IDD Spinal Decompression
Do you have an unresolved disc issue? Sciatica or nerve pain?
Are you going from pillar to post looking for help with unresolved back or neck pain? Suffering from a bulging or herniated disc where pain and dysfunction are your every day reality?
If so then the IDD Therapy spinal decompression programme is our specialist non-surgical treatment which is targeted to the problem area of your spine, to relieve pain and help you get your life back.
Our osteopaths, physiotherapists and sports rehab team can relieve most joint and tissue problems with hands on treatment and exercise, but where a back or neck issue needs something more, then IDD Therapy provides a safe, non-invasive alternative to injections and surgery.
What is IDD Therapy?
Intervertebral Differential Dynamics or IDD Therapy is the non-surgical spinal decompression which relieves pressure on targeted spinal discs and gently restores mobility in the affected area. During the treatment you lie on the machine – it is computer controlled and perfectly comfortable.
By decompressing (taking pressure off) an injured or bulging/herniated disc and gently stretching the soft tissues, we can relieve pressure on nerves, improve mobility in the spine and allow the body’s natural healing mechanisms to operate more efficiently.
For more information about IDD have a look at the manufacturer’s website www.iddtherapy.co.uk, or call.
“IDD Therapy spinal decompression gives us the means to relieve your pain and get you moving again, without resorting to pain medication or surgery.”
At the first appointment we will go through your medical history. If we’re happy that IDD treatment is appropriate we’ll put you on the machine for your first treatment.
Patient testimonial: “My walk to the shop this morning was a pleasure, my legs worked! The machine is very comfortable; very easy to fall asleep during the treatment.”
The main difference is that IDD Therapy decompresses and mobilises targeted spinal segments with sufficient force and for sufficient time to have a desired therapeutic effect. Traditional mechanical traction on the other hand provided only general stretch on the lower back and was not specific to the injured segment. IDD Therapy has some elements of traction in its DNA but it was developed specifically to address the failings of traction as part of a programme of care, whilst incorporating the objectives of manual therapy techniques.
Many patients fall asleep during IDD treatment!
IDD Therapy created the category of treatment whereby altering angles at which forces are applied to the spine would enable clinicians to decompress a specific spinal segment. This is the principal of spinal decompression. However, IDD Therapy goes even further because it includes a patented oscillation or mobilisation capability. We are interested in decompressing the disc and other spinal structures, however most importantly, we aim to gently mobilise tight muscles and stiff ligaments to improve mobility in the joints of the spine.
By improving mobility, we assist the body and allow the natural healing mechanisms to operate efficiently.
This gentle but dynamic component is unique to IDD Therapy and is in part why it’s the leading spinal decompression treatment.
Yes. The treatment is safe with many patients going to sleep during treatment. The treatment progresses gently with the added reassurance that if at any time a patient does feel uncomfortable, the patient can press a treatment stop button. In this instance, the treatment stops smoothly.
No. The treatment is intended to be comfortable. Whilst considerable pulling forces are used, they are delivered in a way that the body is comfortable. Many patients go to sleep because the treatment is relaxing. Patients can feel some mild muscle soreness at times during their programme. This is to be expected since muscles are being gently worked, rather like exercising for the first time. We use cold packs to reduce soreness and as the body gets used to treatment, so any soreness subsides.
You remain fully clothed throughout the IDD treatment. You can wear normal clothes, so long as they are comfortable.
Our preference is that you wear trousers of some description as skirts and dresses are not very practical on the machine.
We are registered with almost all the private insurance companies. The most important thing is that you need to check whether you need a GP referral before coming to us. Most insurance companies don’t require a GP referral, but some do. Once you’ve got the Ok from your insurance company we ask that you pay us after each appointment and then claim the money back from your insurance company yourself.
Of course you can! We are very happy for you to have somebody in the treatment room with you. We are quite used to families coming together or parents bringing kids with them.
