FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are Intervertebral Discs?

2. How do the Spinal Discs Become Injured?

3. What are the Symptoms of a Nerve Impingement Related to Disc Compression?

4. What Conditions can Benefit from Chiropractic Care and Spinal Decompression?

5. How does DTS Spinal Decompression Work?

What Are "Intervertebral Discs"?

The bones of the spine called vertebrae are separated by tough cartilage pads called intervertebral (inter = “between”; vertebral = “bones of the spine”) discs.

How Do the Spinal Discs Become Injured?

Over time gravity, spinal joint dysfunction and accumulated trauma cause the discs to compress, flatten and degenerate. This constant compression prevents much-needed oxygen and nutrients from entering the disc to aid in healing and trauma recovery. This ongoing starvation causes the once-tough outer layers of the disc to soften allowing the contents of the disc to bulge outward. Significant disc damage can become a tear called a disc herniation. If the inner gelatinous material of the disc can leak out it's called a disc sequestration. The “jelly center” of the disc can also dry out over time which is referred to as Degenerative Disc Disease. All forms of disc injury can eventually impinge on the nerves exiting the spine ("pinched nerve") which can create numbness, tingling, burning or sharp pain down the arms or legs. Sharp pain originating from the back and “shooting” down the legs is often referred to as sciatica. The only treatment that can reverse this degenerative compression is non-surgical spinal decompression (DTS).

What Are the Symptoms of A Nerve Impingement Related to Disc Compression?

All forms of disc injury can eventually impinge on the nerves exiting the spine ("pinched nerve") which can create numbness, tingling, burning or sharp pain down the arms or legs. Sharp pain originating from the back and “shooting” down the legs is often referred to as sciatica.

What Conditions Can Benefit from Chiropractic Care and Spinal Decompression?

You can find out more about this on our "We Can Help You With" page. The following are list of conditions that can be helped with Spinal Decompression:

• Severe or Chronic Neck Pain
• Pinched Nerves in the Neck or Low Back
• Sciatica
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Herniated Discs (Disc Herniation)
• Bulging Discs
• Partially Ruptured Discs
• Numbness, Tingling, or Burning Pain
• Weakness of the Arms or Legs
• Sharp, Shooting Pain
• Facet Syndrome
• Some Forms of Spinal Stenosis
• Some Cases of Failed Back Surgery

How Does DTS Spinal Decompression Work?

• Decompression techniques provide relief by separating the bones of the spine reducing the pressure within the disc (intradiscal pressure)
• Disc decompression treats the source of the pain – pain caused by disc bulge or disc herniation pressure
• Treatment is computer controlled
• More advanced methods use oscillation to reduce muscle spasm that could work against the decompression motion
• More advanced methods also direct the treatment to specific levels of the spine by varying the angle of decompression making the treatment more effective and comfortable