Risks of At Home Spinal Decompression Therapy Tables Revealed

Published: 2010-09-01 07:06:09
Author: Ferraro Spine and Rehabilitation | May 24, 2010

May 24, 2010 – Spinal Decompression Therapy is one of the fastest growing non-surgical treatment options for herniated or bulging disc injuries.  The treatment boasts a 92% success rate and multiple studies have shown it to be completely safe and effective for qualified patients.  With the demand for decompression therapy rising, we are now starting to see a marketplace for at home decompression tables, sometimes called inversion tables.  While these types of machines can provide some benefit for back pain, many physicians warn against using these machines to treat back injuries.

Dr. Peter Ferraro is a leading Chiropractor in New Jersey and has become nationally recognized for his extensive work using non-surgical decompression technology.  As one of the leading providers of Spinal Decompression Therapy in New Jersey, Dr. Ferraro has performed over 50,000 decompression treatments.  Dr. Ferraro says the most common question he receives from patients is whether or not at home decompression tables are safe and effective.

According to Dr. Ferraro, true spinal decompression therapy is achieved with the patient lying flat on his or her back, with the lumbar spine supported.  The patient is connected to a computer-controlled harness that executes a specific series of gentle stretches that can be pinpointed to target the specific disc segment from which the injury stems. The stretches are based on scientific algorithms that allocate several hundred pounds of pressure per square inch to help draw the disc material from where it is sitting on the nerve root back to the center where it belongs.

“An inversion table like you see on TV isn’t truly providing decompression therapy. The table is just inverting the force of gravity, which does not create enough negative pressure to produce true decompression,” explains Dr. Ferraro.

Dr. Ferraro says that inversion tables can help be beneficial if a patient is just looking to stretch his or her back.  However, given the complexity of true decompression therapy, its unrealistic to believe that this could be accomplished simply by hanging upside down.  Additionally, remaining in an inverted state for a lengthy period of time can cause headaches or increased blood pressure, two potentially dangerous side effects of these at-home tables.

“Decompression therapy is extremely precise and very specific to a particular disc segment. It’s impossible to achieve this type of accuracy without the supervision and knowledge of a trained physician,” adds Dr. Ferraro.

Decompression Therapy provided in a clinical setting is proven to be safe and effective. The duration of the therapy session is approximately 25 minutes, with patients receiving a series of 20-25 sessions over a period of 7-8 weeks.  Dr. Ferraro offers decompression therapy in conjunction with manual treatments and physical therapy for maximum effectiveness.  Many patients begin to feel relief after just 2 weeks of therapy.

Dr. Ferraro was one of the first Chiropractors in NJ to offer decompression therapy and travels nationally training other Chiropractors on using spinal decompression equipment.  

For more information on Dr. Ferraro’s chiropractic services, visit http://stopbackandneckpain.com .  To learn more about Spinal Decompression Therapy, visit http://stopbackandneckpain.com/custom_content/c_85732_id ...

About Dr. Ferraro

Dr. Ferraro, D.C. specializes in the multidisciplinary non-surgical treatment of spinal conditions. His practices throughout New Jersey provide patients in Monmouth and Bergen County with comprehensive care for back, neck, leg, arm, and nerve conditions.

Dr. Ferraro, D.C. has over 12 years of experience in the chiropractic field and has become nationally recognized for his extensive work using non-surgical decompression technology along with being certified in Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA).

Dr. Ferraro’s blog: http://spinaldecompression-nj.com/

Ferraro Spine and Rehabilitation

Bergen County:
224 Midland Avenue
Saddle Brook, NJ 07663    
973-478-2212

Monmouth County:
2399 Route 34 - Bldg. A - Suite Five
Wall Township, NJ 08736
732-528-5533

FerraroSpine@optimum.net

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