If you have followed my Spinal Decompression Therapy Blog, you are already aware of some of the false claims that have been made by several manufacturers of Spinal Decompression Equipment.  At the top of the heap is Axiom Worldwide's DRX 9000.  As I have said, the DRX 9000 is good equipment.  However, there is nothing that really sets it out above anyone else's equipment.  It seems that the government agrees with me. 

Paul Thissen of the Contra Costa Times reported earlier this week that Danville Chiropractor, "Benjamin Altadonna created a fraudulent national marketing campaign for the DRX 9000, a device that aims to treat back problems using spinal decompression, according to a news release from the Monterey County District Attorney's Office, which joined District Attorney offices throughout the Bay Area in the fraud lawsuit."

Altadonna, a marketing guru, had been hired by Axiom Worldwide to create a marketing campaign for the DRX 9000.  His Marketing Package was sold to thousands upon thousands of DRX 9000 purchasers.  In turn, Altadonna got sales commissions for the DRX 9000 units sold.  During the time this was going on, the units were selling for anywhere from $80,000 to in excess of $125,000 each.  Both Axiom and Altodonna's businesses were raided by the FBI in 2007.  Some of the fraudulent marketing claims that came out in Altadonna's trial included

• His claim that DRX 9000 technology was, "Patented". 
• His claim that the DRX 9000 provided, "Breakthrough Medical Technology".
• His claim that the DRX was the only device on the market that provided, "True Decompression" of the spine.
• His claim that DRX 9000 technology was, "Developed by NASA".

The truth is that DRX 9000 technology is awesome.  If you want to see how effective it has proven to be, look no farther than Dr. Phillip Lloyd of Cherry Health's Spinal Decompression Therapy program in Springfield Missouri.  For years I sent people to him, and the majority had excellent results.  However, if you want a fair and balanced evaluation of the DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression Machine, simply read my previous post called, VAX D & DRX -vs- KDT.  Or better yet, go to our HOME PAGE, and see what our patients are saying about our SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY PROTOCOL.

DEFINITION OF "ANTALGIA" or "ANTALGIC":   Assuming a specific posture or gait so as to avoid or lessen pain.

One of the three "Cardinal Signs" of disc problems is antalgia.  People who have an "antalgic" posture, are contorting their bodies (this happens automatically or unconsciously) to get away from pain.  When a person has a Disc Herniation we know that the Nucleus Pulposus (the disc's jelly center) begins to break the innermost layers of the ligamentous Annulus Fibrosus.  Although people can have "Posterior Herniations" where the Nucleus ruptures straight backwards into the Spinal Canal / Spinal Cord, Lateral Herniations are far more common.

In the case of a Lateral Disc Herniation, the herniation is slightly offset to either the right or the left.  Because the Spinal Nerves exit the Spinal Cord on both the left and the right side, a Lateral Disc Herniation will tend to compress, pinch, or irritate, those nerves.  Although this nerve irritation will frequently cause Sciatica or Radiculopathy (pain, numbness, tingling, weakness) that runs into the extremities (arms or legs), there is something that typically happens before this or right along with it.  Antalgia.

Because your body does not like pain, it will automatically contort your body into a position where there is less amount of nerve irritation.  It is actually common to see very subtle amounts of Antalgia. I frequently have people lift their shirts up so that I can see their belly button.  Often times the belly button will be pulled slightly out of center even though the body is not in a grossly antalgic posture. 

If you understand this simple drawing above, you already have a basic understanding of the nervous system.  Your brain controls every single function of your body via an electrical wiring harness made up of nerves.  Nerves connect your brain to the various organs, tissues, glands, and muscles of your body so that your body can communicate with the brain ---- and the brain can communicate with the body.  As a chiropractor, I deal with SUBLUXATIONS.  These are bones (usually vertebrae) that are either out of place or not moving freely in relationship to each other.  One of the problems with subluxations is that even in the absence of pain, they can create nerve interference.  Just remember that when you create an interference in the nerve system, you tend to cause at least some degree of dysfunction to whatever gland, organ, or tissue which that particular nerve controls.

