IDD THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF BACK PAIN…

IDD Therapy is a non-invasive therapy to help promote improvement in disc health, rehabilitate soft tissues and realign spinal structures. It is a proven treatment for the relief of lower back pain. With a significant success rate, thousands of patients have experienced dramatic pain relief and healing. It is primarily associated with treatment of spinal disc issues such as a bulging or herniated disc and related symptoms including sciatica.

IDD Therapy was developed in North America and it’s basically a modern version of the traditional traction treatments (of which I’ve had many) but the traditional treatment used to cause pain and muscle spasm due to the abrupt pulling force of the machines and weights used.

The NHS explain that by gently decompressing the targeted segment and mobilising the joint, IDD Therapy takes pressure off the disc and improves function and mobility in the affected area. As part of a programme of care, IDD Therapy aims to relieve pain without drugs or invasive treatments with a goal to improve the quality of life for the patient.

In the NHS, IDD Therapy will be a cost-effective way to treat the causes of certain pain conditions. For GPs and Consultants, IDD Therapy gives a meaningful option to treat the causes of pain beyond pain management whilst freeing up time by taking chronic back pain management out of the GP surgery.  For physiotherapists, IDD Therapy provides a tool to enable them to do more for their patients, beyond the limitations of manual therapy and exercise alone.

IDD Therapy is not available on the NHS the UK, IDD Therapy is expanding rapidly in the private sector. As awareness and understanding of the benefits of treatment grows, along with new research to support the efficacy, IDD Therapy will offer the NHS an exciting option to do more for patients with unresolved back or neck pain.

The strength and comfortable delivery of the force applied by IDD Therapy helps to release tightness and increase flexibility in the soft tissues enabling the targeted vertebra to be drawn apart safely.

On the IDD Therapy website they go into detail about how negative pressure promotes the diffusion of water, oxygen, and nutrients into the vertebral disc area, thereby re-hydrating the degenerated disc. Repeated pressure differential promotes retraction of a herniated nucleus pulposus (the elastic core of the intervertebral disc).

The force is controlled by a computer and consists of a high force that is held for one minute followed by a low force held for 30 seconds. The change allows the soft tissue to relax and prevent guarding so that the treatment may continue.

An MRI is required before treatment to help identify the level in the spine that is most likely to be the origin of the pain.

After the problems I had with the traditional traction which left me with complete numbness to my left calf, it’s nice to read things have changed for the better, and hopefully it will soon be available on the NHS.

Source: NHS, IDD Therapy