I Have A Tear In My Disc, What Does This Mean?

Most often times your doctor or your MRI report is referring to a tear of the Annulus Fibrosis. This is the outer layer of your disc.

This disc is made up of an outer fiber called the annulus. This is a cartilaginous material slightly more firm than the inner, more gel-like nucleus pulposis.

When the nucleus leaks out it’s referred to as a disc herniation or protruded disc. This usually creates significant nerve pressure and therefore pain.

We don’t always have to have a bulged disc or a herniated disc to have serious back pain.

You can also simply have a tear in the annulas fibers. The annulus has nerve fibers as well. Often times a tear of the annulus can cause a lot of pain.


With our discs there are a few types of injuries or conditions that cause pain or neurological symptoms. The conditions are disc protrusions (herniated discs), disc bulges, disc degeneration (flattening and bulging), and a disc tear. Nerve fibers in or around the disc get irritated from any one of these disc conditions and can result in serious back and/or leg pain.

Our Connecticut office uses advanced chiropractic techniques as well as DRX 9000 Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression to heal your spinal discs and end your back pain.


CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call us at 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Additional Reading Resources:

• drx9000 decompression - the only pain free, safe option for real disc pain relief
  
• Common Disc Problems Glossary
  
• Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: The New Safe Way To Now Get Rid Of Disc Pain With No Side Effects
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression

What Kind of Doctor Using Spinal Decompression?

In my experience it has been mostly chiropractors that use it. I have also seen it used in an orthopedics office, neurologist’s office, pain clinic and a multidisciplinary clinic (those clinics that have a variety of Doctors such as chiropractors, medical doctors and physical therapists that work together).


It tends to be Doctors that use more of a natural approach as non-surgical spinal decompression is just that- non-surgical. Its helps the body do its own healing without masking the pain with medications. Don’t get me wrong however, sometimes medications help get through the acute phases of pain if unbearable.


It does take some looking around because there are so many doctors and so many specialists to begin with not to mention each may practice a certain way.


Since chiropractors don’t give prescription medications to their patients they tend to be more knowledgeable of the various natural treatments like drx9000 non surgical spinal decompression.


Most surgeons do surgery and most M.D. and D.O’s treat their patients with medications regularly. This isn’t always the case however, and whatever Dr you go to should refer you to the appropriate practitioner when necessary.


At the CT Spine and Disc Center in Glastonbury CT, our Doctors are trained in specialized testing procedures for patients suffering with lower back pain from disc herniation, disc herniation, disc bulging and sciatica. Call our central Connecticut office at (860) 633-8756 to see if you will be a candidate.


Additional Reading Resources:

• Low Back and Leg Pain Relief…Treatments available for your Sciatica
  
• Chronic Lower Back Pain Is On the Rise: What are your Treatment Options
  
• Are you a Candidate for Non Surgical Spinal Decompression ?
  
• How Does Non Surgical Spinal Decompression Work, and what Research has been done?
  
• Dr.Bellinger’s Chronic Lower Back Pain Blog
  

How does DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression work?

Just recently, a patient reminded me of an analogy I used to use to explain the decompression process. He said his therapist told him this to explain decompression:

It was the toothpaste tube analogy. A disc that bulges, slips, or herniates is like the tooth paste being squeezed out of the tube.

If you injure your disc, a herniation or protruded disc is much like toothpaste coming out of the tube. Normally it should stay in place, but when severely injured, a leak or leaks can occur. Imagine pushing on the tube so some toothpaste comes out. Now imagine instead of squeezing that tube, you pull from the bottom and the top. What happens? That toothpaste that was coming out gets retracted or pulled back in.

What happens with the decompression is that it first stretches the spine, and with muscles and ligaments relaxed, it creates enough of a force to suction the disc material (toothpaste) back into place between the spinal bones.

This is what really makes non-surgical spinal decompression unique and much more successful than simply traction. Yes there is a traction aspect to decompression, but that is really only part of the equation.

