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Can Spinal Decompression Help Chronic Or Severe Neck Pain (PART I)???
For some reason not known my myself, it seems as if the discussion of significant neck pain – which may include radiation into the shoulder, upper back, arms or hands – is frequently neglected as a serious problem amongst our population. However, my many decades in practice have revealed to me that this could not be further from the truth. Severe neck problems seriously impair millions of people from living normal and productive lives.
Are you one of them? If so, there is very, very good news. Because until relatively recently, there has been little hope for the neck pain sufferer with herniated, bulging or degenerated discs or joints.
Recent advances in the use of non-invasive, non-surgical methods of spinal decompression have proven to be quite effective for many. In my opinion, as effective as non-surgical decompression (NSSD) has been for the low back disc sufferer, the results are even more impressive for the neck pain victim.
Specifically, use of the Vax-D protocol as well as application of three dimensional decompression technologies using Spinetronics Antalgitrak technology has been proving to have excellent outcomes for the vast majority of pain sufferers.
The VaxD advances include the use of a specially designed neck harness that reduces reactive muscle response (contractions) during the protocol. In addition to having the most superior biofeedback to keep constant monitoring by the doctor of the patient’s response throughout the protocol, the VaxD not only decompresses in an axial direction but can be applied in a curve simultaneously that matches the specific shape of a patient’s neck curve. The result is a more complete “de-weighting” or gravity free process getting better results with greater (virtually painless) treatment for the patient. This is an absolute MUST in achieving good results with spinal decompression.
The addition, three dimensional decompression methods allows me to place the patients neck in an infinite variety of angles during the decompression session allowing for increased patient comfort and a “deeper” level of decompression. Those with lateral herniation of the cervical spine respond extremely well to this procedure.
So, if your neck pain sufferer, don’t give up hope. There may be a solution.
(more on this next time)
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation 201-840-1980 or go to www.watefrontspinerehab.com for more info.
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Watefront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anesthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
Why Exercise May Be The Worst Thing You Can Do For Your Herniated Disc
The medical world, insurance companies and even the media at large have been seriously misguided…and incorrect….in the appropriate use of “exercise” in the rehabilitation of disc 
related conditions of the back and neck.
Please listen closely: If your pain is “discogenic” or originating from damage to one or more intervertebral discs which are compressed, you cannot exercise your way out of it. Discs are not contractile tissue which can be strengthened by exercise.
In fact, most exercise is additionally “compressive” to disc tissue and can… and will… increase the internal pressure of the disc. It is technically contra-indicated because of this fact. Additional compression to an already compressed disc will most likely damage it further. The standard abdominal strengtheners…. crunches and the like…. will “squish” the disc at it’s anterior region and raise intradiscal pressures as will most rotary type exercise even if it’s passive and applied by a doctor or therapist. Rotary movements pull on the “Sharpey’s fibers ” which connect the top and bottom area of the disc to the vertebrae above and below. As you twist or rotate the area, these tendinous fibers pull on the disc and can increase the interior stress on the disc. Thus, these types of activities need to be avoided early on in these conditions.
Similarly, activities like walking, jogging, running, stairmaster, etc… tend to be compressive in nature as the heel strikes the ground or this hips flex up and down.
So, when should exercise be instituted?
Not until the disc inflammation has begun to ease and the healing process has started. Typically, we will not exercise a patient until they’ve been reasonably symptom-free for at least 1 to 4 weeks depending on the case. Otherwise, re-weakening of the disc wall and aggravations of the condition are highly likely often setting the patient back weeks, if not months, in their rehabilitative process. Also, a rehabilitation program must include three-dimensional exercise to strengthen the smaller intrinsic muscles usually neglected by most active regimens.
In summary – don’t exercise too early in your care process and don’t try to exercise you pain away with a herniated disc. It won’t work.
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation 201-840-1980 or go to www.waterfrontspinerehab.com for more info.
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Watefront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anasthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
Can Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Be Effective If You’ve Already Had Spinal Surgery???.
In many cases the answer is ….. YES. While previous surgeries whereby extensive metallic “hardware” has been installed or for people who have had a surgically repaired abdominal or thoracic aneurysm surgically repaired usually serve as a contra-indication for NSSD techniques, in most NSSD is a safe alternative.
Many cases if “Failed Back Surgery” have found anywhere from modest to significant levels of progress with Non-Surgical Decompression intervention.
Keep in this in mind. Each case is separate and distinct. There is no perfectly generic answer to this question. That’s why very detailed consultation and evaluation are so important. In our office, we will not even consider a course of decompression care (especially a post-surgical case) until a relatively fresh MRI is reviewed, a range of motion and basic neurological evaluation and motion xray studies are performed. The motion xray is of particular importance because it can reveal instabilities often not viewed on MRI which might preclude a patient from our decompression program.
