Disc Protrusions

VAX-D therapy is a primary treatment modality for low back pain associated with lumbar disc hernia, or "slipped disc," at single or multiple levels, degenerative disc disease, facet syndrome (facet arthropathy), and spinal arthritis. VAX-D has been shown to be an excellent treatment protocol that has been shown to be more effective than traditional physical therapy or chiropractic care in treating back pain. If you have lower back pain, you might have a herniated disc, or sciatica. If you have tried physical therapy or chiropractic and have not been satisfied, you might be able to change your back pain problems with chiropractic help or with VAX-D. VAX-D has helped thousands of North Americans with their back pain problem. Even post-surgical patients with persistent pain or "Failed Back Syndrome" might well hesitate before undergoing further surgery until trying vertebral axial decompression (VAX-D).

Low back mobility increased subsequent to VAX-D therapy, and correlated well with pain reduction. Both of these factors are important in areas such as Workers Compensation, and personal injury. Estimates of permanent partial impairment rely heavily on mobility aspects, as seen in the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 4th edition. Although allowance for pain is made in the percentage of impairment, the determination of impairment is made by determination of spine mobility using the range of motion model. By definition no patient can be assigned any impairment rating until maximum medical improvement (MMI) is reached. Patients can usually be brought to a higher level of MMI by this therapy because of the anticipated improvements in mobility.

Unlike traditional split-table traction units, VAX-D lowers intradiscal pressure and thus provides discs with nutrients on a cellular level that help herniated or bulging disc to heal and that have been shown to rehydrate desiccated or degenerated disc and thus address the pathology of degenerative disc disease.

During a VAX D treatment patients lie face down while wearing a harness around their hip-waist area. During a treatment, a baseline of 20-24 pounds of pulling pressure is maintained during "rest" periods. Fifty pounds of pulling pressure is considered the threshold to develop this negative intradiscal pressure, with slow, gradual increases to 60-80 pounds. Some clients require 90-100 pounds of pressure to attain full therapeutic effect. Commonly, VAX D treatments last 30-40 minutes, with a 30-minute "rest" period following treatment, where the client sits or lays down to prevent reactive spasms of the back muscles. Protocols recommend treatment 5 days per week followed by a short maintenance program of 2-4 weeks, where treatments are cut back to 2-3 days each week. There is usually no additional follow up treatment regime for at least four weeks to decrease the risk of increasing the intradiscal pressure. However, regular maintenance VAX D treatments may be necessary for those whose lifestyle or jobs expose them to higher risk factors of recurrent problems. VAX D is indicated for unresponsive low back pain and has been used for such things as bulging or herniated discs, degenerated or desiccated discs, facet syndrome, spinal arthritis and sciatica. It boasts the use of a gradual, logarithmic pull curve, which "fools" the muscles and allows for separation of the vertebrae, thus allowing the disc to slide back into place while decreasing the chances of reactive spasms.

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