DRX 9000 Decompression is very unique in the way it pulls. It is able to keep the muscles and ligaments along the spine relaxed, thus allowing a pull much more magnified than standard traction.

Wait, you say! … I can’t imagine getting pulled with much more force than the traction I had at physical therapy. Actually, with the decompression, even though the pull is magnified, you hardly feel a thing. The machine keeps the muscles relaxed through a specialized pull and feedback mechanism.

So next time you brush your teeth, think of that tube of toothpaste and how you stretch it out to suck the extra paste back into the tube, and you’ll realize how decompression helps heal that disc.

CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call us at 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Additional Reading Resources:

• I Don’t Have Pain- But I have Constant Numbness and Tingling in my Lower Legs. Can Decompression help?
  
• How is spinal decompression different from the traction that I tried
  
• Understanding Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression

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Non Surgical Spinal Decompression - How is this different from the Traction I tried?

Non surgical spinal decompression is very different from lumbar traction. In fact, I get asked this question all the time at CT Spine and Disc Center. Traction is basically a stretching of your spine. Decompression creates a vacuum effect in the spine. It has a traction component to it so it stretches your spine slightly opening up the nerve holes but it also suctions the discs back in place. Over a sequence of treatments the disc is then able to stay in place keeping the spinal canal and nerve canals free of interference. In our office we use the Drx9000 and with this protocol a patient wears an upper and a lower harness. This effectively takes the muscles out of the equation, so we can focus on the disc level.

You see, traction will often give some short term relief but soon after treatment gravity takes hold again and the spine squishes back to where it was.

Also, when traction pulls its often a straight linear pull that may cuase the muscles to spasm and prevent the adequate stretch. Whereas, decompression pulls in a cyclical fashion (pull and relax, pull and relax). In addition there is a feedback mechanism which can detect muscle spasm. If there is spasm the machine relaxes the pull; when the muscles relax it can pull again.


Because of these features the Drx9000 Spinal Decompression device will pull at much more force then traction but because it keeps the muscles and ligaments relaxed, not only will it feel comfortable it is able to create decompression or in others words suction the disc back into place. To find out if you qualify for spinal decompression call (860) 633-8756.

CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call us at 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Additional Reading Resources:

• More Proof That DRX9000 Spinal Decompression Is The Best Treatment For Severe Low Back Pain From Herniated Or Degenerative Discs!
  
• If You Ignore Your Pain…It Can Soon Be A Disaster Just Waiting To Happen!
  
• The New Wave in Traction Units
  
• Understanding Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression
  

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An effective treatment for Serious Excruciating Back Pain

SIMPLE, SAFE AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR SEVERE LOWER BACK OR LEG PAIN FROM HERNIATED DISC, BULGING DISC, OR DEGENERATED DISC
Many treatments, therapies, medications and surgeries have been used to combat serious back and leg pain. When the pain results from bulged, herniated or degenerated disc, the majority of the time the “usual” treatments failed. Sometimes they’ve even made people worse.

It wasn’t until fairly recently a newer treatment evolved called Non surgical spinal decompression. Decompression is performed by a machine called the Drx9000.
The Drx9000 non surgical spinal decompression treatment has helped thousands get out of pain, return to work and get their life back. The treatment is easy to do, gives fast results and has no documented side effects.
The typical treatment takes about 30 minutes followed by ice and interferential muscle stimulation. The average number of treatments will vary depending on someone’s condition but on average will last 16-30 treatments, over the course of 4-8weeks.
Another great benefit of the treatment is that most people are completely relaxed hardly even feeling anything. Some actually nap while on the Drx.
In addition, a lot of time pain sufferers start experiencing relief very quickly, so you know its working….And here’s the big one- In a large amount of the cases the pain goes away and stays away for good. So now with the Drx9000 non surgical spinal decompression individuals who are dealing with excruciating back pain or leg pain have new home. Many successes even have multiple disc problems or have even already had back surgery.

by Dr. M Bellinger

Matthew Bellinger DC is Director of CT Spine and Disc Center LLC. His office is located in Glastonbury, CT. Dr. Bellinger treats patients for severe lower back pain due to sciatica, Disc Bulge and disc herniation in the lumbar spine, and disc degeneration. He specializes in non surgical spinal decompression at his central connecticut office, utilizing the Drx9000. Call 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for this low back treatment.

