If you suffer from persistent and worsening low back pain due to sciatica, which is pain that emanates from the sciatic nerve and runs from your lower back and all the way down your hip, buttocks, and leg, you know it’s unbearable. In addition to sciatic pain, you may experience numbness and leg or foot weakness.

Aside from pain, your mobility is affected, and when you can no longer do what you want or need to do, your quality of life plummets. You may have tried various treatments to ease your symptoms, but don’t think the only option left is surgery.

Dr. Jacob Holdren, Dr. Steven Foley, and the Regenerative Health & Wellness team offer a wide range of innovative services to our patients, and spinal decompression is one that addresses sciatica and other sources of chronic low back pain.

As with every treatment you receive in our Holly and Colorado Springs, Colorado, offices, we talk to you at length about your health history, your family health history, and the specifics of your symptoms as we create your treatment plan.

The agony of relentless back pain

Back pain of some sort is a near-universal problem, with a staggering 65 million individuals complaining of a recent episode. Some 16 million suffer from lower back pain, and it’s our country’s sixth most expensive condition to treat.

In addition to pain that varies in intensity, comes and goes depending on your position or if you perform a certain activity, and limited mobility, this type of problem can affect your outlook on life and daily mood, especially if it persists.

Long-term back pain and sciatica discomfort have been shown to contribute to depression, and it’s easy to understand why. Unfortunately and surprisingly, the reverse is also true: Chronic depression can lead to chronic back pain as well — proof that our mental and physical health are connected.

How spinal decompression offers hope for relief

You may have tried pain medications, steroid injections, and even alternative therapies like acupuncture to relieve your pain, to no avail. You might also assume that the only remaining viable option is surgery, but think twice before you choose an invasive procedure. They’re accompanied by significant risks, such as:

• Deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in the leg)
• Infection at your surgical site
• Anesthesia-related complications
• Lung problems post-surgery
• Persistent pain that the surgery doesn’t solve

We’re happy to offer an advanced treatment that can bring you freedom from pain and return you to your previous activity level. Spinal decompression is a safe, FDA-cleared, and noninvasive treatment for the type of extreme discomfort you’ve suffered as a result of sciatica or low back pain.

The root of your pain is pressure on your discs, and spinal decompression eases this by lengthening and decompressing your spine gradually so that negative pressure develops between your discs.

Spinal decompression is a high-tech treatment that also relies on the proven principles of chiropractic treatment.

What problems does spinal decompression treat and what’s a session like?

Spinal decompression addresses several conditions, including sciatica leg pain caused by bulging or herniated discs, pinched nerves, spinal stenosis (when the spaces within your spine narrow), age-related degenerative disc disease, and pain arising from surgery.

The treatments are comfortable and effective. Occasionally, if a patient’s pain is very severe, they may feel discomfort during their first few sessions, but it’s typically eliminated as sessions progress.

During each treatment, we gently place you in a harness as you recline on our motorized table. The harness is positioned so your spine receives optimal decompression benefits. Your session lasts only about half-an-hour and you feel a very gentle, slow lengthening of your spine that’s almost massage-like.

During this time, your discs are being decompressed. If at any juncture during your treatment you feel uncomfortable, you can notify us simply by pressing a patient safety switch, which immediately stops your treatment.

Freedom from pain, at last

Your spinal decompression treatment plan is customized to your specific condition and symptoms, so these are the factors that determine how many sessions you will need. Usually, we recommend anywhere from 12-20 treatment sessions spaced over a period of four to six weeks.

We’re eager to give you relief from your lower back pain and sciatica discomfort. Call our Holly or Colorado Springs office to make an appointment about spinal decompression if you live in southeast Colorado or southwest Kansas, or reach out to us through our website.