Educational information about Spinal Decompression Traction and how low back pain patients can benefit from it.

1. Presented by:
Life in Motion Chiropractic &
Wellness
www.lifeinmotionchiro.com

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Back Pain Overview
Back Anatomy
Back Injury Risk Factors
When to Seek Help for Back Pain
Treatment Options
Spinal Decompression Therapy

3. Back Facts…
• About 85% of Americans
experience back trouble
by age 50.
• Back problems are the
most frequent cause of
activity limitations in
working-age adults.

4. The Spinal Column
• The human spinal column is the center
of postural control.
• It is built to provide stability and at the
same time allow flexibility.
• These two seemingly incompatible
functions of support (inflexibility) and
movement (flexibility) are at opposite
ends of a spectrum of movement, and
this fact is one reason the spine is so
vulnerable to injury.

5. The Spine - Disc Nutrition
• Located between the vertebrae
in our backs are discs which act
as the shock absorbers for the
spine.
• Discs begin losing blood supply
by age 20.
• We feed our disks by moving
fluids into and out of them
through mechanical
compression and
decompression (one reason to
move about while at work).

6. The Spinal Column
7 cervical (neck)
vertebrae
12 thoracic
(middle back)
vertebrae
5 lumbar (low
back) vertebrae
Sacrum (fused vertebrae)
Coccyx (tailbone)

7. Spinal Components
Spinal Cord
Facet Joint
Vertebra
Herniated disc material
pressing on nerve
Disc
Nerves

8. Back Injury Risk Factors
• Acute (traumatic) back
injury may occur due to:
• slips, trips and falls
• auto accidents
• sedentary lifestyle
(with occasional lifting)
• heavy and/or awkward
loads
• improper lifting technique

9. Where is the Stress?
• Facet Joints: bear 20%
of weight
• Discs bear 80% of
weight
• Neural Foramen
• Anterior Longitudinal
Ligament
• Posterior Longitudinal
Ligament

10. Back Injury Risk Factors
• Chronic back injury may
result from poor posture
and/or improper lifting
technique combined with
repetitive lifting.
• Additionally, genetics and
overall physical fitness may
affect spinal health.

11. Back Pain - When to Seek Help
• For common back strain, give home remedies a try for
72 hours.
• In rare cases, back pain can indicate a serious
problem - seek medical attention if:
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you have weakness or numbness in either leg;
you have a fever along with back pain;
you notice new bladder or bowel control problems;
your pain increases with lying down; or
you have a history of significant chronic disease, such as
osteoporosis, cancer or diabetes.

12. •
LBP may radiate into
Radiation of Back Pain
– groin
– buttocks
– upper thigh
areas that share an interconnecting nerve
supply
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Source of somatic referred pain is a
skeletal or myofascial structure of the
lumbar spine
Source of visceral referred pain is within
a body organ
– ovarian cysts may refer pain to low back
– cancer of head of pancreas can present
as low back pain becoming excruciating
at night Damage to specific nerve root
– pain may radiate along the nerve down
the lower extremity
•
Lumbosacral radiculopathy often
manifests as sciatica

13. Medical Interventions
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Less than 5% of back pain is caused by
serious diseases (e.g., cancer or infection)
or by anatomical problems that require
surgery.
•
Surgery is almost always elective, possibly
providing faster relief of symptoms but may
have little effect on long term outcomes.
•
Non-specific pain could originate with the
muscles, ligaments, facet joints or discs
and it is generally impossible to be certain
of the exact cause.
From: Cherkin, Dan. Measuring Health Care Quality: Low Back Pain and Associated Treatment Outcomes.
Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound.

14. Medical Intervention
• In a small fraction of cases, the pain
will move down the leg into the foot,
usually as a result of a disc herniation;
however, only about 2% of persons
with back pain undergo surgery.
• Most herniated disc symptoms abate
without surgery and have been found
to be surprisingly common even in nonsymptomatic adults.
From: Cherkin, Dan. Measuring Health Care Quality: Low Back Pain and Associated Treatment Outcomes.
Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound.

