We’ve seen the same scenario at River City Chiropractic for three decades. A patient walks in with chronic low back pain that radiates into one or both legs. They’ve had imaging, usually an MRI, that shows a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, or some combination. They’ve been through anti-inflammatories. Maybe a round or two of epidural steroid injections. Their primary care doctor has mentioned the word surgery. And they’re sitting in our consultation room because somebody told them there’s another option before going under the knife.
That other option, for the right patient, is non-surgical spinal decompression.
This page walks you through what spinal decompression actually does, who responds to it (and who does not), and how we determine whether you are a candidate. Before any treatment starts, we measure. We test. We do not guess.
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Includes Consultation, Examination & Report of findings
How Our Care Plan Works
Certainty
We don’t recommend decompression to anyone we haven’t measured first. Every candidate gets imaging. That means same-day digital X-ray on our on-site unit, plus an MRI through our 48-hour Sacramento imaging network when the case warrants it. We require 0-gap imaging so disc problems don’t get missed between standard image slices. We test. We do not guess.
Clarity
Knowing your body inside and out is the first step in your pathway to relief and experiencing the life you were designed to live. Understanding your doctors tests and recommendations are paramount to reaching your personal health goals. At River City Chiropractic, we take the time to guide you each step of the way!
Confidence
We’ve been running decompression protocols in Citrus Heights for over 30 years. RCC has been voted Best Chiropractor in Citrus Heights for 19 consecutive years. Our DRX9000 platform is the top-of-the-line decompression equipment on the market, paired with Class 4 cool laser, neuromuscular rehabilitation, and a structured home-care program. When the case is appropriate and the patient completes the protocol, the result holds.
What is Spinal Decompression Therapy?
Spinal decompression therapy reduces spinal pressure by moving the discs back into place and realigning the joints. This can be done through traction, a method that uses stretching and pulling to relieve stress on the spine. A traction table slowly pulls the patient, stretching their spine and relieving pressure on the discs. This can alleviate pain and, more importantly, allow the discs to rehydrate and heal. In the case of a bulging or herniated disc, the soft center, no longer feeling the pressure, can reabsorb into the disc, and the outer layer has the chance to heal.
A decompression session on the DRX9000 runs approximately 28 minutes and is not painful. Most patients describe it as a deep, sustained stretch in the low back that builds, holds, and releases. Many fall asleep on the table.
Conditions we treat with decompression at RCC
- Single herniated disc (lumbar)
- Multiple herniated discs
- Extruded herniations (many clinics refer this out; we take appropriate cases)
- Degenerative disc disease (lumbar and cervical)
- Sciatica with disc involvement
- Cervical disc herniation
- Cervical degenerative disc disease
- Radiculopathy
- Post-surgical persistent back pain (“Failed Back Syndrome”)
- Spondylolisthesis (case-by-case, typically Grade I)
Treated at RCC with chiropractic care, but NOT decompression
- Facet syndrome
- Spinal stenosis
These two diagnoses sometimes appear in decompression research, but in our clinical experience they respond better to regular chiropractic care than to time on the decompression table. If you have one of these conditions, our team can still help. The path is just different.
Common conditions and symptoms that are effectively treated by spinal decompression include:
- Sciatica
- Herniated disc
- Bulged disc
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Arthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Elbow pain
- TMJ
- Headaches
Who Responds to Decompression (And Who Doesn’t)
This is the question that matters more than the mechanism. The Gose 1998 outcome study, which followed 778 patients across 22 medical centers, gives us some helpful data on this important question. The success rates broken down by diagnosis:
| Diagnosis | Patients | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Single herniated disc | 382 | 73% |
| Multiple herniated discs (without extrusion) | 195 | 72% |
| Degenerative disc disease (without herniation) | 147 | 72% |
| Facet syndrome | 19 | 68% |
| Extruded herniated discs | 34 | 53% |
| Overall (778 patients) | 778 | 71% |
Source: Gose, Naguszewski & Naguszewski. Journal of Neurological Research, 1998. 778-patient outcome study across 22 medical centers. “Success” defined as pain reduced to 0 or 1 on a 0 to 5 scale.
A few things worth pointing out about those numbers
The success rate is high but not universal. Roughly 7 out of 10 patients had their pain drop to a 0 or 1 by the end of care. Three out of 10 didn’t get that result. Decompression is not a guaranteed outcome, which is part of why the diagnostic evaluation matters before any treatment starts.
