What to Expect During a Spinal Decompression Session?

If your back pain is bothering you and getting intense with each passing day, you must look for a long-term and effective solution to this condition. Spinal decompression is referred to as a reliable and non-invasive way to treat spine-related issues. Most of the people interested in this therapy are curious and want to know what to expect during a spinal decompression session.

To help these people understand how spinal decompression is performed and involved during a particular session, we have created this comprehensive guide. Here, you can easily learn about the key processes involved in this therapy. 

So, let’s learn what happens during a spinal decompression session.

How Spinal Decompression Therapy Works?

A spine consists of a series of bones known as vertebrae. These bones line up and create a channel or column, which contains nerves that travel from your brain to the other parts of the body. These nerves exit the spine at joints (Facet Joints) located between the spine bones.

You feel pain or discomfort when these nerves are compressed or irritated by dislocation of the spine bones. Some of the common problems associated with this condition include:

• Herniated discs
• Facet joint disease
• Sciatica
• Damaged nerve roots
• Spine Injury

Each of the above-mentioned problems can lead to chronic back or neck pain. Patients usually feel numbness, pain, or weakness during this condition. The pain usually radiates into your legs or arms. To address these issues, spinal decompression therapy relies on various techniques, including gentle stretching or traction.

This relieves nerve compression and allows the discs and vertebrae to realign. Apart from this, negative pressure is created, which brings necessary nutrients to the affected area. It reduces pain and inflammation, allowing the damaged nerve to heal naturally. This is how spinal decompression therapy works.

Being a non-invasive therapy, spinal decompression doesn’t require any kind of medication. To achieve the maximum benefits of spinal decompression therapy sessions, patients are advised to be consistent when receiving this treatment.

Preparing for a Spinal Decompression Therapy

During the first appointment with a trained healthcare professional, a comprehensive evaluation and examination of the patient is performed. This makes it possible to identify the real cause of an issue and locate the affected area.

Spinal decompression is performed only when it is recommended by the practitioner. In addition, an individualized treatment plan is designed depending on the specific needs of a patient. The spinal decompression therapy process might differ slightly for different issues, including sciatica, a herniated disc, a pinched nerve, a bulging disc, etc.

Before spinal decompression therapy, particular instructions are conveyed to the patient. This ensures that the patient is well-prepared for every treatment session. In most cases, patients are advised to drink plenty of water to keep the body hydrated.

This is so, as proper hydration is crucial for the best possible outcomes. It allows the nutrients to reach the affected area and help the damaged part to heal. Besides, the preparation criteria might involve some other steps depending on the medical condition of the patient.

What to Expect During a Spinal Decompression Session?

When it comes to spinal decompression therapy procedure, it tends to be non-invasive and nonsurgical. It helps relieve back and neck pain without administering any type of medication. Usually, this therapy is performed when the patient is suffering from persistent and chronic back pain.

Here are the key spinal decompression therapy steps that you should expect during a regular session:

1. Initial Consultation: Before undergoing a spinal decompression session, you first need to consult with your healthcare provider. This involves analysis of your medical history and symptoms. Initial consultation helps to ascertain whether you are a good candidate for this therapy.
2. Preparation: Before starting the spinal decompression exercises, the patient is advised to lie down comfortably on the table. Further information on this is provided in the previous section.
3. Setup of the Equipment: The setup of a decompression machine is performed based on your height and weight. The machine gently stretches the spine, which creates a tiny space between the vertebrae. 
4. Positioning: You will be advised to lie down on the spinal decompression table either in a face-down or a face-up position. Both the upper and lower parts of the patient’s body are secured using a special harness. This ensures that the spine maintains a particular position during treatment.
5. Treatment Process: Next, the table is slowly adjusted to apply gentle pressure on the spine. This helps realign the spine and lowers the pressure on the affected nerves. The stretching of the spine also creates a kind of negative pressure in the spine, which improves blood flow and ensures better healing.
6. Duration: A spinal decompression Session usually lasts from 30 to 45 minutes. Generally, the therapy is non-invasive, and you just feel a gentle pulling sensation.
7. Post-Session: Once the therapy is over, you will be assisted by the practitioner while getting off the table. You will be allowed to relax for some time. Some patients might feel mild soreness after a spinal decompression session. 
8. Follow-Up Care: Your therapist might recommend a few consecutive sessions. This could ensure optimal results.

During the whole process of spinal decompression, the patients will remain fully clothed. Patients normally lay either face down or face up on the table that is specifically designed to offer required traction.

When done consistently, this therapy also helps reduce inflammation and pain. At this stage, you can now have an idea of what to expect during a spinal decompression session.

How Much Time Does Each Spinal Decompression Session Take?

Now when you understand what to expect during a spinal decompression session, it’s time to learn how much time each of the sessions takes. Usually, the duration of spinal decompression therapy depends on the specific condition of a patient.

For a less intense therapy, it could take at least 30 minutes to complete a spinal decompression session. On the contrary, a session could range between 30 to 50 minutes if the patient is suffering from chronic back pain. In addition, the specifically designed therapy could last more than an hour.

Final Thoughts

Once you have gone through this blog, you now understand what to expect during a spinal decompression session. Spinal decompression is a noninvasive, safe, and painless therapy that offers long-term relief from back or neck pain. Besides, the spinal decompression therapy cost is a lot lower than other types of treatments.

At Thrive Health Systems, we will be more than happy to help you live a healthy and enjoyable life. To learn whether you are the right candidate for spinal decompression therapy, make sure to contact us today!