ArizonaBackInstitute

By Randall Pruitt, DC, DACNB, DAAPM, MUAC
Chiropractic Neurologist

If you suffer from chronic back or neck pain and have been told you may require surgery there is a treatment we offer here at the Arizona Back Institute called manipulation under anesthesia. This treatment has been one of our most effective tools for helping patients with chronic back or neck pain.

The treatment is performed in a surgery center with the patient under light sedation. This allows us to go in and gently restore range of motion and break up scar tissue and adhesion’s that have formed in and around spinal joints. The process is repeated over 3 days and then a comprehensive rehabilitation process is started to help restore function and ensure that as scar tissue is reformed it will do so in a way that is appropriate for full motion.

We have treated patients from all over the country with this process and have been able to help the majority of them The selection process is very specific and for properly screened patients the success rate is very high. In fact here are a few studies that have been published on the subject.

-Robert Mensor MD an orthopedic surgeon, compared the outcomes of MUA and laminectomy in patients with lumbar intervertebral disc lesions and found 83% of MUA patients had good to excellent results while only 51% of the surgical patients reported the same outcome.

- Siehl reported on 723 MUA patients, the largest clinical trial conducted on MUA procedures. They found that 71% had good results, 25% had fair results, and 4% ultimately required surgery.

As you can see the results for MUA patients are very good and the fact that it is a non-invasive process makes it a very good choice for chronic back pain and neck pain patients.

by Dr. Randall Pruitt, DC, DACNB, DAAPM, MUAC, CES-NASM

Spinal Decompression has grown in popularity over the past several years, many orthopedists, chiropractors and even spinal surgeons are beginning to take a good hard look for themselves at this technology. Spinal decompression offers doctors an opportunity to make lasting changes to the discs to provide patients with long term results and not just temporary relief, unlike the vast majority of traditional treatments for back and neck pain that focus on symptom relief only.

The concept of Spinal Decompression is one that most people with lower back or neck pain can relate to. Most of my patients have always said they feel like they just need to be stretched or pulled apart. Spinal Decompression is a non-surgical therapy which demonstrates very good long term results for conditions like herniated, bulging and degenerative discs.

There are many decompression systems available vying for market share. The most popular form of modern decompression and the one I personally use is the DRX9000 unit, manufactured by Axiom Worldwide. Many system manufacturers are tout that there system does the same thing, but in my 10 years of experience the DRX9000 is consistently superior. Many of the other devices in the market are nothing more then traction tables, a very different and inferior form of treatment.

I always instruct patients to first try other more conservative forms of treatment first and if those fail, Spinal Decompression can then be prescribed. Spinal decompression should definitely be a first alternative to those facing invasive procedures like laminectomy and fusion surgeries. Spinal surgery is a risky proposition and does not enjoy a very good reputation, based on usually poor curative results. Remember, surgery is always still an option if decompression does not relieve your pain…Spinal Decompression on the other hand is not if a spinal fusion is performed.

Spinal decompression is spreading in popularity and is truly a revolutionary approach to chronic unrelenting back and neck pain. The risks are low and the relief is lasting. Best of all, there is no painful recovery time, as there is after surgery. To learn more about Spinal Decompression you can go to our web site at www.ArizonaBackInstitute.com.

Randall Pruitt, DC,DACNB, DAAPM is a board certified chiropractic neurologist and an authority on spinal decompression for back pain. Click here to learn more about Spinal Decompression In Phoenix Arizona. You can also Order a copy of his Herniated Disc Guide.