This is an important question and one which the team will discuss with you. It really does depend on the duration and severity of your condition. People with mild back pain may experience symptomatic relief within a few sessions, but for long term problems, most patients will need a course of treatment.
A typical course will be up to 20 sessions over a 4 to 6 week period. For patients with serious spine issues who are facing surgery, the original protocol is based around an intensive course of 20 treatments and some patients may require additional treatments. There is of course no such thing as a cure all for back pain. If for any reason you are not responding to the treatment in the way we would like, then we will advise you accordingly and stop the treatment.
If you have an MRI, bring one with you. The MRI helps us to confirm the spinal level we wish to treat and also the nature of the disc problem. That will help us get a picture of the protocol which will give us the best chance for success.
If you don’t have an MRI, we can discuss this with you and arrange one where appropriate.
At our clinic, each IDD Therapy treatment lasts for up to one hour. Sessions begin with 10 minutes of heat therapy to warm the tissues and get blood flow into the injured area. You then have IDD Therapy which lasts for 25 minutes on the SPINA machine. Afterwards we give you 10 minutes cold therapy. This is just to calm the treated area before you go home. You remain comfortable throughout.
No, you don’t need a referral unless you have private healthcare and your provider requires you to have a referral.
So you can call us any time, or book online, without having to wait for a GP appointment. Although referral by a GP is not necessary, you are encouraged to keep your GP fully informed so that medical records are up-to-date.
If you have private medical insurance you need to check your cover as some companies specify that you have to have a GP referral.
This is an important question and one which the team will discuss with you. It really does depend on the duration and severity of your condition. People with mild back pain may experience symptomatic relief within a few sessions, but for long term problems, most patients will need a course of treatment.
A typical course will be up to 20 sessions over a 4 to 6 week period. For patients with serious spine issues who are facing surgery, the original protocol is based around an intensive course of 20 treatments and some patients may require additional treatments. There is of course no such thing as a cure all for back pain. If for any reason you are not responding to the treatment in the way we would like, then we will advise you accordingly and stop the treatment.
Each session lasts for one hour and is billed as a one hour treatment. The price is from £75 depending on a programme of care.
When IDD Therapy was developed, part of the design was to resolve problems associated with traditional traction (a mechanical treatment). With IDD Therapy you step on to the bed in an upright position without having to twist (and put pressure on the disc). However, the main purpose of the bed tilt is for when patients finish treatment. After the controlled treatment you are brought upright slowly and gently so that you return to weight-bearing progressively, without any twisting movements.
We will guide you on which exercises are suitable. Initially we don’t want you to exercise because the body is getting used to the treatment.
When we give you exercises they will be a selection specifically for YOU.
We don’t just send you on your way with a sheet of standard exercises!
Spinal injections are given to help ease inflammation or anaesthetise the area and block pain. They are intended to create a window of pain relief for rehabilitation.
An injection is not intended to address the problems of compression of discs or stiffness in the spine. Spinal injections in isolation are not a long term solution for most patients.
Some patients who have had spinal surgery can opt for IDD Therapy.
The two criteria are that the surgery was carried out six months ago and that there are no implants in the spine.
Talk to the team to discuss your spinal history and find out whether IDD will help you.
When patients have back pain or neck pain for some time, spinal segments become stiff and immobile. The discs in the spine rely on movement for their hydration and nutrition. To undo the compression and immobility of spinal segments, IDD Therapy uses computer-controlled pulling forces to gently draw apart the vertebrae to relieve pressure on the disc and promote fluid exchange, whilst gently stretching the soft tissues as part of a mobilisation to improve function.
To do this we have to use comparatively higher forces than can be achieved with manual therapy. And we need to progressively increase the pulling forces to achieve the goals.
So rather like exercising requires more than one session for the body to adapt and become fitter/stronger, addressing the causes of back pain means the body has to gently adapt to treatment. This simply cannot be achieved overnight or in just a couple of sessions, hence the requirement to have a course of treatment.
We would all like a simple solution but the reality is, chronic back pain takes time.
