Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Herniated Disc Treatment with Spinal Decompression

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

We have been providing treatment for herniated discs in San Francisco for almost 20 years now at Executive Express Chiropractic (formerly Front Street Chiropractic).

About 6 years ago we began to incorporate Spinal Decompression into our herniated disc treatment protocols. First it was lumbar decompression with the DRX9000. Then cervical decompression with the DRX9000c. The results have been outstanding.

Spinal decompression machines are designed and built to treat cervical and lumbar disc herniations and related neurovascular compression syndromes without drugs or surgery. Here is a list of the conditions that spinal decompression can help:

• Lumbar disc herniations
• Cervical disc herniations
• Cervical disc bulges & Lumbar disc bulges
• Foraminal stenosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Disc degeneration
• Facet syndrome

I like to think of nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 or DRX9000c (or many of the other fine decompression systems on the market) as a respirator for the spinal discs. The action of spinal decompression on an injured disc, helps the disc to function they way it would if it were healthy...which helps to make it healthy...to the extent this is possible. There are limitations of matter.

But now I know...hundreds of successfully treated disc patients later...that the body can do amazing things if given the chance. And spinal decompression gives the herniated disc a chance. A chance to repair itself...a chance to give back lost life.

Can spinal decompression help you? Maybe. The only way to find out for sure is to saddle-up and go through the entire decompression protocol, which can take 6-10 weeks.

You have to qualify medically though. Not all patients with a herniated disc qualify.

For instance, if you have surgical spinal fusion or any hardware in the spine you are disqualified from treatment. Or if you have an unstable spondylolisthesis...or a severe scolisosis.

The best thing to do is to find a spinal decompression doctor near you and find out if disc decompression makes sense for your condition.

If you live in the SF Bay Area, you can contact our San Francisco Spinal Decompression clinic at 415-392-2225. Ask for a complimentary consultation. Mention this blog post.

Directions to our SF Spinal Decompression Clinic

SF Spinal Decompression Testimonials

 

Spinal Decompression: There's more to it than just the machine!

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

We were the first to offer nonsurgical spinal decompression with the DRX9000 in San Francisco. That was about six years ago.  During this time we have helped hundreds of herniated disc patients return to more normal lives. We have also learned from each and every spinal decompression patient, how to make the treatment work even better.

Many herniated disc patients that are searching for a spinal decompression center in SF make the mistake of thinking that spinal decompression therapy is the same anywhere. After-all...it's a machine isn't it?

Sure, the DRX9000 (and any of the other fine decompression systems) is a machine designed and built to treat herniated discs and other neurovascular compression syndromes (bulging discs, spinal stenosis, disc degeneration, facet syndrome)...but somebody still needs to know how to use it and apply it to each individual patient. There is a learning curve.

I know...because our spinal decompression results are much better now than they were in the beginning. In fact...it's night and day.

We are better at determining how many drx9000 sessions a patient needs. We are better at knowing what other therapies to incorporate (such as deep tissue laser therapy) into the treatment. We are better at knowing when to begin exercises and which exercises work best for specific conditions. We are better at the actual set-up of the machine and putting the harness on the patient. We know when we should change the angle of pull or not. And, we know how to teach our patients what they need to do to make sure the results last. 

So please...when you are searching for a spinal decompression doctor in San Francisco...ask them how many herniated disc patients they have treated, and for how long. Why?...because it matters. Big Time!

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in San Francisco.

For a complimentary consultation at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center...please call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post.

Read some SF Spinal Decompression Success Stories.

Executive Express Chiropractic on facebook

We also offer cervical spinal decompression with the DRX9000c

 

Can You Lift Weights With a Herniated Disc?

San Francisco Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

Herniated discs...especially in the lumbar spine are fairly common...I have one. You may have one too...and not even know it. In fact, we could pull 10 people off the street and find that 6 or 7 of them have a herniated disc in the low back. And maybe only a few of them have the signs and symptoms of disc herniation. 

However, there are many people that have symptomatic disc herniations...many with loss of function and disability. Some patients know they have disc herniations but are able to manage them with regular chiropractic, nonsurgical spinal decompression, spinal and core exercises, and yes...even weight lifting.

Personally, I find that I have less back pain when I lift weights. In fact, if I stay on a regular workout routine of weights, core exercises, and stretching, along with chiropractic adjustments...I have no back pain at all.

If you have been diagnosed with a herniated disc and you are symptomatic, you should work with a chiropractor, orthopedic doctor or physical therapist to come up with a back pain regimen that makes sense for you. This may or may not include weight lifting.