Extruded herniations respond less well. When the disc material has actually broken through the outer ring and migrated into the spinal canal, the mechanical work decompression does inside the disc has less leverage on the problem. That is not a failure of the therapy. It is a structural distinction that imaging can identify before care even starts.
Patients with prior failed back surgery still responded. In the Gose study, 31 patients had previous lumbar disc surgery with MRI-confirmed scar tissue. Of that group, 65% still got pain reduced to a 0 or 1. Most of those patients had been told nothing further could be done. The research said something different, and the patients we have seen at RCC over the years confirm it.
A note on facet syndrome. The Gose data shows decompression has reasonable success with facet syndrome (68% in that small subgroup). In our practice, we treat facet syndrome with chiropractic care rather than time on the decompression table. Same is true of spinal stenosis. Both diagnoses respond to RCC’s broader chiropractic protocol. Decompression is one tool in the practice, not the right tool for every disc-adjacent diagnosis.
Who is the right person for decompression therapy at RCC, and who is not.
We are direct about both, because both matter.
You may be a candidate if you:
- Are 18 years or older
- Have pain at 4 or higher on a 10-point scale (the patients who get the most out of decompression are typically the ones in real, daily pain, not occasional discomfort)
- Have been told you might be a surgical candidate due to a lumbar or cervical disc issue
- Have imaging-confirmed disc herniation, bulge, degenerative disc disease, sciatica with disc involvement, or radiculopathy
- Have had a previous spinal surgery and the pain has returned (“Failed Back Syndrome”). Post-surgical patients are welcome at RCC. Many clinics will not take them. We have decades of experience with these cases.
You are not a candidate if you have:
- An active pregnancy
- An abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Severe osteoporosis (DEXA T-Score of -2.5 or lower)
- A recent spinal fracture (within the past 6 months)
- Fusion hardware in the area we’d be treating (case-by-case. Hardware in the low back may still allow cervical treatment, and the other way around.)
- Active cancer treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation can lower bone density. We require blood work clearance before proceeding.
- Thoracic spine pain as your primary complaint. Decompression at RCC is for lumbar (low back) and cervical (neck), not the thoracic region.
- Severe spondylolisthesis (greater than 50% slip)
- Ankylosing spondylitis or extensive bony fusion of the spine
The diagnostic evaluation identifies which category you fall into before any treatment starts. If decompression isn’t right for your specific condition, we will tell you that directly and recommend the path that does fit your case.
What Separates Our Decompression From a Chain Clinic
Spinal decompression is offered at a lot of clinics now. Some of those offerings are excellent. Some are not. Here is what is different about ours.
1. Diagnostic depth before we ever recommend treatment
Every decompression candidate at RCC gets imaging. Same-day digital X-ray on our on-site unit. An MRI through our 48-hour Sacramento imaging network if the case warrants it, at a negotiated cash-pay rate of $450 compared to the $2,400-plus that the same study typically runs through commercial insurance. We require 0-gap imaging so disc problems don’t get missed between standard image slices. The clinics that get poor outcomes from decompression are typically the ones that start every back-pain patient on the table without confirming the case is actually appropriate. We don’t operate that way.
2. Equipment quality
We run three Excite Medical DRX9000 units. They are the top-of-the-line decompression platform on the market, brought into the practice in 2020. One dedicated lumbar table plus one dual lumbar/cervical table with separate computers. That capacity lets us deliver the protocol the way the research shows it should be delivered, without rushing or competing for table time.
3. The supporting care around the decompression itself
A decompression course at RCC includes Class 4 cool laser therapy or ultrasound, manual therapy, Spine Force training and neuromuscular rehabilitation, an at-home Axiom distractor belt and wobble disc, nutritional support, and a structured exercise program. Decompression alone, without the surrounding work, is typically less effective than the same patient receiving the same decompression as part of an integrated protocol.
4. Three decades of conservative-care judgment
We have been doing this work in Citrus Heights for over 30 years. RCC has been voted Best Chiropractor in Citrus Heights for 19 consecutive years. The patients who come to us for decompression are typically the ones who have already been told surgery is the next step. In 30 years of practice, we can count on one hand the number of patients we have referred out for spinal surgery. Conservative care exhausts a lot of options before surgery has to be on the table. When decompression is the right tool, the research-supported protocol works the way the research says it does. When it isn’t, we say so.
