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.
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.
What The Medical World And Physicians Are Saying About Non-Surgical Decompression
Intermittently my “delighted with their results” newer patients will ask me why their doctor never heard of
my clinic or the non surgical spinal decompression procedure. (if your are a physician reading this, I have just put the finishing touches on my physician education kit for NSSD) But, the truth is, not a week goes by where several disc pain sufferers are referred by other physicians to find out if they’re a candidate for our decompression program.
But here’s a few comments from a variety of practitioners:
“Excuciating pain radiated from my left leg to my toes. MRI scans showed deterioration at the L4 and L5 areas. My doctor recommended a 15-day VaxD regimen (*VaxD in one of the primary tools we use at Waterfront Spine Institure). I was doubtful about the sciatic pain in my leg, but I continued on with treatment and after the 15th session I only had a slight twinge occasionally. Since that day on, I am completely free of the pain in my back and my left leg. I jog the same as I used to, I cut the lawn, I’m back without any pain at all, and I”ve got to say Vax D (decompression) was the thing that did it for me.”
Roert Channey, M.D.
Former Assistant Surgeon General Of The United States
“VaxD Therapy should be the initial treatment for chronic back pain patients suffering from bulging, herniated, degenerative discs and facet syndrome. I view back surgery as a last resort, and VaxD gives my patients a more conservative treatment option that can eliminate the need for surgery altogether. VaxD is also a treatment option for those patiens who have had surgery and have a relapse or experience a retrun of pain following surgery. With VaxD, I have a key non-surgical treatment for back (and neck) pain”
Dr. Vik Singh, M.D., Q.M.E.
West Hills, California
“I’ve never found anything towork so well for back pain pagtients in my 39 years in medicine. VaxD changes people’s lives and frees them from the misery of chronic low back conditions. It repairs damaged discs that cause excruciating back pain and sciatica. It is able to fix the post-surgical train wrecks that no one else could repair. VaxD should be used before surgery. VaxD has lowered patients’ needs for pain medicines-and that is a good thing.
E. Michael Gutmann, M.D.
Orlando, Florida
“As a surgeon I only want to do surgery when I absolutely to. Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy give my patients a more conservative treatment option that can eliminate the need for surgery altogether…”
Dr. Bernard Zeliger
Founding Dean of College Of Osteopathic Medicne-Vallejo, California
Want to find out if you’re a candidate. Give us a call at Waterfront Spine Institute for a no charge consultation or our Decompression Info Kit call 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 A Herniated Disc Cause Sciatica Or Severe Leg Pain??? PART II
Can non – surgical decompression help with conditions like Sciatica.? The answer is this: If evaluation reveals you have a compression injury such as bulge, herniation or protrusion on an MRI and your doctor determines this to be the cause of your sciatic pain……. Then there is a very good chance that Non Surgical Spinal Decompression could be the answer to your problem.
As noted in PART I, when the disc gets squished, the internal disc material probes outward thus compressing or irritating the adjacent local nerves which go down your legs.
Non Surgical Decompression (NSSD), in the vast majority of cases, can reverse the high intra-disc pressure drawing the bulging disc centrally while drawing in vital nutrients and fluids which will help heal the disc in the longer run. When successful, the pressure and inflammatory chemical reaction is eased…. and your sciatic pain goes away. Without medications, invasive epidural injections, routing physical therapy or surgical interventions.
Basically, decompression technology “fools mother nature” sneaking under the muscle reactions and spasms and opens up the disc space, creates the negative pressure and heals the disc. The healing is usually long term and most patients do not require endless treatments or even maintenance once they have gone through the program. Some people fell better almost immediately in a couple of sessions while for others the procedure takes a longer usually due to the severity of the underlying damage.
This affect of’ “negative pressure” has been proven repetitively in setting whereby a herniated disc patient has electronic pressure sensors inserted inside the disc. The internal disc pressure drops dramatically once the proper thresh\hold is reached creating a vacuum like phenomena which will begin to draw in fluids to the interior of the ‘squshed” disc.
In time, most of the worst sciatica cases feel much, much better and are healed in the long term with proper application of Non Surgical Decompression procedures. The procedure is relaxing, easy for the patient and painless.
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 A Herniated Disc Cause Sciatica Or Severe Leg Pain??? PART I
Have you or someone you know ever had the experience of going to your doc because you had some god-awful pain from your low back or hip down into your leg or foot? If so, you know it can range anywhere from modestly unpleasant to down right agonizing. And if you’ve had this rather negative experience you want pain relief fast…..and that’s why you went to see your doctor in the first place.
Usually, he or she tells you it’s Sciatica. Well, the truth is… you just been told what you already knew because sciatica literally means “leg pain”. Sort of like going to the doc because you’ve lost your vision and you’re told you’re blind.
Your concern, however, is not to get a description of what you already knew but to find out what’s causing it…. and how to fix it.
In most cases, not all but most, leg pain radiating from the hip or back is related to pressure on the nerves in your lower back. And often that pressure comes from the jelly donut like disc that ‘s being “squished” between to vertebrae. This squeezing pressure causes the discs internal contents to bulge or spill out creating an outward bulging of the disc which can directly place pressure on the nerves which run down into your legs. Additionally, inflammatory chemicals may be released which further irritate the nerve and your pain.
Unfortunately, with time, things like Sciatica tend to progress. The outer wall of the disc begins to get tiny cracks and crevices… like a broken windshield. The disc can decay further and lose more and more fluid thus becoming dehydrated.
Standard care may utilize prescription of anti-inflammatory medication, over the counter analgesics or pain killers. The doc will often refer you for a course of routine physical therapy or chiropractic care. Later, an lumbar MRI may be taken which can reveal the damaged discs.
Continued pain leads you to a pain management office for invasive injections or even the neuro-surgeon’s office for consultation.
While all these things may create some short term relief…they all fall short in the long run offering no true repair or reversal of the process. Surgical intervention is laden with possible side affects as well as anesthesia and infection risk not to mention surgical failure or even error.
What has emerged over the last decade or so are advanced non surgical methods used to relieve disc pressure and actually get the disc to heal long term. This known as non surgical decompression and we will continue this discussion in my next blog posting.
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.
