Back Pain Treatment: Will Spinal Decompression Help A Herniated Disc?

Back pain treatment using spinal decompression is a new twist on a treatment that’s been around for about 5000 years - namely traction. Now, with that being said, will it help a herniated disc?

And the answer is…

… temporarily.

You see, a “herniated disc” is present in about 80-85% of the population who are walking around with no back pain whatsoever. So there’s a good chance that your symptoms aren’t even related to a herniated disc and in those cases spinal decompression would be a monumental waste of time and money.

But let’s just say the disc is the source of the problem. Spinal decompression will take some of the pressure off the disc but as soon as you stand or sit again, the pressure will return. It doesn’t fix the source of the problem.

I actually use spinal decompression in my office but not in the manner that it’s marketed to the public. Once the patient has gone through their active back exercises, I use decompression therapy to assist with stretching the back muscles and unloading the spine. Used by itself, spinal decompression has no value other than a revenue producer by the treating clinician.

I had a patient recently that came to me on the advice of his physician with clear evidence of a herniated disc. He was ready to plop down $4 grand for 25 visits of spinal decompression therapy at a chiropractor’s office. After I examined him, it was clear to me that I could help him. Long story short, I saw him 6 times over the course of 3 weeks and had him back on the golf course again. And, I saved him about $3400 in direct out of pocket costs.

Here are a few facts you may want to know about spinal decompression…

1.These devices range in price from $80 to well over $100 thousand dollars.

2.Here’s a quote directly from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:”35-97 VERTEBRAL DECOMPRESSION (traction) - NOT COVERED - Vertebral decompression is performed for symptomatic relief of pain associated with lumbar disk problems. The treatment combines pelvic and/or cervical traction connected to a special table that permits the traction application. There is insufficient scientific data to support the benefits of this technique. Therefore, spinal decompression is not covered by Medicare.”

3.Because of the lack of evidence to support their effectiveness, insurance companies typically don’t cover the cost of treatment.

4.You are typically scheduled for 20 - 25 visits with a total out of pocket expense of around $4000 (they gotta pay for the machine)

5.If your insurance does pay for “decompression”, make certain that the code the procedure is being billed under isn’t the surgical decompression code. A few doctors have gone to jail because in an attempt to get around the insurance coverage, they billed the procedure using a code reserved for surgical cases.

6.The quoted effectiveness of 85% is flawed from the standpoint that the research from which this number is extracted is questionable at best.

7.Finally, you can get all the benefits of spinal decompression therapy by investing in an inversion home unit. Get all the details here ==> Back-A-Traction Inversion Table

The Erase Your Back Pain program utilizes spinal decompression as a component of a back pain treatment program. You can get the complete scoop here ==> No More Back Pain!

I welcome your questions and comments below.

Dedicated to Erasing Your Back Pain,

Malton A. Schexneider, PT, MMSc
Clinical Specialist
Orthopaedic Physical Therapy