Went to a place today that does non invasive, non surgical spinal decompression. Wants $4,000 for 25-45 visits, with one additional visit every 8-10 weeks for life. Any ideas on this? Snake oil salesman or legit? I posted earlier regarding my L5 S1 8mm protrusion. I am 35 years old, female, and have been doing physical therapy for about 6 weeks. Surgery and epidurals are not options.
Thanks,
Jennifer

Can I ask what symptoms you're seeking treatment for?

The reason I ask is, if you have spinal problems causing pain in your legs, then I'm wondering if this doctor is suggesting a chemical sympathectomy?

There's pleanty of information available on the web about this treatment, but basically it involves injections into the spine at the level that corresponds with the problems that you're having.

The drugs they inject into the spine, block the pain impulses to the brain. The aim of this procedure is to leave the patient painfree.

I don't know if this is what your doctor has in mind for you, but it does sound like a viable suggestion

Hi Jen, you need to stop the physical therapy (it might actually be doing damage) and see a neurosurgeon asap. I am a 34 year old female. I've been in 3 accidents where the car was totaled. None were my fault. The most recent one being in 2001. I never broke one bone, they always said I just had whiplash. I've had back pain for years, especially since the 2001 accident. I've been to at least 6 physical therapists over the years, I even tried accupuncture and prolotherapy. Massage is my favorite, but it only helps to a point, you know that. This past summer I reached my limits pain wise and they did not want to give me stronger pain meds, I was really slouching bad and stumbling a little, so I went to an orthopedic surgeon who sent me to a neurosurgeon. They said I needed surgery soon, and that they'd do it the next month. They said I had a herniated disc at T7 aqnd T8 and if I had bad trouble walking or going to the bathroom, to come in right away. A month later I went in after spending the weekend stumbling like a drunk and not being able to go to the bathroom, and they informed me they were going to do surgery the next day. They said the herniated disc was putting pressure on my spinal cord and that it was doing permanent damage and that they were afraid i'd become paralyzed from my bra-line down. So the next day they broke my rib, moved my lung to the side, removed the herniated disc, and used part of my rib for a new disc, and inserted a rod and two screws. I am 3 months and almost 2 weeks out from my surgery and I am still in hell. ( I used to go to the chiro too, but I can't even imagine it now) It hurts to sit, walk, lay down, drive, do anythinhg 24-7. I'm better, but it's still so bad. I spent a week in intensive care on morphine. Flexoril barely touches me, I can drive on it. My primary doctor told me that now they're saying it's at least 10 years before the full scope of damage from a car accident is known. Don't do anything that might jeopardize your back!! It's so painful!!! I have trouble putting on socks and shoes! I hope this helps!

Can I ask what symptoms you're seeking treatment for?

The reason I ask is, if you have spinal problems causing pain in your legs, then I'm wondering if this doctor is suggesting a chemical sympathectomy?

There's pleanty of information available on the web about this treatment, but basically it involves injections into the spine at the level that corresponds with the problems that you're having.

The drugs they inject into the spine, block the pain impulses to the brain. The aim of this procedure is to leave the patient painfree.

I don't know if this is what your doctor has in mind for you, but it does sound like a viable suggestion[/QUOTE]

Well, basically, I started out with shooting pain from my hip down my leg. I first noticed it at home; went to take a step, and I thought I was going to hit the ground, It felt like my leg would not hold me up. Doing playground duty, I was walking and BAM, it happened again. I had to grab on to a fence, because I thought I was going to fall. I went to a dr that day, and she said she would normally order tests or whatever if this had been happening for a long time, not just twice in 5 days. But she said something about it bothered her, so she ordered x-rays and MIR. So I was feeling hip pain, like a needle shoved in the joint. The pain radiated up my back and down my leg. I was limping pretty bad until I started pt. After the first treatment (which was a killer massage with her elbow in my hip joint and my back) and some stretches, I sill had pain the next day, but I was walking! It wasn't shooting pain, but more of an ache. Lately, the pain has been an ever present burning, tingling, and at time numbness going down my leg (also get burning , numbness and tingling going all the way up my spine and on my right side from shoulder blade to spine, but that was from a car accident in 01. No relief from that yet!) PT has helped a lot, but I have had a couple of bad episodes- once was in pt, my back siezed up into a spasm while I did a stretch, and my neck did too, I didn't exercise for the rest of the week, and the next session was just massage, no stretches or anything. The next week, I slowly started stretches and exercises again, and it wasn't bad. But YESTERDAY on the way to check out this sipnal decompression, I wrenched my back getting into the car. Just a little twist I guess, but it sent shooting pain through my back. It really set the stage as I went into this place, with tears in my eyes, willing to do just about anything this side of surgery to make the pain stop. From my friend who is a pt, she thought it sounded like glorified traction, with a lot of other little fluffy things to make my back superficially feel better. (I liked the look of the superficial things though... they had a nice water table, like a bed, that shoots jets of warm water onto your back.) The big problems are these: a. will it work, and what happens if it doesn't? and b. it's $4000 for the course of treatment. baseline starts at 25 treatments, 2 or 3 times a week, and even 45 treatments if I need them, as many as they feel I need until I level out and see no improvement, which should mean at that time, I am feeling better than I ever was. It looked great when I was standing there in a great deal of pain, but after talking to my mom and a friend in back care, I am wondering if it is worth the steep price tag. and can another doctor do the same thing, covered under insurance (this isn't). It's pretty serious stuff, and I don't want to mess up my back more, but I don't want to chase after care that may be ripping me off or may not do all it advertizes. I am completely freaked out!
As far as the chemical sympathectomy, I'm not sure. I have only treated with motrin, and am NOT looking for anything involving needles, except maybe acupuncture to help with the pain. I don't want to just stop the pain though, I want to stop the cause of the pain.
Thanks for your thoughts.