RADICULOPATHY DEFINITION:
Radiculopathy not a specific condition.  It is descriptive of the phenomena in which one or more nerve roots are affected at or near the spine. The result can be pain where the nerve root is actually being irritated, but it frequently goes beyond that.  It often causes radicular pain (pain anywhere along the pathway of the irritated nerve), weakness, numbness & tingling, or difficulty controlling specific muscles / movements.  This phenomenon is often called "Referred Pain".  Because these same Spinal Nerves also control organ and glandular function, these can be affected as well. 

DISC PROBLEMS:
Sometimes this nerve interference is not caused chiefly by a Subluxation, but by a Spinal Disc Problem.  Disc Problems that can cause Radiculopathy include "The Big Four" ---- HERNIATED DISCS, DEGENERATIVE DISCS, FACET SYNDROME or SPINAL STENOSIS.   Many people realize that when these problems are in your low back they can cause SCIATICA (pain or symptoms in the leg(s), but fewer people are aware that an almost identical scenario can take place in the neck and arms.  When this happens, the problem is typically referred to as "Radiculopathy" or "Cervical Radiculopathy"

Understanding SCIATICA is simple.  All the nerves from your low back and pelvis grow together into one large nerve.  This nerve is as large as your biggest finger, and travels down your leg; all the way to your toes.  A "Cervical Radiculopathy" acts in a similar fashion.  All the nerves from the lower 2/3 of your neck grow together to form 3 main nerves that eventually end up in your arm and hand (Radial Nerve, Ulnar Nerve, and Median Nerve).  Cervical Radiculopathy will typically manifest with pain, but can also cause pins & needles, numbness & tingling, weakness, burning, and various other paresthesias (odd sensations).  Here are some pictures that will help you understand Cervical Radiculopathy.

To set up a Free, No-Obligation consultation with me (Dr. Russell Schierling), simply call (417) 934-6337 and talk to Tracy.  I will sit down with you and look at your history as well as your tests.  If I can help you, I will explain how and what it will take.  If I cannot help you --- no hard feelings; I will try and get you to someone who can.  Like I have said for a long time; NOT EVERYONE IS A GOOD CANDIDATE for Spinal Decompression Therapy.

Although you might start seeing a change in the way your back feels almost immediately after starting your SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROTOCOL, healing will take longer ---- actually much longer.  This is critical for you to know and understand.

HERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES FROM CIGNA INSURANCE COMPANY.  OTHER INSURANCE COMPANY'S GUIDELINES WILL BE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL.
MY COMMENTARY IS IN RED

• Rest if you have severe pain. Otherwise, stay active. Staying in bed for more than 1 or 2 days can weaken your muscles and make the problem worse. Walking and other light activity may help [This is actually pretty good advice.  If you have been paying attention, you already know that DISC DEGENERATION is caused by loss of normal joint motion over time.  Ultimately, the thing that is going to help you heal is a restoration of joint motion.].
• Try using a heating pad on a low or medium setting for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 or 3 hours. Try a warm shower in place of one session with the heating pad. You can also buy single-use heat wraps that last up to 8 hours. You can also try an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes every 2 to 3 hours [Quick question:  What does an ankle do when you injure it?  That's right; it swells.  What does a Spinal Disc do when you injure it?  It does the same thing --- the only difference is that the swelling is deep where you cannot see it visibly.  If you want to understand this issue, read our ICE -vs- HEAT article.  I am all for heat as long as it's done the right way.  Do it the wrong way and it will make you worse.]
• Do the exercises that your doctor or physical therapist suggests. These will help keep your back muscles strong and prevent another injury. [Hey, I can't argue with this.  If you can do these exercises, by all means do them!  Just be aware that often times people who are suffering with HERNIATED DISCS cannot do the exercises without causing immense amounts of pain.  Also be aware that giving everyone the same set of generic exercises is not the answer.  There are no one-size-fits-all exercises.  And do not under any circumstances to crunches of situps (DR. STUART MCGILL'S ARTICLE)]
• Ask your doctor about medicine to treat your symptoms. Medicine won't cure a herniated disc, but it may help with pain and swelling. [There is no dishonor in taking pain meds for severe pain.  However, not only are NARCOTICS dangerous, they are addictive as well.  And the commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs?    The less powerful ones do not provide any much benefit at all, and the more powerful ones (CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS) are so degenerative and dangerous that good doctors will explain to you why they can only give you a couple of them --- even if they actually help with your symptoms.]

