In physics, decompression is defined as a release of pressure and is therefore, the opposite of compression. This is very logical when you consider it and it applies to back pain as well. Except that in the case of decompression in the back, the treatment used is older than modern day physics.
Chiropractic decompression of the back is also a little more complicated than just sticking a pin in and letting the air out. Aside from hurting a lot, it wouldn't do much good.
The body is a system, which works best when all its parts are functioning to the best of their ability, and as the back and especially the spine, is tied to virtually every physical function in one way or another. When the back is hurting or not working properly, pain signals and dysfunction are often passed on to the rest of the body. One of the things that causes the back to be painful along with reducing overall mobility, is what is called in the vernacular, a slipped disc.
The implication in that description is somewhat misleading, as the mental picture one immediately gets is that of one of the fluid-filled discs that sit between the vertebrae and cushion then has slipped out of place. For that to actually happen would involve a catastrophic displacement of the spinal column and kill or completely incapacitate the sufferer. Ironically, because of the impact of the spine, this might not hurt at all.
Whereas, a "slipped disc" usually does cause pain, although the level depends on everything from the severity of the problem to the pain tolerance of the sufferer. What actually occurs is that the disc becomes herniated--either due to being weakened through long-term abuse or a sudden injury--which means that the outer skin ruptures, causing the softer, fluid-filled inner segment to bulge outward. Sometimes this is visible through the skin, sometimes not, again depending on the severity.
This herniation can, in and of itself, insult the surrounding nerves, causing pain, or can send chemicals into the body that result in a pain response. Either way, one of the first reactions people have to such an event is to consume either over-the-counter or prescription painkillers. This is reasonable, as it does hurt and because one of the treatments involves back-surgery, which can often, lead to more pain and damage than it was trying to fix.
However, these analgesics will only mask the pain, doing nothing to heal the injury and possibly leading to a repeat of the behavior that caused the herniation in the first place. Mild "slipped discs" can of course, heal themselves over time, but they are also more prone to be re-injured or even just aggravated, leading to more pain in the future.
Chiropractic decompression will manipulate the body in such a fashion as to relieve the pressure and the pain without drugs. It is also possible to learn proper body mechanics to avoid re-injuring that body part in the future.
Author Resource:-
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