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Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression
The DRX9000 True Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression System™ provides a primary treatment modality for the management of pain and disability for patients suffering with incapacitating low back pain and sciatica. It is designed to apply spinal decompressive forces to compressive and degenerative injuries of the spine. Non-surgical spinal decompression treatment involves a series of stretching/relaxation cycles aimed to relieve the pain and symptoms associated with herniated discs, bulging discs, sciatica and facet syndrome through unloading due to distraction and positioning.
Back Pain Classification:
Back pain can be divided anatomically: neck pain, middle back pain, lower back pain or tailbone pain.
Neck Pain involves the seven cervical or neck vertebrae (labeled C1 - C7),
Middle Back Pain involves the 12 thoracic or upper back vertebrae (labeled T1 - T12),
Lower Back Pain involves the five lumbar vertebrae (labeled L1 - L5), which we know as the lower back, and
Tailbone Pain involves the sacrum and coccyx, a group of bones fused together at the base of the spine.
Lower back pain
Nearly everyone at some point has back pain that interferes with work, routine daily activities, or recreation. Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain, the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States — only headache is more common. Fortunately, most occurrences of low back pain go away within a few days. Others take much longer to resolve or lead to more serious conditions.
Acute lower back pain: Most acute back pain is mechanical in nature — the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis. Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, work around the house or in the garden, or a sudden jolt such as a car accident or other stress on spinal bones and tissues. Symptoms may range from muscle ache to shooting or stabbing pain, limited flexibility and/or range of motion, or an inability to stand straight. Some acute pain syndromes can become more serious if left untreated.
Chronic back pain is measured by duration — pain that persists for more than 3 months is considered chronic. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.
Bulging disc (also called protruding, herniated, or ruptured disc). The intervertebral discs are under constant pressure. As discs degenerate and weaken, cartilage can bulge or be pushed into the space containing the spinal cord or a nerve root, causing pain. Studies have shown that most herniated discs occur in the lower, lumbar portion of the spinal column.
Sciatica is a condition in which a herniated or ruptured disc presses on the sciatic nerve, the large nerve that extends down the spinal column to its exit point in the pelvis and carries nerve fibers to the leg. This compression causes shock-like or burning low back pain combined with pain through the buttocks and down one leg to below the knee, occasionally reaching the foot. In the most extreme cases, when the nerve is pinched between the disc and an adjacent bone, the symptoms involve not pain but numbness and some loss of motor control over the leg due to interruption of nerve signaling. The condition may also be caused by a tumor, cyst, metastatic disease, or degeneration of the sciatic nerve root.
Spinal degeneration from disc wear and tear can lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal. A person with spinal degeneration may experience stiffness in the back upon awakening or may feel pain after walking or standing for a long time.
Spinal stenosis related to congenital narrowing of the bony canal predisposes some people to pain related to disc disease.
Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease marked by progressive decrease in bone density and strength. Fracture of brittle, porous bones in the spine and hips results when the body fails to produce new bone and/or absorbs too much existing bone.
Skeletal irregularities produce strain on the vertebrae and supporting muscles, tendons, ligaments, and tissues supported by spinal column. These irregularities include
scoliosis, a curving of the spine to the side;
kyphosis, in which the normal curve of the upper back is severely rounded;
lordosis, an abnormally accentuated arch in the lower back; back extension.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple “tender points,” particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. Additional symptoms may include sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, and anxiety.
Spondylitis refers to chronic back pain and stiffness caused by a severe infection to or inflammation of the spinal joints. Other painful inflammations in the lower back include
Osteomyelitis (infection in the bones of the spine) and sacroiliitis(inflammation in the sacroiliac joints).
Neck pain
Neck pain (or cervicalgia) is a common problem, with two-thirds of the population having neck pain at some point in their lives.
Spondylosis - degenerative arthritis and osteophytes.
Neck pain may come from musculature / skeletal or be referred from other areas of the body. Major and severe causes of neck pain include: Spinal stenosis – a narrowing of the spinal canal, Spinal disc herniation – protruding or bulging discs, or if severe disc prolapse.
Upper back pain or middle back pain or thoracic pain:
Upper back pain, also called middle back pain or thoracic pain, is pain that is felt between the bottom of the neck and top of the lumbar spine. The upper spine is very strong and stable to support the weight of the upper body, as well as to anchor the rib cage which provides a cavity to allow the heart and lungs to function and protect them.
The most common cause of upper back pain is unknown but are theorized to originate from muscular irritation, intervertebral discs, spinal facet joints, ribs or soft tissue (e.g. ligament/fascia) problems. Commonly intra-scapular pain is referred from the lower cervical spine. Contributing factors to injury include; lack of strength, poor posture, overuse injuries (such as repetitive motion), or a trauma (such as a car accident or sports injury). Often thoracic pain pain can be aggravated twisting, side bending and with prolonged bent spinal postures.
Annette Toledano MD, board certified internist, has been Serving North Miami for 27 years, 1785 NE 123rd street, North Miami, FL 33181, Tel. 305-895-6808, E-Mail: annettetoledanomd@trustedbackdoctor.com