Usually a herniated disc will heal on its own over time. About half of people with a herniated disc get better within 1 month, and most are better within 6 months. Only about 1 person in 10 eventually has surgery.  Be patient, and stay with your treatment. If your symptoms don't get better in a few months, you may want to talk to your doctor about surgery.  [I find this paragraph highly problematic.  Sure, a HERNIATED DISC is going to eventually heal on its own over time.  The same can be said for almost any injury.  In fact, you could say the same thing about a person whose broken arm is bent at a 45 degree angle.  Just give it some time and it will heal --- improperly!  If left to their own devices, nearly all injuries will heal.  The real question though is how they heal.

The truth is that even though surgeons are suggesting and doing Spinal Surgeries at an ever increasing rate (EIGHT FOLD INCREASE IN SPINAL FUSIONS SINCE 2003), more and more people are putting off these surgeries because they have been made aware of just HOW POOR THE OUTCOMES ARE.  And isn't it funny how Insurance Companies are willing to make the leap from "walking", "physical therapy", and "medications" (things that all of you reading this post have already tried), to surgery, without first suggesting something that is not only shown by large amounts of SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH and ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE to be effective for helping heal disc problems?  SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY costs less than 5% of what the average Spinal Surgery is going to cost.  I always thought insurance companies were interested in saving money!

I did not understand their mindset when I started practice two decades ago, and I still do not understand it today!  If insurance companies were interested in what's best for their clients (as well as saving a boat-load of money in the process), they would be "making" their clients who are diagnosed with "THE BIG FOUR" (HERNIATED DISCS, DEGENERATIVE DISCS, SPINAL STENOSIS, or FACET SYNDROME) try a round of Spinal Decompression Therapy before they could as much as speak with a surgeon.]

 
I want you to notice something that is said (or rather, not said) in the section above.  Cigna states that, "About half of people with a herniated disc get better within 1 month, and most are better within 6 months."  This is a true statement.  But it does not tell the whole truth.  What does the word "better" really mean?  Does it mean that the disc is healed?  Or does it just mean that their pain is less severe now than it was on the day they herniated the disc?  You know; the week they could not get out of bed, get dressed, or even get to the toilet.  Sure they're better.  They can at least get out of bed on their own now.  But are they really "better "?   Not always.

The disc is made up of an outer Annulus that is comprised of layer upon layer of ligaments.  the ligaments of the Annulus hold the jelly center (Nucleus) in place.  When these ligaments start to tear, the Nuclear Jelly is allowed to "bulge" or HERNIATE toward the outside.  The more Annular tearing that occurs, the further the Nucleus pushes its way out of the disc.   The Nucleus frequently ends up compressing the Spinal Nerves, the Spinal Cord, or both.  Not fun!

Now that we've ascertained that the part of the disc that actually tears or ruptures is the ligaments, let's discuss what it takes to get injured or torn ligaments to heal.

Most of us have heard the old adage, "You would have been better off to break your bone than to tear the ligaments that hold the bones together".  Why is this?  Why have doctors been making this or similar statements for decades?  It has to do with blood supply.  Ligaments have virtually no blood supply.  Blood is what brings OXYGEN, nutrients, and water into the disc ---- and carries metabolic waste products out (so that the cells do not become toxic / acidic).   If you have followed this blog, you are already aware that the disc is said to be "avascular".    In simple English, this means that it has no blood supply.

