ABSTRACT

Introduction: Spinal traction is widely promoted as an effective and safe treatment of degenerated and herniated lumbar discs. However, the literature on the efficacy of traction in the treatment of low back pain is conflicting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dinical outcomes of non­surgical spinal decompression therapy (DRX3000*) for patients suffering from low back pain caused by herniated and degen­erative disc disease.

Methods: 84 patients underwent non-surgical decompression therapy in authors hospital between February 2005 and May 2005. The patients, 44 male and 40 female, ranged in age from 15 years and 80 years, at the time of therapy. Diagnosis was internal disc disrup­tion in 34 patients, herniated lumbar disc in 39 patients; degenerative disc disease in 11 patients. The treatment protocol provided for eighteen (18) sessions of non-surgical spinal decompression over a five-week course of therapy. Each session consisted of a forty-five minute treatment on the DRX3000* system in this analysis, pain relief and dinical outcome were measured by the numerical rating scale (NRS) and graded O (no pain)to 10 (the worst pain I could imagine). All relevant patient data was recorded daily prior to treatment. Treat­ment success was defined by a reduction in pain to 5 point on the NRS scale. Generally, non-surgical spinal decompression therapy resulted in improvements in approximately 87 percent of the patients treated.

Results: Treatment was successful in 85% of 34 patients who have been diagnosed with in­ternal disc disruption (IDD), 89% of 39 pa­tients who have been diagnosed with herni­ated lumbar discs, and 82% of 11 patients who have been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease (ODD). The overall successful ratewas 87%

Condusion: Non-surgical spinal decom­pression of injured intervertebral disc using the DRX3000* unit is an effective means of treatment for patients with specific discogenic syndromes.’
Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy produces significant reductions in pain intensi­ties and should be considered as a viable treatment option for patients with single or multiple level discopathies prior to surgical in­tervention.

INTRODUCTION

Injured discs can be treated by non-surgically deoom­pressing the affected spinal segment, which signifi­cantly reduces intradiscal pressures, thereby permit­ting healing and rea:Nery. Isolating the distraction forces to a specific functional spinal unit (FSU) of the vertebral column, allowing segment separation, creat­ing the negative intradiscal pressure necessary to create True Nonsurgical Spinal Deoompression*. Spinal deoompression is a process that may enable the disc to be reoxygenated, rejuvenated, rehydrated, and renubified.

Results

• Pain relief and dinical outcome were measured by the numerical rating scale (NRS) and graded 0 (no pain) to 10 (the worst pain one could imagine).
  All relevant patient data was recorded daily prior to treatment.
• Treatrnent success was defined by a reduction of 5 points on the NRS scale. Generally, non­surgical spinal decompression therapy resulted in improvements in approximately 87 percent of the patients treated

Conclusion

Non-surgical spinal decompression of injured intervertebral disc using the DRX3000TM unit is an effective means of treatment for patients with specific discogenic syndromes.

Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy produces significant reductions in pain intensi­ties and should be considered as a viable treatment option for patients with single or mul­tilevel discopathies prior to surgical interven­tion.