Nov 13, 2005 9:21 am US/Central
Back Pain Relief From Outer Space
by John Reger
(WCCO)
Most of us suffer from back pain at some point in our lives. For those of us in deep pain, the newest relief may come from outer space -- and it doesn't require drugs or surgery.
After suffering from excruciating pain, Terence McCracken is reclining to relief in a space-age spinal decompression device he says gave him his life back.
"It surprised me, because I'm not a big believer in all this kind of stuff," McCracken said.
McCracken has herniated and bulging discs that left him incapacitated. Not wanting surgery, he turned to spinal decompression.
Spinal decompression's inception comes from space, when NASA discovered lack of gravity relieved back pain for astronauts.
The device, called the DRX9000, replicates that sensation. A belt is positioned at different angles, pulling and taking pressure off certain areas of the back.
"The vertebral bodies themselves are pulled apart," Dr. Harvey Kleinberg explained.
Kleinberg said using the DRX9000 is like targeted traction, which is an accepted form of treatment for some back pain.
The specific area of the backbone is gently pulled apart. That forces blood and fluid to regenerate the cushioning around the disc.
Kickboxing instructor Karen Pecci also found relief from her pain after 20 treatments with the spinal decompressor.
"At one point I completely had to stop working out, so it gave that back to me," Pecci said.
One independent study shows an 86 percent success rate after using the FDA-approved machine. Cost of use varies, depending on insurance.
(© MMV, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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