When you’re in pain, your first impulse may be to reach for that bottle of aspirin on your nightstand. Most people rely on pain medication to ease their discomfort and provide them with relief. In fact, according to the Food and Drug Administration, there are more than 300,000 over-the-counter drug products on the market. However, many pain medications don’t promote good health for your body in the long-run, but instead provide a temporary relief that can easily become habit.
It’s important to understand that there are two main categories of this type of pain medication: acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy may be the answer to those suffering from back pain. This low-risk therapy involves a light stretching of the spine. It is believed to re-position herniated or bulging disc material back into the disc. It is also believed to treat common causes of back or neck pain, such as “spinal stenosis, degenerated disc, facet syndrome, or sciatica/leg pain” (Davis, Shoshany, Marten, 2010). Stretching the spine takes pressure off of (decompresses) the spinal discs, causing the discs that are herniated or bulging to possibly retract. Once these discs retract, previous pressure on the nerves and other areas of the spine will decrease, enabling movement of water, oxygen, and nutrient-rich fluids into the discs. The presence of these nutrients aides in the healing process of the discs.