Wanted to post an update- I tried the spinal decompression, and it felt SOOOOOOOO good... Really. I feel asleep on the table and started snoring..even had a warm sensation on my left leg, increased circulation YAY! but then, I got off, and BAM! shocks of pain through my back. I spent that evening and the following Saturday in bed, feeling like I had gone many MANY rounds in the ring. Better on Sunday, but still sore. Teaching today, but sitting down A LOT, and in a great deal of pain. They told me that 50 percent of people have my reaction and 50% do not- either way, totally normal, and a sign they are working in the right place... Is it worth $4000? Can't tell you. I won't be paying them that since I don't know the status of my job next year. Anyway. if anyone has any further thoughts on this working long term, etc, I'd be so grateful!

Jennifer,

I hate to sound like a naysayer. But, honestly, I would stop with this! First of all, for them to tell you it is basically 50/50 is just plain...well, you know what! Yes, traction of a sort can help but it can also make things worse. And $4000.00???!! I would try to find a spinal pain management doctor. You already have your xray films and MRI. It is possible you can take those to a spinal PM and then take it from there. A spinal PM can tell you what you really need to do and if surgery is warranted, they can always refer you to an NS or OSS. Or, you can do as the other poster suggested and see an NS or OSS right away. And I say all of this because it looks like you are really being taken for your money. What they are telling you sounds like pure snake oil to me so just be wary and truly, try to find a spine doc.

I think that the potential proble with this sort of approach is that if it does relieve the pain (and that doesn't seem to be happening), it may be covering up a problem that may eventually result in impaired mobility. When the spinal nerve can take no more, big problems. I know what I'm talking about, I went years with relatively minor neuropathic pain then suddenly pain increased, I started to have bowel control problems, and mobility worsened dramatically. At that stage I had a spinal decompression operation, which was successful only insofar as it restored bowel control, still left with the pain and impaired mobility.

I'm not saying your case will follow same pattern, but do think long term and take advice from the medics.

We've looked into this as well. I think there is some potential here. Ya know, some say that a well trained chiropractor can do the same thing. If you get any coverage on your insurance for chiropractic treatment...you might consider doing that instead.

Recently, somewhat unexpectedly...my husband has (knock on wood) has some improvement in his back pain. He has done the following:

1. Drinking one glass of white wine each night. They say a small amount of wine has medicinal properties.
2. Walking 20 minutes every morning early in the morning...outside (5 days a week). The movement might oxygenate the cells. A little sunshine is good for the soul.
3. He drinks a little coffee in the morning (always did that), but now drinks a a cup of coffee in the mid afternoon as well.
4. If he has even a little discomcort in the afternoon, he takes a Naproxen.
5. He takes a NeuroOptimizer tablet and B12 tablet before bed. You can get them at the health food store. They help with memory. The B12 helps with many things...might be good for the spine too.
5. He's going to bed about 30 minutes earlier than he use to. He wakes up more refreshed. This helps to ease tension.

Of course, if the pain continues to improve...we will be thrilled. (please keep a positive thought).
Otherwise, we might look into the same things you have mentioned.

DH tried acupuncture. It felt very good the day of the procedure. The therapist used something called "cupping."
Our thought was oxygenating the cells is helpful.
Walking can also do this...perhaps not as powerfully though.

A patch you buy as some drug stores called "salon pas" (sp???) is excellent for pain...I wouldn't overly rely on it though. It is OTC. I've CLEARLY noticed that when my dh does the above routine..he has no need for the patch. And he's been using the Naproxen less and less.

Please consider regular walking and take a look at the other things on the list. It seems counterintuitive...but over time...it has helped my dh. Our thought is that if surgery can be avoided, we would like to do that. If these good measures that seem to be promising (knock on wood), should falter, we will go get that second opinion. I suppose the decompression procedure would be next in line to try (and decompression can be done in conjunction with the things on the list, etc.)

Last would be surgery. Naturally, we are hoping that wont happen. It has been over a week (knock on wood) of pain reduction.

Well, I've been out over $130,000 and rolling (includes high risk health ins premium since 2003, co-pays, no-pays and not enough pays). I work to get well now. No fun

Uhhhh... don't include over the counters and things I've bought that were not tax deductible. Lots of dough-ray-me gone out the door for that stuff too.

But after 9 years I can say I'm actually doing much better in every way, except financially. Big hole in my bank account.

Some things did not help. Some things did. I had to try/buy to know.

Until I found knowledgable providers for my specific conditions, I was wasting money and time, mine and theirs. Just the way it was.

The one thing I can say, it will take time whatever you try. It's not instant gratification for my problems. It's been a rough and lonely road to recovery. It's ME and my BANK ACCOUNT. ouch