Spinal Decompression Program for Pompano Beach, FL

Disc injuries in Pompano Beach come from two directions: the sudden load of a lift on a boat or a crash on Atlantic Boulevard, and the slow wear of decades of I-95 commuting and yard work in the older neighborhoods east of Dixie Highway. Either way the result is the same: low back pain that runs into the buttock or leg, worse with sitting, and an MRI that shows a bulge or herniation. The usual next step offered is an injection or a surgical consult.

The Spinal Decompression Program on the Antalgic-Trac system is the option in between, five minutes north on Federal Highway. Pompano patients like that the equipment is in the building, the doctor reviews the MRI herself, and the number of sessions and the cost are given in writing before anything starts. How decompression differs from traction and adjustment, who is not a candidate, and how it compares to injections, below.

Why a disc needs decompression, not just adjustment. Adult discs have no blood supply; they take in fluid and nutrients when unloaded and squeeze them out under load. A herniated or degenerated disc is under constant load from posture, gravity and muscle guarding, so it cannot heal. Non-surgical decompression creates negative pressure inside the disc through controlled distraction, drawing in fluid, pulling protruded material back toward the center and taking pressure off the nerve root. That is a mechanical change an adjustment does not make.

The Antalgic-Trac is not a traction table. Basic traction pulls in a straight line and the muscles fight it. The Antalgic-Trac is a multi-positional, computer-controlled system: the angle of pull is set to target the specific disc level, tension is precise and reproducible, and it cycles between distraction and relaxation so the paraspinal muscles do not guard against it. The photograph on the program page is the actual unit in this office.

Class IV laser addresses the nerve and the tissue around it. Every decompression session is followed by LightForce Class IV laser over the affected level to reduce inflammation around the nerve root and in the surrounding muscle. Decompression changes the disc; laser calms the inflamed tissue that is producing the leg or arm pain. Treating one without the other is why single-modality approaches disappoint.

Five minutes. From most of Pompano Beach, go north on Federal Highway (US-1); the office is 3320 N. Federal Highway in Lighthouse Point, between Copans Road and Sample Road. From Palm Aire and the west side, take Copans Road east to Federal Highway and turn north. From the beach, cross at Atlantic Boulevard or NE 14th Street.

How many sessions of spinal decompression do you need?

It is a series over several weeks, usually two or three sessions a week at first and then tapered, with the total set after Dr. McNamara reviews your exam and MRI. Pompano Beach patients making the 5-minute drive are scheduled in blocks at the start or end of the day. The number and the cost are given in writing before you begin.

Does spinal decompression really work for a herniated disc?

For the right disc, yes. Herniations and bulges with leg or arm symptoms, degenerative disc disease and foraminal stenosis respond with less pain and better function over the program, because the disc is unloaded and the nerve root is relieved. Outcomes are best when the disc still has height and the patient is not a surgical emergency. The evaluation tells you which you are.

Who should not do spinal decompression?

Patients with fracture, severe osteoporosis, spinal instability or hardware at the level, tumors, pregnancy, or cauda equina symptoms such as loss of bladder or bowel control. These are screened for at the evaluation and referred appropriately. Everyone else with a disc-related diagnosis is generally a candidate.

What should I bring to the evaluation?

Your MRI report and images if you have them, any X-rays, a list of what you have tried (physical therapy, injections, medication), and a note of what makes the pain better and worse. The MRI is the most useful item; it is what determines the level, the angle and the number of sessions.

How many times a week should you do spinal decompression?

Two or three sessions a week during the early phase, then tapered as the disc and the nerve settle. The total is set at the evaluation from your MRI and exam and adjusted to how you respond. Sessions are scheduled in blocks for patients driving in, and the count and cost are given in writing before you begin.

How do I get to the office from Pompano Beach?

From Palm Aire, Copans Road east to Federal Highway then north takes about ten minutes; from the beach side, cross at Atlantic Boulevard and head north on Federal for five. Parking is free in front of the building.