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
