Myth #1: 
Back Pain Goes Away Quickly. A patient would typically hurt their back, go see the doctor, get a prescription for some pain pills, and then never return. Physicians thought that if the patient never came back, then they must have been cured. But no one ever thought to ask the patient and follow-up on how they were doing. One study did just that, and found out that a whopping 75% of patients will still have back pain a year later.

Myth #2: 
Back Pain Is A Trivial Problem. I mean it’s just an aching back right? Take two pills and call me in the morning-right? It’s hard to get sympathy from your friends when you’re not bleeding or bedridden. But there is research that shows just how serious back pain affects your quality of life. One study showed that physical functioning (how we live and move) in patients with back pain is very bad. So if you think your life has been completely turned upside down by your back pain – there is a very good reason why you think this: IT HAS!

Myth #3:
Pills (NSAIDs and muscle relaxers) Are Safe and Effective For Your Back Pain. I wish it were this easy. NSAIDs is an abbreviation for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs can cause bleeding in your stomach and intestines and lead to ulcers. Kidney injury is another complication, which increases with the number of pills consumed. The other problem with NSAIDs is they have not been shown to be effective in good clinical trials.

Myth #4:
Bed Rest Is Good For You. I wish this were true: taking to bed for a week until the back pain heals up. Maybe it hurts to move, to sit, stand, and resting an injured area seems like the right thing to do to protect it. The jury is completely in on this question: inactivity will actually make back pain much, much worse. The mind has a powerful influence on the body. Bed rest is not considered a “placebo” treatment. Instead it’s called a nocebo-meaning that it’s not just ineffective, but it will actually make your pain much worse!

Myth #5:
The Pain Is The Problem. Pain is a signal that there is something wrong with your body. It tells you to “be careful” to “get attention.” It’s kind of like a fire alarm. It’s not the fire. Problems can be how you function, how your spine moves, and the actual structure(s) in your back that are injured. Sitting in a chair and getting handed a prescription for some pain pills after you tell your pain story is not a proper or thorough examination.

Let’s Summarize: Spinal Decompression has been cleared by “The Food and Drug Administration”. You know them as the “FDA”. The main conditions treated with non–surgical spinal decompression, which has documented success with are:

• Back pain
• Sciatica
• Herniated and/or bulging discs (single or multiple)
• Degenerative disc disease
• A relapse or failure following surgery
• Facet syndromes

Disc Centers of America, works with disc cases all over the world. Only DCOA doctors are certified to utilize TDC Therapy. DCOA doctors receive ongoing training, research and are acknowledged by the International Medical Advisory Board on Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and the International Disc Education Association.