"Why Does Every Dr I See Tell me There's Nothing Wrong When I Have Major Back & Leg Pain "

"I've been through multiple tests - XRays, MRI's of my entire spine, blood work, nerve tests and more".

"Every doctor says there's nothing wrong but I have severe back pain and leg pain too. What could it be and what do I do? I can't deal with this pain any longer!"

Sound familiar?...Many times there can be a low back disc issue creating the pain or problem that doesn't get properly diagnosed and caught!

I see many patients who come in with degeneration in the spine and alot of lower back pain or leg symptoms.

Degeneration is sometimes enough to create major presssure on the nerves which gives you back pain, leg pain, tingling and numbness, or something worse.


When the disc degenerates it will flatten and bulge. This flattening will leave less room for the nerve to exit off of the spinal cord and communicate to the low back, hips, legs, and the muscles in these region.

Degeneration may not always be taken seriously because over time most people will get some degeneration or arthritis as they get older!...When, in fact, depending where that degeneration is exactly, and what nerves it puts pressure on, can determine what symptoms may occur - back pain, muscle stiffness or spasm, leg or foot pain, etc...

So remember, if you have pain then it's not normal and most likely may get worse! You may be a candidate for non-surgical spinal decompression.Call CT Spine and Disc Center to see if you will be a candidate for our treatment at 860-633-8756

What is the difference between Traction and Spinal Decompression?

Spinal traction is a treatment option that is based on the application of a longitudinal force to the axis of the spinal column. In other words, parts of the spinal column are “pulled” in opposite directions in order to stabilize or change the position of damaged aspects of the spine. For example, You can have traction to the neck, to the low back, to your leg or your arm
Traction is helpful at treating some of the conditions resulting from herniation or degeneration but traction is unable to address the source of the problem. Research has shown that Spinal Decompression therapy creates a negative pressure or a vacuum inside the disc. This effect causes the disc to pull in the herniation and the increase in negative pressure also causes the flow of blood and nutrients back into the disc allowing the body's natural fibroblastic response to heal the injury and re-hydrate the disc. The DRX 9000 is the premier spinal decompression therapy unit to accomplish this.

Traction and inversion tables, at best, can lower the intradiscal pressure from a +90 to a +30 mmHg. The DRX 9000 is clinically proven to reduce the intradiscal pressure to between a -150 to -200 mmHg. Traction triggers the body's normal response to stretching by creating painful muscle spasms that worsen the pain in affected area. Spinal decompression takes the muscles out of the equation and focuses on the disc herniation.

"I Was Told I Having Stenosis. They Said Nothing Can be Done And I've Gotta Live With My Pain!"

What is STENOSIS first of all? Stenosis is a closure of the hole or holes in the back of the spine where nerve roots branch off of your spinal cord. More specifically this is called neural foraminal stenosis. Those exit holes are called your neural foramen. You can also have spinal stenosis which typically means you have closure or shrinking of the canal in the back of the spine that the spinal cord travels down. This canal is from the brain down to your lower body.

So what happens and what creates this "stenosis"? Arthritis (in other s degeneration) takes place usually in the discs and endplates of the vertebrae. When the disc flattens and bulges (aka degenerates) then #1 - that bulge can literally fill up those canals meaning your neaural canals and or your spinal canal.
#2 - the bones start to break down creating rigid/ jagged edges and spurring (bone spurs) that also put pressure on nerves and contributes to shrinking the neural foramen or spinal canal. Remember the disc acts as a spacer creating the gap or hole nerves travel out of. Once the disc flattens from a disc breakdown or herniation then you will lose the full opening in that foramen that should be there.

