For years, we treated patients that suffered from neck and back pain with only adjustments. And got great results. Unfortunately, there was a small percentage of patients that just didn’t seem to get better, or didn’t get lasting benefit, and we were forced to refer them out for more invasive procedures like injections, or even surgery.
Luckily, we found that adding spinal decompression therapy allowed us to help many of these patients that did not respond to adjustments alone. However, until recently, the decompression table that we use in the office only allowed us to treat those suffering from lower back pain, not those with neck issues. We have now added the Cervi-Trac attachment to our Back on Trac table, allowing us to help those that we couldn’t help in the past.
What Is Cervical Decompression?
Cervical decompression therapy is a safe and effective treatment for conditions such as neck pain, cervical bulging or herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, cervical stenosis and even headaches. By providing an axial stretch, pulling the neck and head upward, decompression is able to relieve pressure from the joints and discs of the neck, relieving symptoms associated with these conditions. As the disc is decompressed, blood flow is promoted to the disc, which allows for repair of the disc itself.
One problem with some cervical decompression tables is that when decompression occurs, the normal cervical lordosis, the natural curve of the neck, is lost. This can lead to neck pain and headaches down the road, as the cervical curve is extremely important to help support the neck. The Cervi-Trac differs from other cervical decompression tables because it promotes the cervical curvature during decompression. This allows patients to maintain, and even restore past loss of the cervical curve.
What Conditions Can Cervical Decompression Treat?
Cervical Disc Problems
Whether you have degenerative disc disease (DDD) or a bulging/herniated disc, cervical decompression therapy is a proven, effective treatment option. Decompression is able to take pressure off the disc, and introduce blood flow into the disc, which allows disc bulges or herniations to heal. In degenerative discs, the disc space has gradually been lost over time. In these cases, decompression is able to slow the progression, and even in some cases reverse, the changes associated with DDD. Symptoms of cervical disc problems include neck pain, pain the radiates down an arm, and numbness, tingling or weakness in an arm or hand.
Cervical Stenosis
Cervical stenosis occurs when either the spinal canal or the openings for the spinal nerves begin to narrow. As these spaces become more narrow, pressure begins to build on either the spinal cord or spinal nerves. Common symptoms of cervical stenosis include neck pain and numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms and hands. Cervical decompression is both safe and effective in the treatment of cervical stenosis. For more information on cervical stenosis, click here.
Headaches
Most people are often surprised to hear that the neck can cause headaches, but most tension headaches originate from the neck. Common causes of tension headaches include spinal misalignments and muscle spasms in the neck. Both spinal misalignments and muscle spasms can be the result of reduced cervical curve. Cervical decompression, when combined with chiropractic adjustments, can help restore the cervical curve and relieve headaches. For more information on headaches, click here.