St. Louis Park Chiropractor Best Practices
Research Commentary;
Decompression for Low Back Pain
A review of
Ramos, Gustavo. “Efficacy of Vertebral Axial Decompression on Chronic Low Back Pain: A Study of Dose Regimen .” Neurological Research , vol. 26, no. April , 2004.
Research Reviewed by Dr. Justin Thompson
Summarized Review of Conclusion
The VAX-D approach is a very useful medical procedure for patients with low back complaints of discogenic origin. Vertebral Axial Decompression (VAX-D) can reduce intradiscal pressure to the negative range. This can benefit patients with chronic low back pain. The study found that the higher dose regimen had better outcomes in terms of remission of their lower back pain.
Quotes from the Article:
“The VAX-D applies distraction tensions to the patients lumbar spine without eliciting
reflex paravertebral muscle contractions, this differentiates this procedure from conventional
traction”
“The VAX-D represents a medical procedure specifically designed to treat the disc. Both
mechanical and biochemical mechanisms may explain its mechanism of action. The disc
exhibits thixotrophic properties, it becomes more adhesive with compression and less adhesive
with reduced intradiscal pressure”
“Two significant observations can be made; VAX-D achieved a high success
rate, 76% remission, and success appear to exhibit a dose-response relationship (number of
sessions administered) indicative of a biochemical mechanism of action.”
Introduction to the Research
Research Methodology:
One hundred and forty-two patients that were consecutively treated with VAX-D therapy
were included in this study. There were two treatment groups in which they were randomly selected. There were ninety-one (64%) patients in the 10 Sessions Group and fifty-one
(36%) patients in the 20 Sessions Group. Patients were selected for VAX-D therapy if they had low back with or without sciatica, non-progressive neurological deficits, and no contraindications to VAX-D therapy. Some patients considered surgical candidates declined surgery and opted for VAX-D therapy. Patients with stable neurologic deficits underwent treatment with the VAX-D. All patients had imaging studies (MRI or CT scan) prior to VAX-D therapy to confirm the diagnosis of a discogenic disorder that was consistent with the clinical findings. One treatment group received 10 sessions of axial decompression and another group completed 20 sessions. The sessions were all standardized in terms of protocols. Pain remission was based off responses to pain scales and rating of ADLs influenced.
Research Findings:
Results from the two dosage groups clearly indicate that patients receiving more than ten treatments had a better response with 76% in the 20 the Sessions Group achieving remission whereas it was 43% in the 10 Sessions group. If one excludes the patients with stenosis the remission rate of the 10 Sessions Group is still significantly different than the 20 Sessions group (48% and 76% respectively). Partial response was similar in both groups, but the 10 Sessions Group had a failure rate of 33% while the 20 Sessions Group had a failure rate of only 4 %.
The difference in the frequency response, as show in Table 2, between the 10 Sessions
group and the 20 Sessions group was statistically significant at p< 0.0001.
Research References
As always with these reviews, these are my takeaways from the article and I encourage you to read the article in its entirety. The references used in this article by the authors of this article are listed here.
Our Message
Our Chiropractors located in St. Louis Park, near the corner of MN-100 S & Lake Rd./Westside Dr., know how to get you out of pain through better movement AND making sure you are getting the proper nutrients. We also teach our patients how to manage stress for optimal health. When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you, choose one who will not only help with your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle so you can stay out of pain.