FAQ

San Francisco Spinal Decompression FAQ

---

WHAT IS CAUSING MY LOW BACK PAIN?
This is a great question!! and one which I will spend an entire hour answering (after looking at your x-rays and MRIs).  There could be disc bulges or disc herniations, causing pressure on spinal nerves (which causes "sciatica"- pain down the leg).  Older people can sometimes have dried out and flattened spinal discs, which can cause the spinal joints to actually hit each other ('facet syndrome").  Sometimes, when the low back discs dry out, there is just a lot less room for the spinal nerves to exit out of the spine, again causing pain ("neural foraminal stenosis") down the legs

IF I START SPINAL DECOMPRESSION TREATMENT, HOW LONG BEFORE I SEE RESULTS?
Most of my patients tell me that they start to feel better after a few sessions.  Typically, we see start to see significant improvement by the end of the second week of treatment.  However, for best results, I recommend that the entire treatment protocol be completed.  This assures a more lasting result.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE THE SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROGRAM?
As I mentioned in the "Services" page, to get the fastest and safest results, we see patients five times a week at the start.  This may change as we move forward through the treatment program.  Treatment programs range from ten to thirty-five visits, depending on the severity of your conditions(s).

HOW DO I QUALIFY FOR SPINAL DECOMPRESSION TREATMENT?
When you come in for your free, one hour consultation, we decide together if spinal decompression is the right therapeutic choice for you.

WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR SPINAL DECOMPRESSION?
Anyone who has been told that they need surgery but wants to avoid it;
anyone who has been told that there are no more treatment options available;
anyone who has failed to get better from non-surgical options like pain medications, physical therapy, epidural injections, chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage, and
anyone who still has low back pain but wants to try a non-invasive and safe therapy.

Here are some examples of conditions that can be treated with spinal decompression:

Pain from a low back (lumbar) disc bulge.  The pain can be in the low back, down the legs, or both.

Pain from a herniated lumbar disc.  A herniation is more severe than a disc bulge.  Typically, with a disc herniation, the low back pain or leg pain is much worse than with a disc bulge.

Pain from persistent degenerative disc disease (or severe spinal spinal degeneration).  Typically, we see this in older patients (60 to 80 years old) who may have problems with constant low back pain and with increasing difficulty in walking and standing.

Pain localized in the low back, with no pain down the legs. 
The pain is much worse when (for instance) driving over the pot-holed streets of San Francisco, and the car bounces up and         down.  This kind of pain usually means someone has "facet syndrome"  (pronounced  "fuh-set') - that is, the spinal joints (in the    back of the spine) are stuck and locked and are swollen and sore.  Spinal decompression is a very effective way to gently pull     the spinal joints apart, so that the joints can heal.

Pain from failed back surgery.  I treated one gentleman who has TWO  failed back surgeries, and was still in severe low back     pain. And he now is just fine.  He got out of pain for the first time in six years!  In order to treat post-surgical low back pain         (also known as "failed back surgery syndrome"), the surgery must have been at least six months ago.

So - who can't be treated?
If there are metal implants in the spine (rods, screws, wedges). or if there is a spinal fusion - then, sorry, we can't help.

Also, there are the "usual conditions" that mean that someone is NOT a candidate-  cancer, pregnancy,  severe osteoporosis, spinal fracture, tuberculosis, paralysis, spinal infection. If you any questions about this, call me at (415) 686-9119.

ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS TO THE TREATMENT?
I am extremely careful about how much "pull weight" that is chosen when we start treatment.  I always start with a low pull weight to make sure that you are safe, and then gradually increase the pull weight as you get more comfortable on the machine.  Because of this treatment protocol, my patients do not have any side effects.  Sometimes, people will be sore and a bit stiff from the low back stretching that spinal decompression provides - but it quickly goes away.

HOW DOES SPINAL DECOMPRESSION WORK?
The KEY to spinal decompression is the unique and effective kind of pull that the machine creates.

You see, the usual pull that regular traction creates is a "linear" pull.  Imagine if I was gently pulling on you arm-
you would feel your shoulder muscles tighten up.   So, traction actually creates INCREASES muscle spasm,
preventing decompression.

Now, if we want to gently pull the spinal vertebra apart to create a vacuum, so that the disc bulge (or herniation) gets "sucked" back into place, how do we do this?  We have to make sure that the low back muscles do NOT tighten up.

So - how does spinal decompression work so that the low back muscles do NOT get tighter?

The key to producing effective spinal decompression is the computer program in the machine that produces a "logarithmic" pull - that is, the pull is so quick that the muscles do not get a chance to react, so the low back muscles stay quiet.  This means that effective spinal decompression can now happen.

If we place a pressure sensor in the spinal disc, what we find is that the typical disc of someone sitting has about 90 to 100 mmHg (pronounced "positive millimeters of mercury") pressure.  The pressure is higher inside the disc, pushing out. 

Now, if we want to suck the bulging or herniated disc back in, we have to create a "vacuum" to do so.  If we now put the pressure sensore inside the disc when there is spinal decompression, we find that the disc now has  -120 mm Hg  of pressure.("negative millimeters of mercury pressure"). That is, spinal decompression is now creating lower pressure inside the disc, which allows the disc to be pulled back in.  If you have questions about this, please give me a call at (415) 686-9119.

IS THERE ANY RISK TO THE PATIENT DURING SPINAL DECOMPRESSION TREATMENT?
NO. Spinal decompression is safe and comfortable for all of my patients.  Remember, we go through the initial consultation and exam, and I make sure that this therapy is the right therapy for you.

CAN SPINAL DECOMPRESSION BE USED FOR PATIENTS WHO HAVE HAD SPINAL SURGERY?
YES.  I have treated patients who continue to have low bacl pain, even after having had TWO failed back surgeries.
The patient must six months post-surgery, and have NO metal implanted in the spine (no fusion, rods, screws, or wedges)

So  - How do I get started?

Contact me at (415) 686-9119 (or email me at drmatt1@aol.com) to schedule your free, initial one hour consultation.  We will go over all of your x-ray and MRI reports, review your physical findings and discuss in depth your treatment options.

One of the problems that I frequently see is that the people who come in for consultations with severe problems have NEVER had a chance to really "get it explained" from a doctor. Well, here is your opportunity to finally get a clear picture of what is going on with your spine, to learn about your treatment options and to have the time with a doctor to actually get all of your questions answered.

Oh - and please feel free to bring a spouse, relative or friend to your consultation.  It's always good to have a a friend with you to better evaluate our services.

or Fill out this form to receive a FREE information packet