Decompression and Laser Therapy

A powerful combination to eliminate back pain

By Terrin Parker

According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, back pain is the most prevalent pain in the world, followed by a headache. About 400,000 people undergo spine surgery each year. Recent surveys show that 30-40% of them experience post-operative complications.

With back pain so prevalent, and surgical outcomes so bleak, people everywhere are looking for a cure for back pain that doesn’t involve a scalpel. Unfortunately, many fall prey to the addictions of narcotic pain relief. Others live in constant pain. They give up doing those things they love, and often become depressed.

Thankfully, there is some cutting-edge technology that doesn’t involve cutting, at all.

Dr. Ward Wagner of Dixie Chiropractic in St. George, Utah, uses a powerful conservative treatment combination that has proven to be tremendously effective in solving the back pain problem—and thereby preventing surgery: spinal decompression coupled with laser therapy.

Laser therapy with decompression provides a natural way to heal the body, unlike pain meds that mask the pain and ultimately perpetuate the problem. “There is not a drug made that actually heals a person,” says Dr. Wagner. “They are designed to cover up the pain. That poses a problem because it masks the underlying issue, and you can end up exacerbating the problem without even knowing it.” Dr. Wagner has a passion for healing the body using effective methods to accelerate the body’s own natural healing process.

What is laser therapy?

Though laser therapy has been around for several years, recent technological improvements in the laser itself, as well as advancements in its application, have produced breakthrough results. It works by a process called photobiomodulation—a complex term used to describe a fairly simple and very safe process. Light energy from the laser goes into the damaged tissue and affects change on a cellular level by increasing blood flow and metabolic activity (cell turnover) to rid the area of exudates (toxins) and speed up natural healing.

What is decompression therapy?

When spinal discs are injured, they protrude into the space where spinal nerves exit, causing compression of the nerves and inflammation of the surrounding area. The result is debilitating back pain that can radiate into the buttocks and even down the legs. Decompression therapy is a mechanical system which utilizes a gentle force to increase the space between spinal segments, thereby creating a vacuum effect which relocates the bulging disc to its proper position in the spine, taking pressure off the nerves and reducing inflammation.

Why combine the two?

Dr. Wagner discovered that decompression therapy for relocation of the disc, coupled with laser therapy for tissue healing, was phenomenally successful in relieving pain and restoring function long term. “This powerful treatment combination enables us to help discs in roughly half the time we used to with decompression alone, and to be able to heal more severe disc herniations than we could,” says Dr. Wagner.

This treatment combo produces positive results in about thirty days, although its effects are often felt immediately. “After one or two sessions I expect the symptoms to abate by 10-20 percent,” says Dr. Wagner. He had one client who had suffered a fractured tailbone resulting in five years of chronic pain, who found total relief in just a single session. Many others were able to avoid back surgery and finally, find relief from their chronic back pain after just a few weeks. “This is the single most game-changing therapy I’ve had in my office for a long, long time.”

Laser therapy can be used to treat issues other than back pain, and has had particularly positive results treating chronic inflammatory issues such as bursitis, tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis, to name a few. It is also used to speed up the healing of acute injuries such as ligament sprains, muscle strains, and even broken bones. One client came to Dixie Chiropractic after being hit by a vehicle at the hands of a texting teen and suffering five broken ribs. After just two weeks of laser treatments, she was pain-free.

If you are one of the many people who suffers from physical pain of some sort, laser therapy could be your solution. If you are hoping to avoid back surgery, or simply have pain that prevents you from participating in the activities you love most—whether it’s playing pickleball, lifting your grandkids, or simply unloading the dishwasher, contact Dixie Chiropractic today to set up a consultation: 435-673-1443.