When I was researching this article, I came across a question on a message board about a certain professional athlete.  Someone was wanting to know why so-and-so (a professional football player) had not yet come back from his injury --- an injury to the ligaments of his ankle.  Bear in mind that the ankle is not nearly as complex as the Spinal Disc.  Also bear in mind that a professional athlete is going to have the best surgeons, the best and most up-to-date rehab, and he will be treated 6-8 hours a day, every day, for months on end!  On top of that, he was already a well-trained athlete in superb physical condition.  Listen to the response by a bioengineer (expert in biomechanics) commenting on the case.

It is imperative that you notice his last sentence.  Without oxygen, you're producing about 1/8 the energy that you would have produced with oxygen in the cell.  I am hoping that you are beginning to realize how big a deal this is.  A trained athlete, who has access to the most technologically advanced rehab on the planet ---- for hours and hours a day, is going to take a minimum of 6 months to heal.  And we are to believe Cigna; that if you simply do nothing, most injured Spinal Discs will heal themselves in 1-6 months?  Come on!  Look around you people.  If this were true, you would not see such an absurd number of people suffering with unrelenting Chronic Back & Neck Pain! 

Some of the latest scientific research on the subject says that even though a person with a disc injury might be out of pain in 6-8 weeks, the disc itself will take 300 to 500 days to heal.  And because ligaments (remember, the part of the disc that actually has to heal is made up of ligaments) can only heal to about 60 to 70% of their previous strength and elasticity.  This is why disc injuries can be such a huge deal ----- and why they DEGENERATE if not taken care of properly.

Since the disc has no blood supply, the "cellular exchange" (swapping oxygen, nutrients, and water, for waste products) must take place via the disc's fluid.  How does this occur.  The disc acts as its own pump.  As long as the disc is moving / pumping, the disc is being nourished and oxygenated.  However, abnormal joint motion caused by injury or degeneration is what itself causes degeneration.  This leads to loss of motion, which leads to more degeneration.

If you read the three paragraph explanation from the biomechanical expert (above, red), you are starting to see how big a deal that proper rehab is to achieving proper healing.  This is why we use COLD LASER THERAPY.  Specific frequencies of light from a Cold Laser turns on the cell's MITOCHONDRIA.  This process, called "Photo-bio-modulation" somehow causes the cells to make extra ATP ---- lots of extra ATP.  It helps make up for the fact that without oxygen, the cells can only make 1/8 of the amount of ATP (cell energy) that they otherwise would.  But we do not stop there.

We add Oxygen to our SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROTOCOL as well.  Once you understand how critical oxygen is to the healing process, it's a no-brainer.  Because the cerebellum regulates the Spinal Postural Muscles, we also add CEREBELLAR REHAB to our protocol as well.  We also address the problem disc's "Abnormal Motion" issues as well.  This is done via different kinds of CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS and a home exercise program.  The bottom line is that the core of our SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PROGRAM is geared towards getting more motion, more OXYGEN, more water, and more nutrition into the Disc; while pumping metabolic toxins out of the Disc. 

Bear in mind that the 300 to 500 days it take for a disc to completely heal is a long time.  This is why there is more to our program than simply treating you for 6 or 8 weeks and then telling you to hit the bricks because you feel better.  You will be given specific exercises that not only strengthen the spinal muscles, but actually help put motion back into the disc so that it can "pump" like it is supposed to.  We will talk to you about numerous other things that you can (no, "must") do to continue the disc's healing process.  I will also show you which supplements are the best as far as providing specific nutrients geared toward healing discs / ligaments.  I will also strongly suggest a home-regiment of INVERSION THERAPY.  It's the total package!

Don't continue to suffer.  And before you decide on a RISKY SPINAL SURGERY, you seriously need to consider Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy!  It's both EFFECTIVE and safe, as proven by dozens of SCIENTIFIC STUDIES.  Simply pick up the phone and call (417) 934-6337 to set up a free no-obligation consultation with Dr. Schierling.  He will sit down and review your history and tests, and determine whether or not you are A GOOD CANDIDATE for Spinal Decompression Therapy.