Mountain View, Missouri (West Plains / Willow Springs / Cabool / Winona / Summersville) ---- Spinal Decompression Doctor, Russell Schierling, presents another blog article on Spinal Decompression Therapy.
ARE THE VAX-D & DRX9000 DECOMPRESSION UNITS, THE ONLY "TRUE" DECOMPRESSION TABLES ON THE MARKET?
THE FDA HAS CLEARLY STATED THAT...
“All decompression tables that use the right amount of force and protocol will have the same positive results shown in the commonly used and quoted research done by various companies.”
What does this mean in relationship to today's Blog? It means that most Spinal Decompression Tables are seriously caught up in marketing and pure hype (the reasons that many of these companies have been fined and forced to change their advertising)! The combination of NEGATIVE PRESSURE with the computerized logarithms that together create the pull & release pattern that separates SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY FROM TRACTION is is not unique to any one machine or table. It can be replicated on almost any Spinal Decompression Machine. What does this revelation mean to you, the consumer? Only that your Spinal Decompression Protocol does not need to cost an arm and a leg.
“All decompression tables that use the right amount of force and protocol will have the same positive results shown in the commonly used and quoted research done by various companies.”
What does this mean in relationship to today's Blog? It means that most Spinal Decompression Tables are seriously caught up in marketing and pure hype (the reasons that many of these companies have been fined and forced to change their advertising)! The combination of NEGATIVE PRESSURE with the computerized logarithms that together create the pull & release pattern that separates SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY FROM TRACTION is is not unique to any one machine or table. It can be replicated on almost any Spinal Decompression Machine. What does this revelation mean to you, the consumer? Only that your Spinal Decompression Protocol does not need to cost an arm and a leg.
Although "Spinal Traction" (electric winch-like motors, hooked to belt-like devices) has been used by orthopedists and chiropractors for decades, about twenty years ago saw the invention of the first "Spinal Decompression Therapy" unit. According to Wikipedia (and everything else I was able to find on the subject), the history of Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy started with VAX-D and is as follows:
Non-surgical spinal decompression was originally developed and pioneered by Dr. Allan Dyer, PhD, MD in 1985 and the first non-surgical spinal decompression table, the Vax-D was introduced by him in 1991. This original device was controlled by a pneumatic system and gradually applied and released the traction force to reduce muscle guarding and spasm. In 2004, Vax-D Medical Technologies introduced an enhanced version of this table called the G2 that replaced the pneumatic technology with more precise electrically driven components and also added an enhanced on board computer control system that instituted a logarithmic curve.
The thing that we are not being told about these earlier tables is that they were being sold for between $120,000 and $150,000. Patients were being charged anywhere from eight to twelve thousand dollars to go through a series of Decompression Treatments. With that kind of money available to Spinal Decompression Doctors, there were sure to be other players jump into the game.
Having seen twenty years worth of Spinal Decompression Equipment ads in various chiropractic publications, I can assure you that many Spinal Decompression Companies have come and gone. One that product that has had some staying power is Axiom's DRX9000. It is certainly not because the unit is inexpensive. In today's housing market, I could buy a decent home here in Mountain View, Missouri for what one of these puppies costs! Neither is it because it is a beautiful space saver. Compared to the sleek VAX-D, the DRX9000 is a monstrosity whose 'traction tower' is literally covered with buttons, bells, whistles, computer screens, and all sorts of other "technology". What the DRX unit has had going for it is some excellent marketing. And the truth is, that is what this whole my-Decompression-Table-is-better-than-your-Decompression-Table thing boils down to. Who spends the most dollars promoting their product.
One such article that was decrying the marketing techniques techniques used by many Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Clinics, and bashing the DRX9000 had this to say about other such Spinal Decompression Therapy equipment for this very reason.
Since this article was originally published, several similar devices — DECOMPRESSION STABLIZATION REDUCTION SYSTEM (DRS), ACCU SPINA SYSTEM, DRX9000, SPINE-MED, ANTALGIC-TRAK, and LORDEX TRACTION UNIT, and a less elaborate device called the TRITON DTS — have entered the marketplace. New devices typically cost from $80,000 to $125,000.
Now listen. As far as I can tell, the problem is not that any of these machines is inherently bad or dangerous (except the Triton). On the contrary, they all seem to work quite well and essentially do what they claim to do ---- with about the same success rates across the board (remember the FDA's statement at the beginning of this article). If you look at our clinic's two Research Pages (HERE & HERE), you will see that the success rate for Spinal Decompression Therapy is in the 70% - 85% range, depending on whose studies you look at. Fortunately, the body of research on this relatively new therapy is growing rapidly.
Even though there is nothing inherently bad about most other Decompression Therapy Tables, there are several features that set our table apart from the rest. One of the most obvious has to do with patient positioning. The DRX9000 is one of the least adaptable tables on the market because it allows patients to be decompressed only while laying on their backs. The VAX-D is just the opposite, only allowing patients to be treated while face down. The KDT Table is versatile and allows for an almost infinite number patient positions. This is important for those patients who come in with various postural distortions.
Another great thing about Dr. Jay Kennedy, the Kennedy Technique, and the KDT Spinal Decompression Table is that it is not only safe and effective, it is significantly less expensive than the other tables listed above. What does this mean to you, the patient? Only that we can offer Spinal Decompression Therapy at a price that does not break the bank! So when you see VAX-D, or DRX9000 ads telling you that their equipment is the only equipment on the market that has been proven to provide "True Spinal Decompression", just remember that this is not based in truth. It is marketing ---- the kind of misrepresentation and hype that has been with us since the beginning of time!
Rather than try and tell you how effective our SPINAL DECOMPRESSION EQUIPMENT & PROTOCOL really is, I would simply suggest that you take a couple of minutes to check out our VIDEO TESTIMONIAL PAGE. Great results speak for themselves!
If you are sick and tired of living with chronic pain and the inability to do the things you have always loved to do, simply pick up the phone and call (417) 934-6337. We will make you an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Schierling. He will sit down with you and talk about your case, review your history, and go over your tests, x-rays, and MRI's. He will determine whether or not YOU ARE A GOOD CANDIDATE for Spinal Decompression Therapy, and go over any and all details with you. Isn't it about time you got your life back? Call Dr. Schierling today.
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