Spinal Decompression Offers Surgery Free Relief

Spinal Decompression Offers Surgery Free Relief

Just like Newton’s apple, fell to gravity, so can your body. Ok, we all know things start to sag as we get older, even your spine. 33 bones make up your spine. Add in the discs, tendons, nerves, and gravity compressing everything together and it’s no wonder it can take a while to find the source of your back pain.

Perhaps you have sciatica or degenerative disc disease. Sometimes the medical establishment recommends surgery for such back pain.  Yet, surgery is not a magic bullet, it has a long recovery time, and it might not work.

Wouldn’t you prefer surgery-free relief? Spinal decompression can offer you back pain relief without the surgery.

Just as it sounds, nonsurgical spinal decompression is an alternative to surgery. It uses a special table to elongate your spine. Since compression can be the source of your back pain, this is a way to reverse time and gravity. This table relieves pressure on herniated discs and other spine problems so you feel relief.

Imagine lying on the decompression table and having it resist your muscles and slowly help stretch them. It relieves the pressure on your discs and so you feel relief. After a few sessions, you may find your back pain gone.

Of course, each treatment plan is customized to your medical history. As a chiropractor, Dr. Jeff will run an x-ray to better understand your spine and what’s going on in your body. From there, he can make recommendations.

What to Expect:

Spinal Decompression ChiropractorFully clothed, you lie on a computer-controlled table. The doctor straps you in and operates the computer according to your needs. You may get hot and cold therapy, electrical stimulation (this causes the muscles to contract), or ultrasound (sound therapy that generates heat).

 

 

 

You can also try a few simple exercises for back pain relief now and in between your decompression sessions.

Three Exercises for Back Pain Relief

  1. Use an exercise ball – lie back on it and roll around gently. This helps open your shoulders and upper back which often are hunched over after hours at the computer. If you have mild back pain, this may be enough for you.
  2. Do “wall dog” – if you ever played sports, this will probably look familiar. Put your hands on the wall, step back about 3 feet and bend over until you’re parallel to the wall. Keep your back flat as you stretch out your shoulders and back.
  3. Walk – Walking on a regular basis can help strengthen your back and relieve some back pain.

Spinal Decompression Can Help You If:

  • You’ve had failed back surgery
  • You want to avoid surgery but are told you need it
  • Have tried other options (massage therapy, acupuncture, traditional chiropractic care) without the results you want

However, if you have fused discs, have osteoporosis, or a recent spinal fracture, spinal decompression is not for you.

If you’d like to learn more about surgery-free spinal decompression in Doylestown PA and if it can help you find that needed back pain relief, call us today at 267-247-7000. You deserve to feel your best!

 

What’s the Difference Between a Chiropractic Adjustment and Cracking My Back?

What’s the Difference Between a Chiropractic Adjustment and Cracking My Back?

If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between a chiropractic adjustment and cracking your back, you’re not alone. After all, many people feel better after getting a friend to help “crack their back.”

So how does it differ from a chiropractic adjustment?

chiropractic adjustment Of course, you know they’re not the same thing. One is done by a licensed chiropractor with years of medical training while the other isn’t. Sure, they can both feel good, but one offers proven health benefits and the other doesn’t.

I’ll explain more in a minute, but first, let’s address the “cracking” sound that sometimes happens when you crack your back.

What’s with the Back Cracking Sound?

People get a little excited about the “cracking” sound that can happen during a chiropractic adjustment. Some love it while others are afraid.

In reality, it’s not what you think at all. That popping sound is the sound of gas escaping your joint when it’s adjusted. That’s all.

It’s not your bones.

It’s your joints. Actually, that’s not quite it either. It’s the gas between your joints.

Here’s what I mean, as you know your joints are moveable. Your shoulders, knees, vertebrae, and so on are meant to have flexibility and they work kind of like a ball and socket. However, it’s typical for them to shift out of place. It’s nothing you’d notice by looking at you, but even a fraction of a millimeter off can cause you pain.

As a chiropractor, we want to keep your joints functioning well because that helps you maintain a good range of motion and stay mobile.

