An estimated 80% of the population will suffer from low back pain (LBP) at some point of their lives. Low back pain is the number one factor limiting activity in patients less that 45 years old, the second most frequent reason for doctor's visits, and the third most common cause for surgical procedures. In addition to imposing upon patients' quality of life, LBP is of significant socioeconomic relevance because it may lead to a temporary loss of productivity, enormous medical and indirect costs, or even permanent disability.

In the clinical trial study cited below data from 30 patients with discogenic low back pain and found an average reduction in pain from 6.2 to 1.6 after non-surgical spinal decompression. Non-surgical spinal decompression was associated with a reduction in pain and an increase in disc height. The correlation of these variables suggests that pain reduction may be mediated, at least in part, through a restoration of disc height. A randomized controlled trial is needed, however,   to confirm these promising results.

Published: 08 July 2010 For the full article see: https://rdcu.be/cA6Bv

Apfel, C.C., Cakmakkaya, O.S., Martin, W. et al. Restoration of disk height through non-surgical spinal decompression is associated with decreased discogenic low back pain: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 11, 155 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-11-155