For decades the "gold standard" of lower back pain treatment involved surgery, trusses and prolonged bed rest. Today there is a greater understanding of the condition, and various decompression approaches are available; both surgical and non-surgical. Picking the right treatment involves understanding the underlying cause of the patient's pain.

Spinal Surgery is not Always Effective -

Spinal surgery should always be the final alternative when treating back pain, but all too often surgeons neglect to offer other options to their patients. Surgery is only effective as a treatment in some cases, for some conditions, and carries additional risks.

On top of the normal risks associated with surgery (anesthesia, blood loss, scarring, errors and infection), spinal surgery also carries risks such as paralysis and incontinence. If the patient is unfortunate enough to encounter a cut-happy surgeon, these risks may not be fully enumerated.

Surgery can be effective for treating specific sources of low back pain. For a clearly defined, properly imaged source of pressure upon a nerve or nerve bundle, such as a badly herniated disk, surgery can help relieve pain down the leg, although it does little for lower back pain.

Another time when surgery is appropriate is when a vertebra slips forward or backward and the goal is stabilization. This is essential if the vertebral motion is causing the spinal cord to be compressed. In severe cases of spinal stenosis, where then spinal canal is becoming blocked, surgery may help open up the canal again, relieving pressure on the cord.

Other Options Exist For Combating Lower Back Pain -

There is nothing particularly new about using traction in the treatment of lower back pain. It has been done for many years in various formats. The innovation provided by today's new machinery is the way in which the traction is provided. The guesswork is to a large degree taken out of the equation by using a computerized traction producing table.

These tables are most commonly found either at a chiropractor's office or at a back pain clinic. The patients are strapped to the table, usually after a warm up of some sort (massage, TENS or heat) and the table is programmed to apply traction to a particular area of the back. The traction increases in intensity as the treatment progresses and the muscles stretch.

Prior to receiving treatment on such a device, the patient should be evaluated thoroughly. Imaging studies, movement evaluations and a full physical should be conducted, since there are some risks associated with non-surgical decompression.

Some of the claims made by practitioners are simple fabrications while others may have validity, but studies are still somewhat inconclusive. Certainly the use of non-surgical decompression provides relief for a section of lower back pain patients, but exactly what factors make a patient a good subject for the procedure aren't known as of yet.

Conclusions Regarding Non-surgical Decompression -

It is difficult to say whether or not non-surgical decompression tables will stand the test of time at this point. The treatments are expensive and rarely covered by insurance. Still, before undergoing surgery, it is wise to consider all options, and non-surgical decompression may provide relief of back pain without the need to "go under the knife."