One thing for sure...you don't want to lift weights when your back pain is acute and inflamed. You will most likely do more harm than good. But once your back pain subsides, and the inflammation goes down, and your spine and core are strengthened...it may be OK.

I advise all my patients to scale in slowly. Start with real light weights and ice after you work out for 15 minutes. Listen to your body and stop if you feel pain. Your chiropractor, MD, physical therapist  or trainer can pick some exercises that are safe for you...then modify them based on your feedback.

So, YES...you can lift weights with a herniated disc...as long as the condition are right.

Your chiropractor is a herniated disc expert and can help you create the right conditions.

To find out if you are a candidate for herniated disc treatment at Executive Express Chiropractic and Spinal Decompression, call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.

Reviews of Executive Express Chiropractic

Eben Davis on Twitter

Spinal Decompression Just Makes Sense!

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

We purchased our first nonsurgical spinal decompression machine about 6 years ago. The machines we use are the DRX9000 lumbar decompression system, and the DRX9000c cervical decompression system...but there are many fine decompression systems in the marketplace.

I like to think of spinal decompression as a respirator for the spinal discs. A respirator helps the lungs to breath when they are unable to do so on their own until they can. Spinal decompression helps the discs to breath and heal until they can function in a more normal fashion.

When spinal discs are functioning properly they are constantly taking in fresh nutrients and oxygen from the blood and expelling waste products. When they are injured (disc bulge, disc herniation, disc degeneration) they are unable to do this and lose the ability to function properly.

The herniated disc fragments or a bulging disc can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves causing severe pain and loss of function.

Spinal decompression systems isolate on a specific spinal disc level...say L5 (the most common disc herniation) and help the disc to do what it would do if it could...until it is healthy enough to do it on it's own...just like a respirator does for the lungs.

How long this takes depends on the severity of the condition, whether or not there are multiple disc herniations, the age of the patient, the over-all health of the patient, and if there are any complications...such as scoliosis or advanced spinal degeneration.

Success rates are outstanding...and nonsurgical spinal decompression is very safe and gentle...most patients fall asleep during treatments.

So what's the downside? Well...it is possible to go through the entire spinal decompression program (which is 20-28 sessions at our clinic) and not get better. It's possible...it's just not likely.

In fact...I can't remember the last patient that did not respond favorably to lumbar decompression or cervical decompression at our San Francisco Decompression Center.

So anyway...will spinal decompression work for you? Only one way to find out...you have to try it!

If you would like to find out if you qualify for spinal decompression therapy at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression clinic, call 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation.

Spinal Decompression Special Report

Spinal Decompression Reviews 

Review of San Francisco Spinal Decompression

San Francisco Spinal Decompression patient Gregory Farah is half way through his DRX9000 spinal decompression program and is reporting outstanding results to date. Greg presented with an L5 Disc Extrusion, an advanced form of lumbar disc herniation. Check-out what Greg has to say about his treatment:

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Reviews

To schedule a complimentary consultation to see if you qualify for nonsurgical spinal decompression at our SF Spinal Decompression Center...call 415-392-2225, x1. 

Herniated Disc: Do You Have a Pinched Nerve or Disc Pain? What Next?

San Francisco Herniated Disc Doctor Comments:

We have been helping patients with herniated discs in San Francisco for almost 20 years now. During this time we have treated thousands of patients with herniated lumbar discs and herniated cervical disc conditions.

What we have found is summarized by this excellent article on Spine-health.com entitled What is a Herniated Disc, Pinched Nerve, Bulging Disc? Spine-health is the #1 trusted on-line resource for back pain....and this is one of their most popular articles...here is an excerpt:

Two Causes of Pain: Pinched Nerve vs. Disc Pain

In identifying the cause of the patient’s pain, there are two general types of spinal disc problems physicians classify as the cause of the pain:

• Pinched nerve – When a patient has a symptomatic herniated disc, it is not the disc space itself that hurts, but rather the disc herniation is pinching a nerve in the spine. This produces pain that is called radicular pain or radiculopathy (e.g., nerve root pain) leading to pain that may be referred to other parts of the body, such as from the low back down the leg or from the neck down the arm. Leg pain stemming from a pinched nerve in the lower spine is usually described as sciatica. On Spine-health, this type of condition where there is nerve root pain is referred to as a herniated disc. Other causes of a pinched nerve may include spinal stenosis and bone spurs from spinal arthritis.
• Disc pain – When a patient has a symptomatic degenerated disc (one that causes low back pain and/or leg pain), it is the disc space itself that is painful and the source of pain. This type of pain is typically called axial pain. On Spine-health, this type of condition where there is actual disc space pain is referred to as degenerative disc disease.