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7508 Sunrise Blvd, Citrus Heights, CA 95610
Frequently Asked Questions
How is non-surgical spinal decompression different from regular traction or chiropractic adjustment?
Traditional traction applies a steady, continuous pull to the spine. The body’s protective reflexes fight against that force, which limits how much actual decompression happens inside the disc. Computer-controlled decompression applies the force in cycles, building, holding, releasing, and resting, in a rhythm the body’s reflexes don’t trigger against. The result is genuine intradiscal decompression measured at pressures below −100 mmHg, which is what allows nutrient-rich fluid to flow back into the disc. Chiropractic adjustment is a different tool. It addresses specific joint dysfunction rather than disc pressure. The two approaches are often used together, not as alternatives.
Is spinal decompression painful?
For most patients, no. The pull is firm but not painful. Most people describe it as a deep, sustained stretch in the low back. Many fall asleep on the table. If a session produces pain during or after, that is clinical information we want. It usually means the parameters need adjusting or the patient may not be the right candidate. We modify or stop the protocol immediately if pain is the response.
How many sessions does it take?
A typical course at RCC is 20 visits over 5 to 12 weeks, with 2 to 4 sessions per week depending on the severity of your condition. Each session on the DRX9000 table runs about 28 minutes. The course also includes up to 4 evaluation-and-management office visits (re-exam, exercise training, nutritional consultation, and progress review) folded into the same overall plan. We re-measure at the 2-week mark to confirm we are getting results with function, not just lowered pain, and we re-check again before treatment ends to document the total improvement.
Who is NOT a candidate for spinal decompression?
Several conditions are non-negotiable contraindications. Active pregnancy. Abdominal aortic aneurysm. Severe osteoporosis (DEXA T-Score of -2.5 or lower). Recent spinal fracture within the past 6 months. Fusion hardware in the area to be treated. Active cancer treatment without blood-work clearance. Severe arthritis with extensive bony fusion. Ankylosing spondylitis. Patients with extruded disc herniations and progressive neurological symptoms are typically referred for surgical consultation first. The diagnostic evaluation identifies which category each patient falls into before any treatment starts.
Is spinal decompression covered by insurance?
In California, commercial health insurance does not cover non-surgical spinal decompression. The carriers classify it as an “experimental form of treatment,” and that classification has held even as the supporting research has accumulated. The cost of a course is determined by the severity of your condition, since severity determines how many sessions and adjunctive services are appropriate. To make the protocol accessible regardless of insurance coverage, RCC offers in-house Healthcare Made Affordable payment plans. We walk you through the financial picture in writing at the diagnostic evaluation, before any treatment starts, so you can decide based on full information.
What if I’ve already had back surgery and the pain came back?
The Gose 1998 outcome study followed 31 patients who had previous lumbar disc surgery with MRI-confirmed scar tissue. Sixty-five percent of that group still had their pain reduced to a 0 or 1 with decompression therapy. The paper’s recommendation was direct: <em>”Post-surgical patients with persistent pain or ‘Failed Back Syndrome’ should not be considered candidates for further surgery until a reasonable trial of vertebral axial decompression has been tried.”</em> That recommendation has held up in subsequent literature. If you have had surgery and the pain has returned, you may still be a decompression candidate. The diagnostic evaluation tells you whether you are.
Will decompression fix my problem permanently?
For many patients, yes, provided the underlying biomechanics are also addressed and reasonable post-care maintenance is followed. Decompression rehydrates the disc and reduces nerve root pressure. Whether that result holds long-term depends on what caused the disc to be in that state in the first place. Patients who complete the protocol and then maintain a baseline of structural care (periodic chiropractic adjustments, posture work, appropriate exercise) typically don’t see the same disc recur. Patients who return to the same biomechanical patterns that produced the original injury are more likely to see a return of symptoms.
Can I keep working out, lifting, or playing sports during a course of care?
In general, low-impact activity is encouraged during a decompression course. Gentle walking, swimming, and the specific rehabilitative exercises prescribed as part of the protocol all support the healing process. High-load axial activity, things like heavy lifting, contact sports, and plyometric work, is usually restricted while a disc is in active healing. Reloading the disc during a decompression course can undo the structural change we are working toward. Specific activity guidance is calibrated to your case at the diagnostic evaluation and adjusted as the course progresses.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes Consultation, Examination & Report of findings
