Herniated disc treatment used to come down to a choice of oral medication, steroid injections, physical therapy, and/or surgery. Due to the relatively poor results of these treatments overall, many herniated disc sufferers have simply had to live with the pain. A new treatment is now available and while it is not an effective or appropriate option for every disc pain sufferer, it is a treatment that offers a big improvement in safety and effectiveness over other herniated disc treatments.

Spinal decompression is a new form of spinal traction. Traction has been used for many years in the treatment of herniated discs, but with minimal effects in many cases, and it even aggravated symptoms in some patients. Regular traction triggers the body's muscle guarding reaction resulting in pain and possibly even raised pressure inside a herniated disc.

Spinal decompression has solved these problems though. Although still technically traction machines, true spinal decompression systems pull very slowly and gradually in order to keep the muscles relaxed and avoid triggering spasm. In addition, the more advanced of the spinal decompression systems also have computer-controlled motors and have sensors to measure the body's resistance to treatment. If the body's muscles begin to contract and resist the treatment, the system will immediately reduce its pull and the body's muscles will relax again. The most advanced spinal decompression systems are able to modify treatment in response to the body's muscle activity within a remarkable 1/17th of a second. Since the body's reactions take place in approximately 1/5th of a second, these advanced spinal decompression systems can modify treatment before the muscles can spasm, allowing for comfortable herniated disc relief.

This avoidance of the muscle spasm response gives spinal decompression systems the ability to drastically lower pressure inside a herniated disc. In fact, disc pressure is actually dropped into the negative pressure range, creating a suction that pulls the bulging disc material back towards the center of the disc and away from sensitive nerves. An additional effect is that nutrients and fluid are pulled into the disc to stimulate disc healing. Over time and repeated treatments, the herniated disc material is pulled back in, and the healing of the disc provides stabilization of the outer wall of the disc to prevent further bulging.

The frequency and duration of spinal decompression treatment will vary depending on the age and condition of the patient, the severity of the herniated disc, and the number of herniated discs. Herniated discs can be treated effectively with spinal decompression in both the lumbar and cervical spine.

Statistically, spinal decompression with the more advanced machines, and with appropriate patient selection has a success rate of 80-90%, and of those who are successfully treated, the results hold up well long-term in most cases. Given the success rate and the fact that the most common side-effect is some temporary post-treatment muscle soreness, spinal decompression is often the best option in herniated disc treatment.

Unfortunately, the aggressive advertising and hype, and inapproriate use of spinal decompression by some health care practitioners in recent years has led to unrealistic patient expectations and crackdowns by regulatory agencies on advertising claims that have sullied the reputation of spinal decompression. While spinal decompression does represent a major advance in the treatment of herniated discs, it is not a cure-all, it is not 100% effective, and it is not appropriate for every patient.

Spinal decompression, when used appropriately, does produce enough improvement and disc healing in the vast majority of cases to allow patients to resume normal lives and return to most activities (even playing golf or tennis and working in the yard), but it does not restore a herniated disc to 100% normal. No treatment can. Even the still-experimental disc replacement surgery does not restore the spine to a normal condition and future back problems following disc replacement are to be expected. Overwork, poor posture, or failure to use good bending and lifting techniques can set the stage for a recurrence of disc problems no matter how good the results of treatment are initially.

With appropriate patient selection and by giving patients realistic expectations, spinal decompression providers can supply a very safe and effective treatment option for those with a herniated disc.