BOCA RATON, Fla., July 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A Boca Raton chiropractic center wishes to enlighten back pain sufferers about non-invasive disk treatments that could prevent the need for expensive, risky major surgery and painkilling drugs. According to Dr. Allan DellaBella of Shadowood Chiropractic Center, a variation of spinal decompression known as the Cox technique allows for a precise adjustment of the spinal column, relieving pressure on damaged intervertebral disks to facilitate healing and provide drug-free pain management. "While some disk problems may require surgery as a last resort, many others respond favorably to this technique," says the chiropractor.
Doctors typically prescribe surgery to correct car accident injuries, personal injuries and chronic degeneration, explains Dr. DellaBella. "When the disks between vertebrae slip out their normal position due to, say, a personal injury, they can press against spinal nerves. This impingement can cause intense chronic pain, stiffness and other symptoms, not only in the immediate area but throughout the body," he says.
Traditional surgical remedies for disk problems include fusion (in which two or more vertebrae are grafted together permanently) and the outright removal of the affected disk, with or without the insertion of an artificial replacement.
But Dr. DellaBella notes that spinal surgery has a serious potential downside. "Patients who undergo these major surgeries spend months in recovery and face an enormous medical bill. To add insult to injury, many find that their pain has not improved -- and it may even have worsened. The pain of recovery must then be managed with painkilling drugs, which can prove addictive," he says.
Spinal decompression provides an alternative to surgery for disk-related pain management and restoration of function. According to Dr. DellaBella, this method applies gentle traction to the spine, pulling the vertebrae away from each other just enough to create a vacuum effect. This negative pressure shifts displaced disks back into their proper position. "This procedure does not hurt -- quite the reverse, in fact. Patients generally find these disk treatments relaxing, especially once pain management is achieved," says Dr. DellaBella.
Shadowood Chiropractic Center uses a refined version of spinal decompression known as the Cox technique. "Traditional decompression gives chiropractors a series of set decompression levels they can apply. This limits the amount of control we have over the amount of traction applied," explains Dr. DellaBella. "It also allows us to adjust the traction incrementally for more precise results."
Dr. DellaBella urges people suffering from car accident injuries or other forms of disk damage to explore their options before committing to back surgery. "Back surgery, while sometimes necessary, is generally irreversible. If you can treat your personal injury or spinal degeneration non-invasively, then you should do so."
Shadowood Chiropractic Center provides a variety of chiropractic services and supportive therapies to patients of all ages, treating personal injury cases, sports injuries, car accident injuries and chronic musculoskeletal diseases.