Facet degeneration and ligament hypertophy or inflammation also work to create pressure on the nerves or spinal cord.

So basically if the disc can be rehydrated and reheightened, and bulges and herniations can be pulled back into place, it can open these holes back up relieving nerve pressure and preventing more degeneration and arthritis to take place.

Great news, this is what Spinal Decompression does. Before Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression most patients were simply sent to physical therapy and given meds or pain shots. If this didn't work they were recommended surgery. Now we have an extra option for care of stenosis. No more just living with the pain!!!

Frequently asked questions about Spinal Decompression

What causes low back pain?

Low back pain can be caused by a number of factors from injuries to the effects of aging.The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae, which are made of bone. Between each vertebra are soft discs with a ligamentous outer layer. These discs function as shock absorbers to protect the vertebra and the spinal cord. Many of the problems that cause back pain are the result of herniation and degeneration of the intervertebral disc. Degeneration is a process where wear and tear causes deterioration of the disc. Herniations, or bulging of the disc are protrusions from the disc that press on surrounding nerves, causing pain or numbness.


If I undergo DRX 9000 treatment, how long does it take to see results?

Most patients report a reduction in pain after the first few sessions. Typically, significant improvement is obtained by the second week of treatment.


How long does it take to complete DRX 9000 treatment?

Sessions times are between 30-45 minutes, daily for 5 weeks. Though, the number of sessions may vary depending upon the severity of the condition.


Do I qualify for the DRX9000 treatment?

Since I began using the DRX 9000 spinal disc decompression unit, I’have been inundated with questions from both doctors and patients as to which cases it will best help. Obviously proper patient selection is essential to favorable outcomes, so let me explain to you of the Inclusion and Exclusion criteria so you may make the right decision since not everyone qualifies for the DRX treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pain due to herniated and bulging lumbar discs that is more than four weeks old
  
• Recurrent pain from a failed back surgery that is more than six months old.
  
• Persistent pain from degenerated disc not responding to four weeks of therapy.
  
• Patients available for four weeks of treatment protocol.
  
• Patient at least 18 years of age.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Appliances such as pedicle screws and rods
  
• Pregnancy
  
• Prior lumbar fusion less than six months old
  
• Metastatic cancer
  
• Severe osteoporosis
  
• Spondylolisthesis (unstable)
  
• Compression fracture of lumbar spine below L-1 (recent).
  
• Pars defect
  
• Pathologic aortic aneurysm.
  
• Pelvic or abdominal cancer
  
• Disc space infections
  
• Severe peripheral neuropathy
  
• Hemiplegia, paraplegia, or cognitive dysfunction.

Are there any side effects to the treatment?

Most patients do not experience any side effects. Though, there have been some mild cases of muscle spasm for a short period of time.


What is the difference between the DRX9000 and the VAX-D?

The DRX is three generations past the initial VAX-D table developed years ago. Actually, the former North American distributor of VAX-D is the present manufacturer of DRX who had requested upgrades to the VAX-D unit but was refused, which explains why the VAX-D hasn’t changed in twenty years. So he and other decompression spinal practitioners brainstormed the problems with VAX-D, and with the help of many engineers, the DRX 9000 unit was developed just two years ago.The most obvious differences between the DRX9000 and the VAX-D would be their success rate and the comfort levels while a patient is being treated. Below are some side by side comparisons.

DRX9000	Vax D
Patient lays on back (supine)	Patient lies face down (prone) which can be very uncomfortable
Harnesses prevent any stress to the shoulders or arms.	Required patients had to hold on with their hands causing severe shoulder/arm problems
The amount of decompression can be targeted to the specific disc level by varying the angle of traction.	Nonspecific for disc levels with its straight-line traction