Is there research to support the use of spinal decompression therapy?
Journal of Neurosurgery, 1994. Effects of Vertebral Axial Decompression on Intradiscal Pressure. The object of this study was to examine the effect of vertebral axial decompression on pressure in the nucleus pulposus of lumbar discs. Changes in intradiscal pressure were recorded at resting state and while controlled tension was applied. Intradiscal pressure demonstrated an inverse relationship to the tension applied. Tension in the upper range was observed to decompress the nucleus pulposus significantly, to below -100mm Hg. Canadian Journal of Medicine, January 1999. Effects of Vertebral Axial Decompression on Sensory Nerve Dysfunction in Patients with Low Back Pain and Radiculopathy. The data from this study implies that spinal decompression is capable of influencing sensory nerve dysfunction associated with a compressive radiculopathy. Motor dysfunction returns before sensory dysfunction in compressive radiculopathies so it is rather striking that they observed total remission in 64