More Herniated Disc Info:

Cervical Herniated Disc

Lumbar Herniated Disc

Herniated Disc Treatment

Either of the above two conditions can occur in the neck, upper back or lower back. They tend to be most common in the lower back because the lower back bears the most torque and force on a day to day basis.

It should be kept in mind that all the terms – herniated disc, pinched nerve, bulging disc, slipped disc, ruptured disc, etc.– refer to radiographic findings seen on a CT scan or MRI scan. While these test results are important, they are not as meaningful as the patient's specific symptoms and the doctor's physical exam results are in determining the source of the back pain and then evaluating potential back care and pain treatments (click here for full article).

My Take: It's a known fact that most of us have bulging or herniated discs and don't even know it. Most of the people that have herniated disc will live and die with them and never have problems.

Then, there is the group of patients that we know have herniated discs...and it's a big big number. But just because they have a lumbar disc herniation or a herniated disc in the neck, it does not mean they need surgery. Chiropractic, physical therapy, exercise, and sometimes just time will help most.

The problem lies with the sub-set of herniated disc patients that become chronic (back pain that lasts over 3 months) and do not respond to conventional conservative therapies. I estimate this to be 10-15% based on my 18 years clinical experience working with herniated disc patients in San Francisco.

Chronic back pain secondary to disc herniations, whether it be a pinched nerve (radicular pain) or axial pain (degenerated disc) is a major problem in the US, and conventional medical treatment options are limited primarily to epidural injections or surgery.

About 6 years ago we began to incorporate nonsurgical spinal decompression into our herniated disc protocols and the results have been outstanding. Now, instead of referring out for surgery (which can be risky and has limited success) or cortisone injections (which only masks the symptoms) or patients just learning to live with the pain, we have an in-house nonsurgical solution that works.

If you would like to know more about spinal decompression, please read the Spinal Decompression Special Report based on preliminary research conducted by the Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins, and Duke Universities.

For a complimentary consultation at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post.

To learn more about the specific type of herniated disc you have been diagnosed with click here.

Check-out our online spinal decompression brochure.

Spinal decompression in New York City

Spinal Decompression Denver

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Review

This week our "Patient of the week" is Phillipe Kohn. Phillipe was suffering with severe low back pain which was interfering with his work travel schedule and home life. Phillipe found out about our spinal decompression program on Google and decided to find out more. Well, Phillipe has now completed his lumbar decompression treatment and is now Pain Free. Listen to what he has to say about us:

Patient Review of San Francisco Spinal Decompression

To schedule an appintment at San Francisco Spinal Decompression call 415-392-2225

How does spinal decompression work?

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Doctor Comments:

Spinal disc decompression with machines such as the DRX9000 is no longer a novelty. 

Six years ago we became the first clinic in San Francisco to offer DRX9000 nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy. Now there are decompression therapy machines all over the Bay Area.

Why is this? Well...it's not because they don't work, I'll tell you that!

In fact, the success rates are fantastic as long as the spinal decompression doctor is skilled at setting herniated disc patients up (on the spinal decompression machine) properly and managing chronic back pain and neck pain patients. This comes with experience....it's an art.

Spinal decompression machines are designed and built to treat neurovascular compression syndromes such as herniated discs, bulging discs, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and facet syndrome.

Disc decompression therapy actually isolates on a specific spinal segment such as L5-S1 (which is the most common lumbar disc to herniate) and does the following:

• Enlarges the disc space.
• Elongates the spine.
• Repositions the spinal disc.
• Pulls the herniated or bulging disc fragments back to the center of the disc and off the spinal cord and nerves.
• Re-hydrates the disc (pumps out waste products and brings in nutrients).
• Strenghtens the spinal ligaments.
• Reduces intradiscal pressure.

It sounds great...how come medical doctors don't refer herniated disc patients out for spinal decompression therapy?

Some do...In fact, some medical doctors have the DRX9000 or similar decompression systems in their clinics.

At our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center we get medical referrals all the time. We have also treated many medical doctors, dentists, nurses (hear one our patients tell her DRX9000 story), and health care providers with decompression therapy.

It sounds to good to be true?

Yes it does...but here's the deal:

Spinal decompression is NOT a Magic Bullet. Spinal decompression is a lot of work. It takes 20-24 one hour sessions on average and there is quite a bit of home care, exercises, and work by both the patient and provider.

