Struggling with headaches, neck pain, neck stiffness, or numbness in your arms? Cervical decompression therapy at CORE Chiropractic offers a gentle, non-surgical solution that relieves pressure on your nerves - without drugs or injections. Neck decompression therapy, neck traction therapy, or cervical disc decompression are all names used to describe this time-tested and helpful therapy for a variety of chronic neck pain problems.
Cervical Decompression May Help If You:
- Have chronic neck pain that worsens at work or while driving
- Experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms
- Have tried massage, medications, or stretching with no long-term relief
- Have been told you might need surgery or injections
What Symptoms Does Cervical Decompression Therapy Treat?
Your cervical vertebrae (the bones in your neck) are the gatekeepers of your spinal cord and other essential nerves that travel to other parts of your body. When these bones are out of alignment, or when the cushioned discs between them begin to deteriorate, the nerves in this sensitive area become pinched and irritated. Since all the nerves that control the rest of the body pass through your neck, you may not only have headaches and neck pain, you may have trouble walking, numbness and tingling down one or both arms, shooting pain down one or both arms, or even problems with digestion.
How Does Cervical Decompression Therapy Work?
Non-Surgical Neck Decompression Therapy is a non-invasive way to treat neck pain, headaches, and other symptoms you may be experiencing as the result of poorly aligned cervical vertebrae. Best of all, the only thing you need to do is relax. Laying on your back, the computerized traction machine is placed around your head.
As cervical decompression therapy begins, your spine is gently stretched, changing the pressure on your spinal discs and creating negative pressure in the space between the vertebrae.
Any bulging, deteriorating or herniated discs retract, eliminating pressure on your nerves. Over time, this process allows the discs to heal and regain their proper shape and size. We regularly see the changes on post-x-ray evaluation.
Is Cervical Decompression Safe?
Cervical Decompression Therapy is designed to be safe and pain-free. Laying on your back, your head is placed in a cradle, attached to a computerized traction machine. A specific amount of force is applied to your stretch, eliminating the guesswork used by many manual traction machines.
Patients experience a safe, gentle stretch to their neck while the intervertebral discs are allowed to move back into place.
How Long Does It Take to Feel Better?
While most patients say they feel better after a single treatment, cervical decompression is designed to have a cumulative effect. Over time, cervical decompression trains the muscles in your neck to hold your vertebrae in place, preventing future problems and allowing the discs to heal.
However, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan. That is why we create individualized treatment plans that allow our patients to experience lasting relief and long-term health. Many patients combine cervical decompression with PEMF therapy and chiropractic adjustments guided by x-rays for even better results.
You're Not Out of Options - You're Just Getting Started
Don't let chronic neck pain keep running your life. Our doctors have helped thousands of Houston patients find relief using safe, non-invasive decompression therapy. Click on the button to the right to schedule your no-pressure consultation and take the first step to healing.
Additional Frequently Asked Questions About Cervical Decompression Therapy
The amount of pull on your neck is based on your comfort level and tolerance, so it should never be painful. We will get your feedback during the session to make sure you feel a strong enough (but not too strong) of a pull in your neck. The entire session should be comfortable.
Health insurance companies do not cover decompression therapy. We have several payment options and will help with a payment plan, if needed.
We won't know the answer to that for sure until after your initial examination and x-rays. The number of treatments will vary based on the severity of the problem and how long you've had it. The good news is it doesn't take many sessions to feel a difference. The average amount of sessions can vary from 12 - 25 sessions for an initial care plan.
Absolutely. We need to evaluate your neck to make sure decompression is safe for you. The machine also has 21 different protocols, so we need to know the right protocol for you.
Plan on being in the office approximately 30 minutes. This will include talking with your doctor, getting a chiropractic adjustment, your decompression therapy, and electrical stimulation.
After your initial evaluation, we will put together a treatment plan that typically includes chiropractic adjustments, cervical decompression therapy, electrical stimulation, and/or mechanical traction along with home care recommendations that include stretches and exercises.