What are the Pros and Cons of Spinal Decompression? A Back Pain Expert Responds
August 06, 2022
Back pain is a condition that affects 8 out of 10 people at some point in their lives. In many cases, the pain is temporary and occurs after strenuous activities like running, or from overuse from repetitive motions. For example, your back might feel sore after a round of golf. However, when back pain lasts more than a few days, what kind of treatment should you pursue? You’ve looked into the pros and cons of spinal decompression, and that surgical route isn’t something you’d like to explore. Instead, you’d rather try more conservative treatments first.
At Pain Treatment Specialists, that’s exactly what our pain clinics offer. Our team of nationally recognized back pain specialists utilize minimally invasive treatments for back pain such as epidural steroid injections and radiofrequency ablation that are designed to relieve your pain and swelling. The best part about these treatments is that unlike surgical spinal decompression, you’re up and on your feet the same day. Book a consultation at one of our pain clinics in northern NJ, NYC, or Long Island and receive a customized treatment plan for your neck pain and chronic back pain.
What are the Pros and Cons of Spinal Decompression?
Surgical spinal decompression is sometimes used to treat bulging discs that cause leg pain or numbness and tingling in your legs. It’s critical to research the pros and cons of spinal decompression, since surgery is invasive and carries risks. When you begin searching for this treatment online, it only adds to your confusion. In your results you see phrases like “common problems after spinal fusion”, “lower back surgeons near me”, “can spinal decompression cause damage”, “back surgery l4 l5 fusion”, and “best way to decompress spine.” When you meet with the back pain specialists at Pain Treatment Specialists, you ask them to help you decipher what all this means, as well as if spinal decompression treatments are right for you.
A spinal decompression machine is used for non-surgical treatments. This is used for patients with bulging spinal discs or herniated discs. While some patients experience positive results with this treatment, there is not enough research showing that it produces safe and effective long-term results. Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy side effects include worsening back pain, especially if irritated nerves are the cause of your lower back pain. You’re better off pursuing scientifically-backed back pain treatments like radiofrequency ablation or epidural steroid injections, which are offered at Pain Treatment Specialists.
Spine surgery requires hospitalization, and could potentially cause blood clots or infections. Chronic lower back pain surgery should only be considered if you’ve exhausted more conservative back pain treatments and haven’t found any pain relief. Surgical spinal decompression does not guarantee results, and you may need additional surgeries.
Before you consider spinal surgery or a spinal decompression machine, contact Pain Treatment Specialists. Our proven track record of successful back pain relief utilizes minimally invasive treatments that provide long-term back pain relief.
How Does Pain Medicine Address Chronic Back Pain?
At Pain Treatment Specialists, our team of nationally recognized back pain doctors receive advanced training in interventional pain medicine. This discipline involves advanced study in procedures and treatments that avoid surgery and utilize minimally invasive treatments for pain relief. For example, Dr. Laura Lombardi fellowship trained in interventional pain medicine at Harvard Medical School, where she learned fluoroscopic guided treatments. This procedure uses a special x-ray to precisely identify the exact area needed for treatment. At our state-of-the-art pain clinics, we offer the following treatments for lower back pain:
- Epidural Steroid Injection: This treatment is highly effective for patients suffering from spinal stenosis or herniated discs. Your pain doctor administers a corticosteroid injection around a pinched nerve as it juts into your spine’s epidural space. What is an epidural space? It is a fat-filled area located between the discs of the spine and the bone. If you have a herniated disc, it causes pain and pressure in this area as it presses into your nerves. This injection relieves the pain and swelling in this area, providing tremendous pain relief.
- Radiofrequency Ablation: This cutting-edge procedure uses heat energy to deactivate troublesome nerves. If you haven’t found relief with steroid injections or physical therapy, this treatment is your next step. Your back pain specialist uses fluoroscopic guidance to advance a small needle towards your spine’s facet joints. Then, thermal energy is used to ablate the specific nerve that is producing your pain signals.
Both radiofrequency ablation and epidural steroid injections have reliable, stable, and scientifically-proven efficacy. Schedule an appointment at Pain Treatment Specialists and see what type of back pain treatment is right for you.
How Do I Describe Chronic Back Pain to My Pain Doctor?
When you live with chronic pain, you become an expert at pushing your pain to the back of your mind. However, when you meet with a back pain doctor, you need to accurately describe your back pain in order to assist with a proper diagnosis. Our back pain doctors suggest the following tips for describing your chronic back pain:
- Keep a pain log and write down when your back hurts. Does it hurt more when you first wake up, or is it hard to sit for long periods of time?
- In this pain log, use specific words to describe your back pain. Do you feel a sharp, stabbing pain, or is it a dull ache?
At Pain Treatment Specialists, our nationally recognized back pain doctors only use minimally invasive back pain treatments for treating lower back pain. Our 5-star patient reviews consistently mention that our pain experts are compassionate, knowledgeable, and provide effective back pain results.
Book a Consultation
Scheduling a consultation with one of our pain treatment specialists is one of the best ways to determine the proper solution for pain relief.
Meet our Harvard trained team
Dr. George Hanna
Harvard Medical School | NY & NJ Pain Specialist
Dr. Hanna received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed anesthesiology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital – Harvard Medical School and a pain management fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hanna was then appointed Clinical Instructor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School – training new graduates for over 3 years in anesthesiology and pain management techniques at Massachusetts General Hospital.