And...it's possible you could go through the entire process and not get better. It's possible...but not likely. Success rates are excellent.

So where do I sign-up?

Not so fast...you first have to be qualified by a spinal decompression doctor...not everyone is a candidate for spinal disc decompression. Here's what you need to do:

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area you can call Executive Express Chiropractic at 415-392-2225 and ask for a complimentary consultation (mention this blog post).

If you do not live in San Francisco you can visit our recommended chiropractors page (most are spinal decompression doctors)  or send me an email at ebendavis@yahoo.com and I will do my best to steer you in the right direction.

Click here to read the Spinal Decompression Special Report

Click for for a Spinal Decompression Tour

Click here to read some San Francisco Spinal Decompression Reviews

 

 

 

San Francisco Spinal Decompression Review

Every week at Executive Express Chiropractic we feature a "Patient of the week" who has achieved outstanding results with our unique brand of chiropractic and spinal decompression. This week we profile Jeremy Robards. Jeremy had tried back surgery (failed), physical therapy, and numerous epidural injections, none of which helped. Jeremy in now Pain Free and enjoying life. Congrats Jeremy :-)

To schedule an appointment at our San Francisco Spinal Decompression Center call 415-392-2225.

Has Chronic Back Pain Taken Over Your Life?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

We have been helping patients with severe chronic back pain for almost 20 years at Executive Express Chiropractic (formerly Front Street Chiropractic) in downtown San Francisco.

Chronic back pain is defined as back pain that has lasted for over 90 days.

The #1 predisposing factor to chronic back pain is a previous episode of back pain. When you consider that 85% of all Americans will have back pain at some point in their lives, it's a miracle everyone does not have chronic back pain.

Why does back pain become chronic and persist with one person and go away with someone else?

Well...that's a great question, for which there are many opinions. Since this is my blog, and I have 20 years experience treating thousands of patients with chronic back pain, I will give you mine.

I have noticed...and there are many exceptions...that in general, patients that live a healthier lifestyle, have a more normal body-weight, exercise frequently, eat right (especially a plant based diet), manage stress well, and have a stable family and work life...tend to recover quicker from back pain, and are less likely to develop chronic back pain.

Note: Smoking, drugs, or excessive drinking is a turbo-booster for chronic back pain. 

And...there is often times more to back pain than just the physical part (bone out of place, too much body-weight, etc). There is frequently an often overlooked mental component to chronic back pain...which is why we recommend visualization techniques, meditation, and yoga for our spinal decompression and chronic back pain patients.

Anyway, I believe health is a spontaneous occurrence when the conditions are right. When we eat right, exercise, get plenty of rest, maintain our spine, refrain from excessive drinking and drug use, and have a positive mental attitude, our body makes happy cells. Happy thoughts become happy molecules.

Health Update: Recent research suggests that people that sit all day but workout, are still at risk for chronic back pain and other health problems. Sitting all day also inceases the risk of heart attack. It seems we need to move around way more than we think. An hour a day at the gym 3x per week on the weights is not enough (great huh?).

So what can you do if you have chronic back pain that has taken over your life?

Well, at Executive Express Chiropractic we will first determine if there is a physical component to your back pain. Physical meaning a bone out of alignment putting pressure on a nerve. Is there a short leg? Is the pelvis rotated? Is there a herniated or bulging disc? Spinal degeneration? Do you have poor posture?

As part of our initial intake we will cover lifestyle "Red Flags" such as smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol or drug use, etc.

Physical, chemical, and mental stresses cause what chiropractors treat...Vertebral Subluxations.

Our San Francisco chiropractors will work to correct the subluxations with chiropractic and spinal decompression (if indicated) and teach you about what causes them with education about lifestyle choices.

If we can help you to adjust the factors that are responsible for creating the conditions of health, we can work together to break the chronic back pain cycle...which can be difficult at times. 

Chiropractic adjustments, Nonsurgical spinal decompression, Active Release Technique (ART), Deep Tissue Laser Therapy, Graston Method, Exercise, TLC, and Lifestyle Modification...That's our magic formula for chronic back pain.

Will it work for you?

We sure hope so...it's better then the alternative. Who knows...you might just get your life back.

Check out the Executive Express Chiropractic YouTube Channel to listen to what some of our patients have to say.

To find out if you are a candidate for chronic back pain treatment at Executive Express Chiropractic call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online on our secure server.

Reviews and directions to Executive Express Chiropractic

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