If you suffer from lower back pain, don’t be too hasty to think you need drugs or surgery for relief. At the Carrollton chiropractic office of Dr. Peter Lazarnick (Dr. Pete), we offer a variety of holistic, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief treatments that are meant to help your body get into the optimal position to heal itself. Among our low-risk options for treating herniated discs is a spinal decompression table. This week, we’re going to take a closer look at how this technology works, and when it’s use is appropriate.
A herniated spinal disc is one in which the gelatinous pulp in the center is pushing against the fibrous outer ring, distorting the disc’s shape. It may come about due to an injury that ruptured the outer part of the disc, or the disc may have worn down slowly over the course of the patient’s life. Either way, when the spinal disc is misshapen, it cannot function as well as a shock absorber between the vertebrae. And it may also be pressing against one of the nerves that emerge from the spinal cord, which in the lower back, could be a sciatic nerve. This would result in pain or numbness from the lower back to the leg.
Spinal decompression works by creating negative pressure within the spinal discs, allowing the gelatinous nucleus to be pulled back to the center. It does not require any special preparation by the patient; they’ll just lie on the table with a strap around their hips, while the motorized panel under their legs slowly slides away. The stretch is gentle and sessions typically last for thirty to forty-five minutes. A patient will likely undergo several per week for up to two months, and may also be advised to engage in therapeutic exercises. Spinal decompression may not be right for people with surgical inserts in their spines, or who are pregnant or have bone fractures. But most other people are able to undergo it and other complementary treatments safely.
Dr. Peter Lazarnick is located at 486 Bankhead Hwy, Carrollton, Georgia, 30117. To schedule an appointment, call 770-832-2226 or visit www.askdrpete.com.