Back pain can often be unbearable. Are you getting tired of taking pain-killers like candy but are on the fence about what to do next? One doctor tells you that back surgery is your next step; it’s time to look for a non-surgical alternative. There are many benefits to choosing spinal decompression over surgery. Read on for a closer look at 3 of them.
3 Benefits to Choosing Spinal Decompression Over Surgery
In our last post, we shared about spinal decompression: what it is, how it works, and that studies have shown spinal decompression therapy as an effective treatment for pain management. Reaching out to your chiropractor about the benefits of spinal decompression should be on your list of priorities when exploring options other than surgery.
Spinal Decompression is Non-Invasive
Unlike surgery, spinal decompression is a non-invasive treatment for dealing with back pain. Listed by Spine-Health as one of the 5 ways to avoid back surgery, spinal manipulation can provide relief so that you don’t have to go under the scalpel. Working by gently pulling apart the spine and affected discs, spinal decompression uses a table to manipulate the back without any need for incisions. Spinal surgery is one of the most invasive forms of surgery and can often lead to other complications. Surgery increases the risk for infection, as well as the need for more surgeries later on.
Spinal Decompression is an Easier Recovery
Recovering from a spinal fusion can take at least 3 to 4 months, with healing still taking place up to a year later. Chances are you will need to take a month or more off of work. Following surgery, you will not be able to participate in physical activity as you once did. Spinal decompression works to heal the spine and relieve pain with little downtime while also giving you the freedom to get back to the things you enjoy doing.
Spinal Decompression Addresses the Root Problem
When you start down the surgery route to deal with herniated discs, it often becomes a longer journey than anticipated. Your first surgery may be to repair the herniated disc, but you continue to have issues because surgery only targets the problem and not a long-term solution. The first surgery becomes a second to repair another herniated disc until this eventually leads to a spinal fusion. With a spinal fusion, your spine is fused using rods and screws to connect vertebra together. You have now lost range of motion in your spine and also put more pressure on the vertebra surrounding the fusion. The first fusion often leads to additional vertebra needing to be fused later.
Spinal decompression works by making minute changes in the spine throughout a certain number of sessions. By manipulating the spine, spinal decompression helps address the root of the problem and provides more of a long-term solution for pain management. Your chiropractor will study your X-rays to determine the best course of action for not only treating the affected discs but helping the overall health of your spine.
Our team at Lake Mary Chiropractic Center would love to help guide you through the process of non-surgical healing. Make an appointment to meet with one of our chiropractors to see if you are a candidate for spinal decompression (407-302-5161).
Don’t forget to check out Part I for a more in-depth explanation of spinal decompression.
