain and promote imbibition. Spinal decompression helps promote and heal disc injuries also, but does not have to be astronomically expensive.
Hope that helps,
Mad Chiro Luv,
-Darren, DC
Comments
1 Dr. Steven says...
From one dr h to another...GREAT JOB DR H!!!
Posted at 10:22 p.m. on January 1, 2009
2 rachat credit says...
Man, really want to know how can you be that smart, lol...great read, thanks.
Posted at 1:15 p.m. on October 25, 2010
3 hirers liability insurance says...
Laurel, yea right...
Jeannine http://insuranceboard.info
Posted at 4:21 p.m. on November 19, 2010
4 keh insurance says...
I am curious exactly what Brant will say with that..
http://icallinsurance.info
Posted at 5:03 a.m. on November 29, 2010
5 albin insurance says...
Hey Deana, WTF!!!
Posted at 5:24 a.m. on December 17, 2010
6 bestfacebookgames says...
orlandofamilychiropractic.com is my top website, i love to read it
<a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Best-top-10-games/183623295024386>fun facebook games</a>
Posted at 1:34 a.m. on July 5, 2011
7 prohormonesforsale says...
I love orlandofamilychiropractic.com , bookmarked !
<a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Prohormones-legal-steroids/108200189272195>prohormones</a>
Posted at 12:43 a.m. on July 7, 2011
8 prohormonesforsale says...
orlandofamilychiropractic.com is awesome ! optimum nutrition whey <a href=http://topmusclesupplements.org>buy prohormones</a>
Posted at 12:11 a.m. on July 9, 2011
9 i-phone-5 says...
orlandofamilychiropractic.com is my TOP9 website!
<a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/iPhone-5g-news/266107323419514>iphone 5g</a>
Posted at 9:58 a.m. on September 15, 2011
10 youtube-increaser says...
orlandofamilychiropractic.com is this what i need, thanks
<a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVwB1BhbZkE>increase youtube views</a>
Posted at 3:45 p.m. on September 16, 2011
11 prohormones says...
I love to come back to orlandofamilychiropractic.com <a href=http://topmusclesupplements.org>legal steroids</a>
Posted at 9:50 a.m. on September 17, 2011
12 views-increaser says...
orlandofamilychiropractic.com is this what i need, thanks
<a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVwB1BhbZkE>increase youtube views</a>
Posted at 10:47 p.m. on September 17, 2011
13 iphone-5g says...
orlandofamilychiropractic.com is my TOP10 site!
<a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/iPhone-5g-news/266107323419514>iphone 5g</a>
Posted at 4:15 p.m. on September 23, 2011
14 188bet-new says...
orlandofamilychiropractic.com brings back smile on my face <a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot0BOdh1UO4>188bet new</a>
Posted at 3:16 p.m. on September 25, 2011
15 free-ipad says...
orlandofamilychiropractic.com rss feed bookmarked ! <a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Free-iPad-2/243312979050369>free ipad 2</a>
Posted at 4:48 a.m. on October 3, 2011
16 muscle-supplements says...
I see a lot of quality threads in orlandofamilychiropractic.com !
<b><a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bodybuilding-supplements/160338687391509>bodybuilding supplements</a></b>
Posted at 5:13 a.m. on October 14, 2011
17 make-money-online says...
I see a lot of quality posts in orlandofamilychiropractic.com !
<a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYd7dFGRGVI>how to make money online</a>
Posted at 6:13 p.m. on October 15, 2011
18 make-money says...
You should update orlandofamilychiropractic.com more often, but i love it! <a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ways-to-make-money/138192036280761>ways to make money</a>
Posted at 4:35 a.m. on October 24, 2011
19 ipad-2-giveaway says...
I love orlandofamilychiropractic.com buddy! <a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5YWRPe9Ry0>ipad 2 giveaway</a>
Posted at 9:10 p.m. on October 27, 2011
20 iPhone4S-for-free says...
I love orlandofamilychiropractic.com buddy!
<a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov52Leg5bMQ>iphone giveaway</a>
Posted at 10:52 a.m. on October 29, 2011
21 amazon promotional codes says...
ahtcopsmboepgbnjmzdijspqsbdujd, <a href="http://www.55lh40.com/">Vigrx plus pictures</a>, XoKWzqe, [url=http://www.55lh40.com/]Results of vigrx[/url], WKYQGir, http://www.55lh40.com/ Online vigrx review, IPklYOW, <a href="http://viagrahandbuch.com/">Russia status of viagra</a>, DYliXMI, [url=http://viagrahandbuch.com/]Generic viagra without prescription[/url], ciTMXxQ, http://viagrahandbuch.com/ Discount viagra, TTUtBdD, <a href="http://outstandingofferszone.com/">uniform city promotional code</a>, bBYCwFP, [url=http://outstandingofferszone.com/]uniform city coupons free shipping[/url], NEdXkDw, http://outstandingofferszone.com/ uniform city coupons free shipping, luwTrrD, <a href="http://wowdealnow.com/">overstock promo</a>, srzDyQu, [url=http://wowdealnow.com/]overstock[/url], XcLbFCc, http://wowdealnow.com/ overstock coupon code 20, dijHHau, <a href="http://awesomedealszone.com/">amazon music</a>, VYTnCHT, [url=http://awesomedealszone.com/]amazon promotional codes[/url], tXDElmw, http://awesomedealszone.com/ amazon books, cjTxmea, <a href="http://campusmotel.com/">Stickam caps</a>, MARKXox, [url=http://campusmotel.com/]Nude stickam girls[/url], KXfeOfU, http://campusmotel.com/ Girls stickam, OCQPGpd.
Posted at 12:53 a.m. on December 26, 2011