There are a variety of medical options available for the management of chronic or severe back pain including various medications, injections and surgery. Unfortunately, many of these treatments are invasive or painful, and have significant risks or side effects.

MEDICATIONS

Many patients have tried a variety of over-the-counter and prescriptive medications to little or no avail. These drugs (including muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory medication, and pain killers) create chemical imbalances in the body and have a host of negative side effects. Often patients find themselves taking additional medications just to combat the side-effects of their initial prescription. Long term drug therapy can also take a heavy toll on the liver and kidneys.

INJECTIONS

Injections are often applied locally to the source of the pain, or to the region of the damaged nerve. Common injections include trigger point, facet joint, epidural, and selective nerve blocks. These painful injections tend to provide temporary relief, although the effectiveness diminishes after each subsequent injection. At best, the injections mask some of the pain, but they don’t get to the source of the problem.

SURGERY

As a last resort some low back sufferers turn to surgery for pain relief. There are a spectrum of lumbar surgeries including surgical spinal decompression, discecotomy, “redo” discecotomy, and lumbar fusions. Unfortunately, surgery for low back pain is costly, dangerous, and requires a long and painful recovery period. The success rate for back surgery is said to follow the “30% rule”, which states that 30% of patients show improvement, 30% notice no change, and 30% get worse. These are dismal results considering the risks and expense involved.

PASSIVE THERAPIES

Less invasive treatments like physical therapy, chiropractic, massage and acupuncture may also be tried to help get rid of the pain. Although safer and less invasive, these strategies benefit acute back pain sufferers, not those who suffer from chronic and recurring back pain. Unfortunately, these approaches often require long term treatment and offer little success in permanently curing chronic back pain cases.

A BETTER OPTION: SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY

All of these traditional approaches are in stark contrast to the success found with Spinal Decompression Therapy. Decompression Therapy is safe, painless, and non-invasive. You can maintain your regular activities during your treatment, and there is no need for follow up care after you complete the therapy. Spinal Decompression provides new hope for the millions who suffer from chronic and severe low back pain.