If you are contemplating undergoing a program of NSSD, make sure the doc you see is very thorough in evaluation prior to starting.
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation 201-840-1980 or go to www.watefrontspinerehab.com for more info.
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Waterfront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anesthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
Non Surgical Decompression And Spinal Stenosis: Can It Help?
Spinal Stenosis or the narrowing of the spinal canal or a nerve canal opening is not uncommon especially as we age. Commonly, routine therapies, medication and the like have not been particularly effective.
So, can non-invasive spinal decompression methods help???
Answer: Yes – but not in all types of stenosis.
Stenosis can be bony or functional. In bony stenosis, the internal walls of the bone have thickened like stalagmites or stalactites which poke inward into a cavern or a cave. This hard bone narrows the canal size and compresses the spinal cord and nerves. Patients often get relief by leaning forward or sitting but have difficulty standing and walking any distance. These types of cases do not respond well to non surgical decompression and often do need surgical decompression often called a laminectomy.
However, sometime the stenosis is functional. In other words, multiple disc bulges or herniation are poking or leaning into the spinal canal and functionally narrowing it. Non Surgical Decompression methods can help these cases by reducing the bulges/herniation and rehydrating discs to enhance the space in between each vertebrae. While these cases are challenging , just a small percentage of pressure reduction can reduce symptoms and pain to a much more tolerable level and thus allow the patients to avoid surgical interventions. Thus, the outcomes can be quite satisfactory.
Each case is different and needs to be evaluated by an experienced decompression specialist.
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Fill out the form on the right or give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation or more info 201-840-1980
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Watefront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anasthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Is NOT Traction And Why Traction Can Worsen A Herniated Disc
Many patients and even other physicians often comment that spinal decompression therapy is like old-fashioned from of traction. THEY COULD NOT BE MORE WRONG.
Here’s why:
First of all, the goal of most spinal surgery is to achieve “decompression” or relieve pressure. It has been generally acknowledged that routine tractions methods, inversion tables and the like, have not demonstrated the ability to lower internal disc pressures or subsequently decompress spinal discs. Extensive clinical studies, though, have clearly documented the ability of Vertebral Axial Spinal Decompression technology , in fact, to lower the internal pressure of the disc below zero or into the negative range, to unload and “de-weight” the disc and therefore actually achieve true disc decompression. It can do so under precisely computer controlled and monitored conditions with out surgical intervention and no disruption of normal spinal biomechanics. It can do so in totally comfortable application to the patient.
This is precisely why traction is NOT decompression. Non Surgical Decompression lower discspressures while traction does not. The outcome of traction is NOT that of decompression techniques. In fact, studies by many renowned researchers indicate that traction may actually increase intra – disc pressures thus making old fashioned forms of traction “contra-indicated” in case of disc herniation and may make the situation worse.
The development of methods to truly decompress discs without surgery should not be taken lightly. This is a tremendous advance in the treatment of chronic and severe spinal pain. This a tool that can diminish the need for surgical fusions, discetomies, laminectomies and the like. Patient risks are therefore minimized and costs savings are maximized. (AMA statistics indicate a cost north of $154,000 for a spinal fusion).
So, don’t confuse Non Surgical Spinal Decompression methods with forms of traction. While they may kinda’ sorta’ look alike, their outcomes are on opposite sides of the specutrum
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation 201-840-1980 or go to www.waterfrontspinerehab.com for more info>
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Watefront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anasthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
MRI Studies And Non Surgical Decompression: Are These Tests Necessary?
In a word – Yes.
While MRI is not quite the “Gold” standard everyone thinks it is (a test called a “discogram” is probably better but more invasive) , it is a highly valuable diagnostic test when a patient presents to my office for decompression care. Keep in mind, in order to be a qualified candidate for a program of Non-Surgical Decompression, there must be, logically, some tissue or anatomical structure “compressed” and damage must be found. That might include disc hernia, bulge, extrusion, degeneration or damage to the intervertebral joints. If there are not any findings of a compressive injury or condition on an MRI, that patient is not going to be accepted for care and further investigation and studies must be done to determine the source of that patients pain.
Additionally, if there are compressive issues found on the MRI, they may vary from minimal levels of damage to multiple levels of degenerative decay, multiple herniations at one disc level, etc….. Thus, these findings would seriously affect the patients planned protocol of care and general plan of attack by your treating doctor.
