Decompression therapy is a specific back treatment that using a gentle stretching process to successfully relieve spinal back pain in many cases. It is also called spinal decompression therapy. While the spine is being stretched the discs decompress and a vacuum forms inside them, allowing any herniated or bulging disc to retract.

It is helpful in treating chronic neck pain, lumbar back pain, degenerative disc disease and sciatica pain amongst others. Spinal treatment often includes surgery, but spinal decompression provides a viable option to try before undergoing actual surgery, which may or may not be helpful. Many people would rather try anything for low back pain relief, lumbar relief or neck pain relief, but very often there is no surgical option, or if there is, it quite often does not work to relieve pain.

People who have undergone surgery for disc disease or some other back problem that was less than successful often find that this kind of spine treatment helps them considerably. It is often used for sciatica treatment and sufferers have found that sciatica pain relief has been achieved.

During the treatment the patient lays fully clothed and wearing a pelvic harness, on a special table. They may lie on their back or face down depending on their problem and what their doctor decides. The table is computerized to control the movement, but the doctor controls the computer.

Each session lasts for around twenty minutes to half an hour and will need to be repeats several times. In some cases this will be done daily, while other times the treatment will be given once a week or two to three times a week. It all depends on the problem and what the doctor treating it thinks is best. Spinal decompression is considered to be a safe and gentle way of treating many back problems, but it is not suitable for all problems or people groups.