Spinal decompression is a nonsurgical treatment for lower back pain, neck pain, sciatica and bulging herniated discs. It helps the spine move properly, reducing pressure on discs in the vertebrae and relieving nerves.

It is a gentle therapy that bypasses the body's natural reaction to prevent injury when pressure is applied to the spine. It is a great alternative to traction, acupuncture and chiropractic care.

1. Inversion Table

The inversion table shifts gravity to take pressure off of the back. This helps separate discs and joint spaces to relieve pain from herniated or bulging discs, sciatic nerve pain, spondylosis, and more.

You lie fully clothed on the machine while a doctor operates the computer controls. The treatment is safe and comfortable, unlike traditional traction therapies. The inversion table also has a patient safety switch, making it easy to stop at any point you may feel uncomfortable.

A 2021 study showed that inversion therapy helped to reduce symptoms of herniated lumbar discs. However, it's not for everyone. It's not recommended if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma, spinal injuries, or pregnancy. It can also be dangerous if used incorrectly. You must be very careful while using this method and should never try it at home alone.

2. Spinal Decompression

If the herniated disc is pushing on nerves, spinal decompression creates a negative pressure within the spine. This allows herniated disc material to retract and reduce pain. It also increases oxygen and healing nutrients to the injured area. This reduces inflammation, which helps muscles and nerves stop hurting.

Your healthcare provider can perform spinal decompression in a surgical or non-surgical method. Non-surgical methods include traction, in which your healthcare provider uses a special table with pulleys and weights to stretch your spine; transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, which sends small electrical charges to help muscles relax; and physical therapy, which helps you build strength and movement and decrease pain.

In surgery, a surgeon can use techniques such as microdiscectomy, which removes part of a herniated disk; laminotomy, in which they remove part or all of the bone that forms the vertebral arch in your spine (lamina); and spinal fusion, in which two or more vertebrae are fused together. These procedures can help you get back to work faster.

3. Acupuncture

In acupuncture, hair-thin metallic needles are placed in various points of the body to eradicate blockages and stimulate the body’s natural healing processes. It is proven to relieve pain.

Acupuncture can help treat herniated discs that cause numbness, pain or tingling in the legs and arms, sciatica and spinal stenosis - narrowing of spaces in your spine due to bone spurs, herniated discs or bony growths. It also reduces muscle spasms and improves circulation.

Like spinal decompression, acupuncture helps your body distribute oxygen and nutrients to the spine, decreasing inflammation and allowing bulging discs to retract, which allows healing. It is important to find a chiropractor who pre-qualifies patients for decompression therapy to ensure they will benefit from the treatment. Then they will take a thorough history, physical exam and review all data including MRI’s to determine if you are a candidate for the procedure.

4. Chiropractic Care

Using a traction table or a similar device, the chiropractor uses gentle force to shift gravity and create space between the spinal vertebrae. This allows for fluid to fill the spinal discs that have been losing fluid due to injury. This therapy treats herniated or bulging discs, sciatica, spinal stenosis and facet syndrome.

The decompression therapy can also lower the pressure in herniated discs, resulting in less pain. It’s a safer alternative to surgery and is more effective than many surgical treatments. It’s also much more affordable.