My Dad called me from Florida the other day to boast about the warm weather and also to ask me what I thought about spinal decompression therapy. His chiropractor recommended it for him to help with chronic lower back pain from an injury he sustained years ago that was recently aggravated.

Basically, spinal decompression is exactly that…a way to decompress the spine. The spinal joints, ligaments, discs, and muscles can be compressed due to arthritis, spinal stenosis, disc disease, trauma, and as a result of chronic pain and muscle spasm. Decompression aims to stretch, open, and relieve pressure in that area, thereby giving more movement, space for the discs, and reducing pressure on surrounding nerves. Although it is an option for cervical and lumbar pathologies, I will focus here on the benefits for the lumbar spine.

Spinal decompression therapy can be administered by a chiropractor, physical therapist, or independently by the patient depending on the means of decompression. Many chiropractors and physical therapists have mechanical traction machines that they use as part of their treatment programs. The patient lays on the table with corset belts strapped around the pelvis and rib cage. The rib corset acts to stabilize the body so the whole patient doesn’t slide along the table (as the lower part of the body is distracted). The pelvic corset is connected to a cable that is programmed to pull or provide traction with a certain amount of force, usually somewhere around 30% of the patient’s body weight. The traction can be administered in a sustained manner, or intermittently with periods of traction and release. Intermittent traction is more commonly used in my experience and may be more comfortable for the patient to tolerate.

Self traction via home mechanical traction units is an option, though these units can be expensive. Prior to investing in one of these, success with clinical mechanical traction should first be demonstrated. A less expensive option gaining popularity is the use of inversion tables. These can sometimes take a little getting used to as most people aren’t accustomed to being upside down, but they use body position and gravity to create a traction force for the lumbar spine. The user starts in a standing position with the back supported on a backrest and the feet secured under foot bars. Then the table can be reclined as far back as possible until a comfortable stretch or distraction force is achieved.

So I did suggest my dad try spinal decompression therapy. It’s a safe, non-invasive means of achieving pain relief and improved function. I wouldn’t, however, recommend it for individuals with infections, tumors, osteoporosis, or conditions of instability (such as spondylolisthesis).