15. Lumbar Structural Pathology and
Degenerative Cascade
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In all individuals, there
is natural, progressive
degeneration of the motion
segments over time
This results in anatomic,
biochemical, and clinical
sequelae
Although lumbar motion
segment degeneration is not a
normal process, it may not be
painful
Three phases of
degeneration
Dysfunction
Instability
Stabilization

16. Sources of LBP
• Damage to several
structures in the low back
can result in severe pain
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vertebrae
thoracolumbar fascia
ligaments
joints
specifically the sacroiliac joint
– discs
– muscle
Deyo RA, Weinstein JN. N Engl J Med. 2001;344:363-370.

17. Conservative Treatment Options
• Exercise (stabilization training)
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Complementary measures (physical therapy
modalities, acupuncture, CogB Therapy, massage
or biofeedback therapy)
• Spinal manipulative therapy
• Spinal Decompressive Therapy

18. The Diagnosis
• A diagnosis is made by matching your back and leg pain
symptoms with a good clinical history and data from the;
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General Physical Examination
Range of Motion Evaluation
Orthopedic Examination
Muscle Strength Testing
Postural Evaluation
X-rays,
Labs,
Advanced Diagnostics (MRI, CT, NCV, etc)

19. Non Surgical Spinal Decompression
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Safe, Effective and Affordable
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Based on more than 15 years of medical
research
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Effective for treatment of Disc Herniations,
Degenerative Disc Disease, Lumbar Facet
Syndrome and Sciatica
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Several studies suggest upwards of an 86%
success rate
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Decompression produces a negative
intradiscal pressure of up to -200mm Hg to
pull the extruded material back towards the
center of the disc
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Reoxygenates, rejuvenates, rehydrates and
provides nutrition to the damaged discs
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Reduces local scar tissue and adhesions

20. Decompression, Reduction and Stabilization Science
• Decompression relieves pressure placed on the nerves
from herniated discs or compressive forces.
• Decompression relieves pain by drawing areas of disc
herniation back into the center of the disc where it
belongs.
• Decompression creates a vacuum that draws the bulging
and herniated disc material back into the disc space to
relieve nerve pressure.
• Decompression can help stabilize the ligaments that hold
the disc in a normal position to reduce the likelihood of
future problems.

21. Treatment Protocols
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A hot pack will be applied and myofascial release performed on the
paraspinal muscles prior to commencing decompression.
Treatment parameters are determined based upon exam and MRI
findings to target the damaged lumbar disc.
Initial treatment of two weeks of daily treatment, followed by three
sessions a week for two weeks, concluding with two sessions a
week until condition is resolved or maximum improvement has been
made.
Interferential therapy with cold packs are applied after
decompression to consolidate paravertebral muscles and prevent
inflammation.
Patients are examined every 10 visits to monitor progress.

22. Treatment Protocols – Cont.
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If the patient has not improved by 50% after 10 treatments then a comprehensive
evaluation is performed so that appropriate changes in the care plan can be made.
If the patient has not improved 50% after ten treatments consideration will be made for the
appropriateness of:
Facet nerve block injections
Trigger point injections
Refer for surgery
A strengthening and rehabilitation program lasting between 4-6 weeks will begin when the
patient has seen a 75% improvement in pain and function to help strengthen the
paravertebral and lumbar core musculature.
Some patients will require an ongoing care program that may include the use of tens, cold
packs, exercise, relaxation training, walking techniques, and posture techniques.
6 weeks after the end of treatment the patient is seen for evaluation and follow-up

23. You are ultimately in control of your destiny
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Large disc herniation does NOT always need surgery
Neurologic loss is NOT an absolute indication for surgery
Small disc bulge is NOT always normal
Interventional pain management works but not 90% of
the time
• Surgery does not have an 80% success rate
• Conservative treatment is reversible. Surgery is not.

24. Back Pain Summary
• Chronic LBP is something that can be
overcome with proper guidance
• Progress is focused on targeting
treatment at the mechanisms that
produce pain rather than ameliorating
the symptoms
• Biopsychosocial approach is critical for
the successful management of chronic
LBP
• Spinal Decompressive Therapy is a
promising new treatment for chronic
back pain and should be considered
before surgery.

25. Life in Motion Chiropractic & Wellness
6139 Route 96 – Suite 1
Farmington, New York
14425
(585) 953-0200
3111 Winton Rd.
South
Rochester, NY
14623
www.LifeInMotionChiro.com
(585) 953-0200
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