A chiropractic adjustment is a specific approach to a specific joint to restore mobility to that joint and help you feel better.

Sometimes it results in that “cracking” sound when the gas escapes.

The Difference Between an Adjustment and Cracking Your Back

When your joints are well functioning, your body has good mobility. You have a good range of motion in your neck and shoulders, meaning you can move them without feeling restricted.

The role of the chiropractor is to keep your joints and vertebrae mobile and in good working order.

Imagine that you have a stiff back. You bend, stretch, and hear that “popping” sound. Aah… you think. It feels better.

It can feel better. For a little while. When you hear the cracking sound, it does release endorphins.

But a little while later you feel stiff again, in fact, it gets tougher and tougher for you to find long-lasting relief.

See, the body is a funny thing. Those stiff vertebrae haven’t loosened. Instead, the vertebrae above and below the stiff vertebrae are usually overcompensating for the stiffness in the middle. They become more mobile and are easier to “crack” while the stiff ones stay put.

Long term? You’re not doing anything for the stiff vertebrae and they can gradually worsen. However, the trained eye of a chiropractor (combined with an x-ray), can assess your vertebrae and find the problem. Then, a series of chiropractic adjustments will loosen the stiff vertebrae and give you greater mobility.

Over time, you’ll maintain that mobility easier. Is it time to make a chiropractor appointment?

Do You Need a Chiropractor?

Do You Need a Chiropractor?

Do you need a chiropractor

Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash

The American Chiropractic Association estimates 35 million people visit the chiropractor each year. You might wonder, “do you need a chiropractor?” 

After all, most people turn to the chiropractor due to neck or back pain, but as they discover more about the benefits of chiropractic care, they realize it has other purposes too. 

Have you ever heard the expression, “your spine is your lifeline?” If you haven’t heard it, it’s common in chiropractic circles. Your spine connects everything in your body. 

From your head to your toes, your body is a vast network of nerves, bones, tendons, and ligaments. They all connect to one another like a complex freeway system to keep you healthy.

If something isn’t working well, say, you have a pinched nerve from spending too many hours hunched over your computer, then it’s painful.  That relates to your shoulder position, upper and lower back and your hips, etc., and most likely throws your body out of alignment. This has a trickle-down effect. For example, it’s common for someone to have one leg shorter than the other due to body trauma, sitting habits, or accidents. If not addressed, this often leads to other problems.

The Benefits of a Healthy Spine

When your spine is straight and aligned, you’re less likely to have: 

  • Frequent Headaches
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Chronic back pain 
  • Limited range of motion 
  • Pinched feeling in your neck/shoulders 

Regular chiropractic care also reduces chronic inflammation which is linked to serious diseases like cancer and heart disease. Chiropractic care can also help with allergies, migraines as well as musculoskeletal misalignment.  We treat the problem on a physical level to help your body heal rather than masking your systems with painkillers.  

Doesn’t that sound like a great alternative?

All over the world, more than a million chiropractic adjustments are given every day. Hands-on spinal manipulations are common, yet, also treatments like tiny electrical stimulus and ultrasound can help. Your chiropractor will assess your medical history and current health so we can give you the care you deserve. 

If you’ve never been to a chiropractor, here’s what you can expect on your first visit to our chiropractic office in Doylestown, PA. It’s safe and natural. 

Additional benefits that many people don’t understand how proper body alignment can help them are:

  • Improves Sports Performance
  • Improve Sleep
  • Help with Migraines / Headaches
  • Boost Your Immune System
  • Avoid Medication
  • Reduce Doctor and Hospital Visits
  • Pregnancy and Fertility
  • Assists with Chronic Pain 

Your chiropractor can help you feel your best and is an optimal addition to your wellness lifestyle.

Due to COVID-19, we are currently working with certain patients considered “Life-Sustaining.” We are closed to wellness or maintenance clients during this period of crisis.

Once we’re through this period, we hope you’ll consider, “do you need a chiropractor” and realize the answer is “yes.” A chiropractor is beneficial for health and mobility. Take care and see you soon.