How Much Does Spinal Decompression Cost?

If you’ve heard of spinal decompression, you may be hopeful that this nonsurgical option will help your pain and discomfort. Learn about what it is and how much it costs in order to make your decision.

What Is Spinal Decompression?

There’s nonsurgical and surgical spinal decompression. In simple terms, nonsurgical spinal decompression stretches the spine, according to Spine-Health.com. Surgical spinal decompression is more complex, involved and often termed as a laminectomy or microdiscectomy, says the site. Nonsurgical spinal decompression is designed to treat and relieve lower back and neck pain.

What Is the Spinal Decompression Device?

To stretch the spine, a health professional uses a device that’s designed like a table. You’ll lie on a motorized decompression table for the therapy. The table has a movable lower half that moves back and forth to give your back traction and relaxation. Depending on various factors of your spinal decompression therapy, you may be put into a different position on the table. You should not feel any pain during or after the therapy. However, you may feel a good stretch in your spine.

Cost of Spinal Decompression Therapy

Nonsurgical decompression therapy needs to be done multiple times, says Spine-Health.com. You may be prescribed about 15 to 30 decompression spine therapy treatments that each last up to 45 minutes. The treatments may span a month or more. Though sessions vary in cost, they typically range from $30 to $200 each, according to Spine-Health.com. Insurance companies tend to pay for surgical spinal decompression but rarely nonsurgical treatments.

Types of Spinal Decompression Machines

There are a couple of types of nonsurgical spinal decompression tables. Though different, they promise similar pain-free results:

• DRX9000 spinal decompression: You’ll lay on your back in a harness that prevents any stress on the shoulders or arms. The angle of the traction can be varied and targeted to control the amount of decompression, according to SeattleBackPain.com..
• VAX-D spinal decompression: You’ll lay face down with a harness for this device. You’ll also grasp your hands to keep them still, according to WebMD.

Does Spinal Decompression Work?

Though nonsurgical spinal decompression is supposed to help those with degenerative disc disease, bulging discs, spinal stenosis or herniated discs, it may or may not help. The decompression is supposed to ease pressure on the back’s nerves to decrease pain.

But there are risks to the procedure, says VeryWellHealth.com. There are reports with varied results. One patient reported that the therapy increases a herniated disc while many report there are no improvements after therapy, says the site. However there are patients who say that the decompression pulls bulging discs into place to relieve pain. At present, there’s still not enough research or evidence to say definitively if nonsurgical spinal decompression works or not, says VeryWellHealth.com.