A lot of people have heard about the benefits of back decompression, but they are not quite sure what the procedure is. Also known as spinal decompression, this type of therapy is meant to increase the spaces between the discs of the spine, alleviating back pain and increasing healing. It is one of the more popular treatments for lower back pain around today. You have likely seen commercials or infomercials with people strapped to a table upside down. These are inversion tables, and help to provide the same type of benefit. However, these are not as strong of results as one would get from a professional.
How Does Back Decompression Help Alleviate Back Pain?
Back decompression is actually a way to stretch out your back. This can be done by using machinery, such as an inversion table, or even a harness. What they both do is hold one part of your body still while the other part stretches. Tables hold your feet and invert you upside down. This lets your back slowly stretch out while you are upside down. Harnesses hold your upper body still and lets your lower body stretch. They both give you the same basic effect, in that it stretches out the components of your spine.
This helps you feel less back pain because it gives you more room between each disc in your back. This improves the wiggle room your body has around your spine by up to 20%, according to many research studies. When there is more room between the discs, this gives your body a chance to try and heal itself. When you have two discs that get close to each other, the result is typically pain. This pain can be minor and annoying, or major and life-changing. By opening up the space between those discs, you get relief from the pain. Most of the pain typically comes from nerves getting pinched in that space. Pulling pressure off the nerves allows the pain to decrease.
Plus, when there is more space between the discs, you also allow more oxygen in there. This can bring about natural relief from pain. It also has the opportunity to let the spaces heal more effectively. Your body wants to heal itself, but when there is no room for the healing cells to get in there, they cannot do their job. When the spaces open up, healing can come in and relief can begin.
Other Types of Treatments to Help with Back Pain
There are other options aside from back decompression that can also help your back pain. Something like physical therapy is a great option. This is especially effective if your pain stems from an injury or poor posture. What happens is you are given exercises to do. These teach you how to move in ways that will not aggravate your pain further. This lets your body heal and teaches your body how to move in ways that do not leave you in constant pain.
You also have the option of a massage when your back hurts. By getting a massage, you decrease your overall inflammation, and increase the oxygenation of the painful area. This increases your healing, and reduces your pain, all with the same act. If you want a different type of relief, you can also opt for a chiropractic manipulation to get the elements of your spine back in place. There are times where your back may have become misaligned. This is a relatively common occurrence. When your back is not in proper alignment, it hurts. Getting it put back into proper alignment can bring about a lot of relief.
There are always the options of medications and surgery to help with your back pain, but those can come with a lot of potential side effects. Some medications have side effects of their own. Plus, most of them could cause you to become dependent. Surgery also has side effects, plus recovery time you need to consider. Not all surgical options will decrease the pain you are in, either. Some surgeries are only somewhat successful, and some may fail completely, leaving you in worse pain.
Can Back Decompression Get Used with Other Back Pain Treatment Options?
The best way to get relief is by blending back decompression with other forms of back pain treatment. It gives you the cumulative benefits of all the different types of treatment you get. For example, if you were to go and get a massage, it may help you feel better for a few days. Then, if you were to get your spine manipulated back into proper alignment, this could help for another week or two. When you combine both, and you get them done regularly, this can lead to a significant reduction in pain that lasts indefinitely.
The important thing is that you keep getting the treatment done. Back pain treatment is only able to last for so long as long as the cause of the pain still exists. Once the cause is dealt with, it can begin to heal in a more permanent way. Managing your pain until that point is what helps alleviate your pain.
When you combine the different treatment options you have, you can find relief. You can find a way to go about your life like you once did. The best part is you can get your quality of life back. For most people, back pain is synonymous with missing out on life. You cannot go for long car rides and travel like you once did. Getting up and out of bed hurts. It affects how you live your life. When you find the right treatment regimen, it allows you to move without misery. It gives you your life back.