Personally, I will not take on a decompression case without a relatively fresh MRI. And a patient should be very wary and questioning of any so-called decompression doctor that would.
Also, it mandatory for a patient to have digital motion x-ray evaluation (done right in my office) to determine and areas of instability that may either affect a patient’s treatment regimen and outcome or even cause me to reject the case and refer for surgery as the instability found contra-indicated non-surgical decompression methods.
Thorough evaluation and diagnostic work-ups usually lead to much more effective …. and safer outcomes.
If a patient is interested finding out if her or she is a candidate for our decompression methods, we will be glad to refer them to a qualified and local MRI facility and take them through this process.
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation 201-840-1980 or go to www.waterfrontspinerehab.com for more info
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Watefront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anasthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
Back Or Neck Surgery Recommended? First Get The Facts…. Then Think Again
First let me say that I am not against surgery for the neck or back. I am against surgery as a first line of care or defense for severe spinal pain.
And the facts support me.
Recent studies indicate that in a 5 year follow up, there was no statistically significant improvement in outcomes for those who did surgery… versus those who did absolutely nothing. Now, I didn’t say these patients got better. In fact, some got worse whether they did surgery or didn’t.
But the surgical patients did not do better. I find this disturbing considering the risk to the surgical patients including hospital induced infection, anesthesia reaction, possibility of negative surgical reaction or increased pain due to the procedure.
If find it more disturbing that patient’s actually opt for surgery because there is now a viable, safe, reliable and effective alternative available.
Studies as far back as 2003 by Dr. Dennis McClure, a neurosurgeon quite familiar with spinal surgery, indicate that patients recommended for surgery who opted for a protocol of non-surgical decompression therapy had a 92% success rate!. This is a real eye-opener as in the past, these patients would have undergone extensive surgery exposing them to all the risks previously noted. Not to mention the sky high costs (around $154,000.00 including surgery, operating room suite, anesthesia fees, post-surgical rehab and hosptitilization according to the AMA).
Also interesting was the fact that those who had submitted to but failed previous surgical “decompression” procedures known as “laminectomies” (whereby the a piece of the vertebrae called the lamina is removed) had a success rate of 79% with a protocol of non-surgical decompression. Quite remarkable particularly as these patients typically have post-surgical scar tissue and muscle weakness due to the surgical “wounds”.
Conclusion: If you’re thinking about surgery for back or neck pain…. Maybe you should think again and explore other options.
Til next time.
Dr. Dave Podell, DC
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation 201-840-1980 or go to www.waterfrontspinerehab.com for more info
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Watefront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anasthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
Can Medications, Pain Relievers Or Pain Management Procedures Be The Absolute Worst Thing For Serious Herniated Discs or Serious Neck & Back Pain? Part III
In a post treatment study of successful ….. as well as “un-successful”… spinal pain sufferers treated with non surgical decompression (NSSD), Dr. Dennis McClure, an Ohio based Neurosurgeon who uses these methods in his own practice, reported on several factors which seemed to impair the success of his care. While overall success rates were 79 to 92% overall with non surgical decompression methods, the one factor in his study that really jumped out me was this… and it really initially threw me for a loop but made a whole bunch more sense after chewing on this data a bit more….was that patients who were taking large amounts of medication were much less successful in their outcomes and some had even more pain.
Keeping in mind that roughly 8 to 9 out of 10 treated with a substantial degree of success, I found it amazing the use of medication did the opposite of what one would think which is to be helpful in alleviating pain. Also, patients on larger amounts of medication are typically less healthy. It also appears the use of the drugs seems to impair healing. Dr. McClures general conclusion, one with which I agree wholeheartedly, is that this certainly lends itself to the idea that more wholistic and drugless or diminished use of drug type therapies and approaches make better sense for most patients.
Conclusion: Medications should be used sparingly and short term only for cases of serious back and neck pain as it seriously masks pain while the patient unknowingly continues to damage, or destroy, the underlying tissue which is causing the pain. Find out what’ causing your pain and get it repaired.
Til next time.
Dr. Dave Podell, DC
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation 201-840-1980 or go to www.waterfrontspinerehab.com for more info
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Watefront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anasthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
Can Medications, Pain Relievers Or Pain Management Procedures Be The Absolute Worst Thing For Serious Herniated Discs or Serious Neck & Back Pain? Part II
A brief word or two on epidurals and pain management procedures today.
First of all, like drugs, epidurals cannot and will not heal anything. The reduce pain in about 50% of the cases. However, pain relief is usually short term in many cases.
Number two. It requires invasive needling of the spinal cord and “epidural space” or the little channel between the spinal cord itself and the internal bony aspect of the spinal canal.
