Thursday, March 28, 2024
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ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Living with pain

Pain can be debilitating and affect not only how we feel but our quality of life. For many it is about restoring their quality of life so that they can play with their children or grandchildren, walk around the block, ride a bike or simply enjoy a movie. Today, we have many options that help us deal with pain but most of the remedies simply cover up our symptoms. The true path to recovery is finding out what the cause of the pain is and trying to break the pattern or pain cycle.

One alternative that has been found to be helpful for many neck and low back conditions that cause pain is a technique called spinal decompression. It is a natural alternative for those seeking to avoid spinal surgery or avoid daily reliance on pain medication. The normal protocol for back or neck pain is usually a combination of pain medication and physical therapy followed by surgery if the desired results are not achieved. These are good options, but why not consider spinal decompression before surgery. Spinal decompression is a FDA cleared treatment that is safe, noninvasive and drug free that has been utilized since the early 1990s. It is fairly new to the Northwest region of the country, so this procedure is not talked about by many in the medical community. It is mainly due to the fact that many practitioners are not familiar with the technology or the benefits of treatment. Spinal decompression is not an appropriate treatment for all conditions or a magic cure. But for many people it provides benefits by reducing pain and allowing the body to bring vital nutrients to weak and damaged joints, which aids in healing and recovery of the spine. My clinical experience, along with recent studies show that 85 to 90% of patients who have had spinal decompression show dramatic improvements. Spinal decompression has been most beneficial in treating disc bulges or herniations, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, carpal tunnel and spinal stenosis.

Spinal decompression tables are controlled by a computer that monitors the amount of weight which is applied to the body. The computer applies different amounts of pressure which causes an oscillating effect on the disc, which creates a negative pressure within the disc. This negative pressure inside the disc causes fluids and nutrients to be pulled into the disc, while reducing the disc bulge, thus helping the disc heal.

“As a surgeon, I only want to do surgery when I absolutely have to. Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy gives my patients a more conservative treatment option that can eliminate the need for surgery altogether, and that’s a good thing,” says Dr. Bernard Zeliger, Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Vallejo, Calif.

We hope that if you decide to consider spinal decompression you will consider visiting our clinic so that we can provide a complete and thorough history with an examination before discussing any possible recommendations. It is our goal, and should be the goal of any doctor, to discuss all appropriate treatment options and then let you decide; the choice is truly yours. Don't let anyone pressure you with sales tactics or make promises or guarantees that are unrealistic. We wish you a pain free summer. For more information, please contact us at 208-966-4425 to see if you’re a candidate.

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Dr. Wayne M. Fichter Jr. is a chiropractor at Natural Spine Solutions. The business is located at 3913 Schreiber Way in Coeur d’Alene, 208-966-4425.