Today I want to cover a healing tool that I hope most of you won’t ever need.
But for anyone who does need it, it is an incredible tool that has kept many people from ending up in surgery.
What I’m talking about is spinal decompression.
Typically, when I mention this, the first question I get is about those contraptions where you hang upside down.
No, that is not remotely what we’re talking about, and can actually make things worse when we’re in the territory of needing spinal decompression.
The spinal decompression table uses light pulling, with feedback to make sure we don’t run into muscle guarding, to gently heal the disc.
In our spine, we have 33 vertebrae.
Between each of these vertebrae are discs.
The discs allow flexibility and movement in the spine.
They cushion, shock-absorb, and keep the vertebrae from touching.
And let’s not forget, aside from holding us upright, a key function of the spine is to protect the nervous system.
If the discs don’t hold their place, the nerves in that area take a hit.
There are many ways that we can support our intervertebral discs, but also many ways we can harm them.
Chances are, you are doing one of the things that can wear on them right now… sitting.
Or rather, sitting too much.
Our discs like movement and hydration.
Part of the action of movement is getting nutrients in, junk out, and we need water in this process as well.
The gel within the disc will dehydrate, which means losing its height and mobility.
And yes, when you see elderly people who are shorter than they used to be, that’s the discs that have shrunk down (you’ll want to not have that happen with yours).
So we can wear discs down over the years, physical traumas can happen, unstable cores leave the whole spine unprotected…
They certainly don’t like the level of toxicity we live in either.
And if any which version of disc damage happens, my number 1 answer for that is spinal decompression.
With the right machine, the disc damage can be healed.
And it’s an incredibly simple process, considering the alternative is usually surgery (which then the body still has to do the healing, plus scar tissue…).
Essentially, you lay on the decompression table (set up for neck or low back typically) with a harness on, and the machine will slowly and gently open up the disc space.
It creates positive and negative pressures in the disc, and ultimately leads to not only a healing of the disc, but to forming stronger fibers of the disc.
Decompression tables can heal issues of:
• Sharp Leg Discomfort
• Lower Back Discomfort
• Herniated Discs
• Leg Numbness
• Shooting Hip Discomfort
• Muscle Spasms
• Degenerative Discs
• Post Back Surgery Pain
• Failed Back Surgery
Now, it doesn’t always have to be a disc causing the above…
… but that’s why a spinal decompression doc will use imaging as well to ascertain what is going on specifically.
I think it’s great that there are people in the medical field, in the branch of back surgery specifically, opting for this as their treatment instead of heading under the knife.
Now, if you’re in Cody, Wyoming or surrounding areas, and need spinal decompression (or wondering if you do) I absolutely recommend seeing Dr. Mark Shane for this. https://codydisccenter.com/spinal-decompression-cody-wy/
He has the best spinal decompression tables and adjunct tools to get you through this.
If you’re not in my area, you can find other docs trained like Dr. Shane here: https://www.disccentersofamerica.com/
Again, I’m hoping none of you need this and this is just interesting info you might remember for someone else.
And in the meantime, please: move your body, drink your water, and don’t sit for long periods of time.
Also, if you’re not sure about your core doing its job, we can check that at your next chiropractic appointment.
For those of you where we already found a need for core work, this is your gentle reminder to do your core exercise, please 😉
