The Facts About VAX-D

By Dr. Steven Warfield

As I pointed out in my last blog Above the Curve, 50% of adults experience a back or neck injury during their lifetime.  The bad news is that depending upon the nature and severity of the injury, many times this has meant surgery followed by a long, slow, painful recovery.  The good news is that modern advances in medical technology have produced a non-surgical alternative to going under the knife for many people.  Some would call this a miracle.  We refer to it by its trade name: VAX-D.

More precisely called vertebral axial decompression therapy, VAX-D is a computer controlled machine that works by slowly lengthening and decompressing the spine creating a negative pressure within the discs.  This reversal of pressure creates an intradiscal vacuum that not only takes pressure off pinched nerves, but helps to reposition bulging discs and pull extruded disc material back into place.  Imagine you are holding an Oreo cookie. The cookie parts are the vertebra of the spine. The cream center is the disc. If you squeeze the cookie we get the cream pushing out. That is similar to a disc bulge. Now imagine if the cream were really sticky and couldn’t pull away from the cookie parts. If we gently pulled the cookie parts away from each other the cream  would get pulled back toward the center of the cookie. This is similar to what VAX-D does.

Developed by Dr. Allen E Dyer MD in 1989, VAX-D treats herniated and degenerated disks by lowering spinal pressure. This lowered pressure actually creates a partial vacuum that allows the disc to retract.  Many times even severe protrusions can be retracted to their proper position using this treatment.

The equipment itself consists of a split table upon which the patient lies face down. (Anyone who has ever had a massage will relate to this.)  The patient is placed in a pelvic harness and extending his or her hands forward both hands grasp two patient-operated handgrips.  To start the treatment, the table separates in two, stretching the patient’s lower back.  If the patient should start to feel any discomfort, releasing the handgrips stops the treatment immediately.  This way the patient is always in control of the procedure. 

How Effective is VAX-D?

VAX-D is classified as a Class II Medical device that has been approved by the FDA.  A study conducted in 1994 by the Division of Neurosurgery, Health Sciences Center, San Antonio Texas and another study conducted in 1996 by the University of Illinois in Chicago concluded that between 70-75% of patients with herniated discs, degenerated discs or facet syndrome experienced significant reduction in pain.  It is important to note that the patients who volunteered for these studies had unresolved chronic back pain despite previous treatment that included bed rest, pain medications, physical therapy, and/or previous back surgery.

What Makes VAX-D Different?

VAX-D is not traction.  While traction has been used for decades to treat herniated discs, it is uncomfortable.  Conventional traction uses two harnesses, one for the chest and another for the pelvis.  Using your body’s own weight to decompress the spine can cause the muscles to tighten in an effort to resist the stretch.  This can produce additional discomfort.  VAX-D on the other hand totally eliminates the chest harness and uses intermittent stretching that gradually increases force which means your body’s own muscles do not tense up and fight the treatment.  And unlike traction, only VAX-D can create a vacuum effect which relieves disc pressure without pain or risk of injury to the patient.

Typical VAX-D treatments last from anywhere from 20-45 minutes.  The recommended treatment regimen is 24 sessions followed by a maintenance program.  While there is no guarantee that VAX-D will work for you, it has proven effective more than 70% of the time when treating acute or chronic lower back pain, leg pain and numbness, sciatica, and even for those with back pain where other treatments including surgery have proven ineffective.

Is VAX-D Right for You?

Vax-D is used by Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Medical doctors. Contact Dr. Dave Edenfield or myself to determine if VAX-D is right for you.  Basically you have nothing to lose but your pain.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org 

or http://chiropractic-jacksonville-fl.com