Spinal Decompression and your first visit

Spinal Decompression and Your First Visit: What to Expect

Spinal decompression is a highly effective treatment for a herniated disc, a degenerative disc, sciatica (leg pain), and other spinal conditions. On your first visit, Dr. Perea will discuss your symptoms with you and perform an examination to determine whether spinal decompression therapy is right for you.

To get a detailed understanding of your condition, Dr. Perea will consult with you and ask questions such as:

1. When did your neck or lower back pain begin?

2. Is the neck or lower back pain sharp, is it stabbing, or does it ache or burn?  

3. Does the pain radiate, pull, or shoot from your neck into your arm, or does it radiate, pull, or shoot from your lower back into your leg? 

4. Does anything make the neck or lower back pain decrease, or does anything make the neck or lower back pain increase?

5. Is the neck or lower back pain constant, or does it come and go? 

Dr. Perea will perform a detailed examination of your neck or lower back pain.

Dr. Perea will check your posture, and observe how you walk and move around. He will check your vital signs to assess your general physical fitness, then perform a musculoskeletal, neurologic, and orthopedic examination. Dr. Perea will begin the musculoskeletal exam by looking for tight, swollen tissue and tender muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Limited or painful motion of the spine are signs of muscle tension and spasm, acute strains and sprains, postural strains and sprains, joint stiffness and/or osteoarthritis,to name a few. He will continue with a neurologic examination, noting possible muscular weakness, sensory changes, and reflex changes to check for problems such as a disc strain or bulge, and/or a disc herniation causing a pinched nerve. 

Dr. Perea might also use examinations such as X-rays, CAT/MRI scans, myelograms, and electromyograms to identify the disc problem and assess the nerve damage caused by the pinched nerve.   

He will check for fractures and associated neural damage or vascular damage, dislocation, and gross instability, and also for tumors, inflammation, infections, or organ referral. Ruling out these conditions brings us to the cause of most neck and back disorders, which Dr. Perea specializes in treating: disc strain or bulge, disc herniation, osteoarthritis, joint stiffness, acute and postural strains and sprains, and finally, muscle guarding and spasm. 

Phase 1: Relief Care

If you are in pain, the first objective is to help you feel better. Depending on the severity of your problem, it is typical to need nonsurgical spinal decompression five times a week for two weeks.

Phase 2: Corrective/Restorative Care

During the corrective care phase, muscles and other tissues are allowed to heal more completely, thereby helping to prevent further injury. It is typical to need nonsurgical spinal decompression plus stretching and dynamic core exercise and stability training three times a week for eight weeks depending on your overall health and the severity of your problem.

Phase 3: Wellness Care

Once your body has fully healed, it is important to come in for periodic adjustments to avoid future problems . Usually, this only requires a visit one to two times a month, based on your lifestyle and goals.