Chronic lower back pain is a significant cause of lowered quality of life and disability. Pain, reduced range of motion and limitations on mobility can impact your life in a major way. What’s more, conditions that cause back pain are progressive. This means that without intervention they get worse with time.
Anyone living with lower back pain understands the toll it can take. Fortunately, decompression therapy — a long-lasting solution can relieve your pain and help you get back to life.
At Johnson Medical Center in Venice, Florida, highly skilled Chiropractor Jeffrey Johnson has extensive experience treating musculoskeletal conditions. Patients with chronic lower back pain receive the highest quality of care.
Dr. Johnson and our team offer a wide range of treatments for problems that affect the spine, including spinal stenosis. This condition happens when the spaces in the spinal canal narrow, compressing the nerves and causing symptoms, including:
- Lower back pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Weakness in the extremities
Symptoms depend on the area of the spine affected. Narrowing of the lumbar spine, commonly causes lower back pain, while narrowing of the upper part of the spinal canal (cervical spine) typically causes neck pain.
The earlier stages of lumbar stenosis rarely cause symptoms. Most people lead normal lives and are often unaware that they have the condition.
Others, however, are less fortunate; the narrowing irritates the sensitive nerve roots that branch out from the lumbar spine, causing pain and problems with sensation.
Conservative treatments to relieve symptoms are often the first step. This may involve the following:
- Corticosteroid injections
- Pain relievers
- Physical therapy
Decompression therapy to treat spinal stenosis
When conservative measures fail to provide adequate relief, Dr. Johnson may recommend spinal decompression therapy to create space in the spinal canal and relieve symptoms associated with spinal stenosis.
Dr. Johnson uses a minimally invasive technique to relieve pressure on the nerve roots in the spinal canal. The procedure involves inserting a small device that creates space in the vertebrae, gently stretching the spine. This stretching relieves the pressure on the spinal canal so that each vertebrae have more room and you get relief.
The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and generally takes about 30 minutes. Spinal decompression is safe and the surrounding tissue is unharmed. Most people can expect a significant improvement in their symptoms for up to 48 months.
For more information on how you can finally attain long-lasting relief with spinal decompression therapy, contact us at Johnson Medical Center to set up an appointment with Dr. Johnson or request an appointment online.