Now, I am not against this procedure in and of itself. But is not an answer to “discogenic” pain or pain originating from disc herniation, bulge and the like. It can be helpful to patients who are in acute distress and cannot even be placed in a prone, lying down position on a spinal decompression machine to treat the disc properly or to those that have let the condition run wild and can barely move without pain.
But keep in mind that an epidural is just the use of a “liquefied” medication that is injected in the area of the swollen or herniated disc so as to bathe it in anti-inflammatory medicine and calm it down…temporarily. That’s it. No healing will be done by an epidural procedure.
The bad news is two fold:
- If fools your body your better or “healed” and you continue with harmful activity and damage the disc further….much further. Quite similar to the affect of oral medications.
- Some feel that too many epidural injections can actually damage the outer shell or “annular” portion of the disc and thus weaken it further.
Both of these downside affects will often lead to significantly more serious issues and could possibly lead to permenant negative changes in the disc tissue.
So, only engage in these procedures with great caution and only if absolutely necessary. I have a pain management doc as part of my team and these procedures are applied very judiciously for our patients.
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation 201-840-1980 or go to www.waterfrontspinerehab.com for more info and instant free detailed report.
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Watefront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anasthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
Can Medications, Pain Relievers Or Pain Management Procedures Be The Absolute Worst Thing For Serious Herniated Discs or Serious Neck & Back Pain? Part I
Easily 75% of the patients who enter my office looking for relief have been on an extensive array of drugs… both prescribed and over-the-counter… And many have had multiple pain management procedures including epidiruals, nerve injections, electro or thermal “melting” of the disc (known as IDET) and the like. Some have had 15 spinal injections or more … without significant long term relief.
However, in my opinion, the waste of time and your own or your insurance companies money is not the worst of the issues here.
The most serious issue at hand is clearly:
DELAY OF APPROPRIATE CARE AND FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE DISCS AND SURROUNDING TISSUES.
What do I mean by this? Simply put, by masking the pain caused by the underlying damage, the patient is deceived feeling his “problem” has been solved. But all that really happened was that the pain was artificially masked. The patient continues to engage in activity that is damaging the delicate, pain sensitive tissue even more… but doesn’t know it because the pain killing medication either swallowed or ingested is acting as a cover-up.
Brief example: 70 something year old Craig came to see me with pain that had been progressing rapidly for 3 to 6 months but had started years before. He had been actively engaged in tennis, mountain climbing, golfing and biking…but could only due so after downing some type of pain killer. While he killed the pain, he was quietly destroying his discs. Then one day years later, the pain killers stopped working.
And he showed up at my door step in serious pain… and more serious disrepair. MRI studies revealed massive degenerative decay at every level from the lower thoracic to lower lumber areas with multiple herniations and areas of instability. He was as serious of a case as I’ve seen and I categorized him at a level 5 requiring the most serious and intensive care program I have available.
While Craig is slowly repairing and feeling somewhat better, he’ll never do better than 50 to 60% improvement. Why? Because he was kidding himself that drugs were making the “problem” better. Truth is: it was the worst thing he could have done and has caused himself permanent and irreparable harm. The tissues can never truly heal at this point.
Do yourself a favor. Don’t kid yourself that drugs heal you. They don’t. And there are other options.
I’ll explore more on epidurals in my next posting and how they should be used more judiciously and in combination with non-invasive rehab procedures.
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation 201-840-1980 or go to www.waterfrontspinerehab.com for more info and instant free detailed report.
Thank you so much for visiting my site. I encourage you to leave your questions and comments below. And for more information on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression please fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 201-840-1980
About Dr. Podell, DC: Dr. Dave Podell, DC has been in active practice for over 25 years and has seen countless numbers of the most difficult and previously failed cases. As the clinic director of the Watefront Spine Institute in Edgewater, New Jersey, just minutes from the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and Midtown Manhattan, Dr. Podell, DC runs one of the Northeast’s most advanced and evolutionary multi-disciplinary clinics for the treatment of disc herniation and associated ailments. Dr. Podell, DC sits on the advisory board of Spinal Aid Centers Of America and trains other health care providers in the science and art of non surgical spinal decompression in his Edgewater facility. He continues to train and advance his clinic’s state of the art spinal rehabilitation programs and is known nationwide in his field. He is additionally certified in neurodiagnostic evaluations, Spinal Manipulation Under Anasthesia and Disability Impairment rating. In addition to NSSD, he had received advanced training in Spinal Chiropractic Biophysics, Active Therapeutic Techniques, MedX and Spine Force Spinal Rehabilitation, Extremity manipulation, orthopedics and neurology.
