Spinal Disc Decompression*

Previous conservative modalities have provided only temporary relief to the majority of patients. As a last resort, patients turn to costly and painful surgery to treat their back pain. However, surgery may not provide the long-term solution sought after by patients. Furthermore, a patient must consider the inherent risks of undergoing any surgical procedure.

The well established statistics relevant to back pain depict that 80% of the population will experience severe back pain during their life, and that millions of people live with chronic back pain each day. Excessive loading of the spine through changes in our lifestyle and extended periods of sitting while driving or working at a desk cause premature degeneration of intervertebral discs, and repeated injury of the disc annulus

With all of this unnatural positioning and loading of the human spine, there is little wonder that severely damaged discs almost never heal. Nutrition in the avascular disc depends on osmotic diffusion of collagen precursors such as proline, nutrients and oxygen. Diffusion of the collagen precursors into the avascular disc pass through direct channels in the annulus (30%) and the hyaline end plate in the vertebrae above and below (70%). It is estimated that the cycle of proline uptake and renewal in the normal disc (necessary for collagen synthesis and repair) takes approximately 500 days. This inherently slow cycle is additionally compromised in the deranged disc. Lowering intradiscal pressures greatly facilitates this process and accelerates healing in the disc segment.

Accurate and controlled non-surgical decompression of intervertebral discs is now possible in an office environment with the SpineMED® System.

*Decompression, that is unloading due to distraction and positioning.