Conditions We Treat
Non-Surgical Solutions for Disc-Related Spinal Conditions
Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
What it is:
Degenerative disc disease is a condition where the spinal discs gradually lose hydration, height, and structural integrity over time. As the discs thin and dry out, the vertebrae move closer together, the joints become stressed, and nerve compression becomes more likely. Despite the name, DDD is not technically a “disease” — it’s a natural process of wear and tear that can be slowed and managed.
Common symptoms:
Chronic low-grade back or neck pain • Pain that worsens with prolonged sitting or standing • Stiffness, especially in the morning • Periodic flare-ups of more intense pain • Reduced flexibility and mobility
How decompression helps:
Decompression helps DDD patients by creating negative pressure that draws nutrients, oxygen, and fluid back into the dehydrated disc. This process — called imbibition — helps rehydrate the discs, restore disc height, and improve the overall health of the disc environment. While decompression cannot reverse degeneration, it can significantly slow the process and reduce symptoms.
Herniated Disc (Lumbar and Cervical)
What it is:
A herniated disc occurs when the soft, gel-like center of a spinal disc (nucleus pulposus) pushes through a tear in the tough outer layer (annulus fibrosus). This displaced material can press directly on spinal nerves, causing significant pain, numbness, and weakness.
Common symptoms:
Sharp or burning pain in the back, neck, arm, or leg • Numbness or tingling radiating into extremities • Muscle weakness • Pain that worsens with sitting, bending, or coughing
How decompression helps:
The SpineMED® system creates controlled negative pressure within the disc, which draws the herniated material back toward the center of the disc. This relieves pressure on the nerve, reduces inflammation, and allows the outer wall of the disc to begin healing. This is the condition where decompression delivers its most dramatic and well-documented results.
Spinal Stenosis
What it is: Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal or the openings where nerves exit the spine (foraminal stenosis). This narrowing compresses the spinal cord or nerve roots and is often caused by a combination of disc degeneration, bone spurs, and thickened ligaments. It is most common in patients over 50.
Common symptoms: Pain, cramping, or weakness in the legs when walking or standing • Symptoms that improve when sitting or bending forward • Numbness or tingling in the legs or feet • Difficulty with balance • Low back pain that worsens with prolonged standing
How decompression helps: Decompression can help stenosis patients by reducing disc bulging that contributes to the narrowing, restoring disc height to open up the foraminal space, and reducing overall pressure within the spinal canal. While decompression cannot remove bone spurs, it addresses the disc component of stenosis, which is often the primary driver of symptoms.
Bulging Disc
What it is:
A bulging disc occurs when the disc extends beyond its normal boundary, pushing outward into the spinal canal. Unlike a herniation, the outer wall hasn’t ruptured — but the disc is protruding and can still compress nerves and cause significant symptoms. If left untreated, a bulging disc can progress to a full herniation.
Common symptoms:
Dull, aching pain in the back or neck • Stiffness and reduced range of motion • Pain that comes and goes, often worse with activity • Numbness or tingling in arms or legs
How decompression helps:
Decompression gently retracts the bulging disc material by creating negative intradiscal pressure. This reduces the outward protrusion, takes pressure off the nerves, and helps restore the disc to a more normal position. Early intervention with a bulging disc often produces faster results than waiting until it herniates.
Sciatica
What it is: Sciatica is not a condition itself but rather a symptom caused by compression of the sciatic nerve — the longest nerve in the body, running from the lower back through the hips and down each leg. Sciatica is most commonly caused by a herniated or bulging disc in the lumbar spine pressing on the nerve root.
Common symptoms: Sharp, shooting pain from the low back through the buttock and down one leg • Burning or electric-like sensation • Numbness or tingling in the leg or foot • Weakness in the affected leg • Pain that worsens with sitting
How decompression helps: Because sciatica is caused by disc compression on the nerve, decompression directly addresses the root cause — not just the symptom. By retracting the disc material away from the sciatic nerve root, decompression eliminates the source of the pain. Many of our sciatica patients report significant improvement within the first 10–15 sessions.
Facet Syndrome
What it is: Facet joints are small stabilizing joints located at the back of each vertebra. When these joints become inflamed, arthritic, or stressed — often as a result of disc degeneration that shifts load to the joints — it causes facet syndrome. This condition produces localized back or neck pain that can refer into the shoulders, hips, or buttocks.
Common symptoms: Localized back or neck pain, often on one side • Pain that worsens with twisting or arching backward • Stiffness after periods of inactivity • Pain that improves with forward bending
How decompression helps: By restoring disc height and reducing the mechanical load on the facet joints, decompression relieves the stress that causes facet inflammation. Many patients with facet syndrome experience significant relief as their disc health improves and the facet joints are no longer bearing excessive weight.
