Actual Case Studies From Our Office

Patient: Female Age: 74 Weight: 163 Height: 5' 1 ½"

Presenting Symptoms: Low back and right leg pain of 7 months duration

Complicating Factors: Age and 2 past lumbar disc surgeries

Past Medical Treatment: 2 lumbar disc surgeries (1983 and 1987), 3 epidural steroid injections

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, but non-beneficial

Lumbar MRI Finding: "At the L3-4 level, there is severe central spinal canal stenosis evident." "There is a broad-based posterior bulge of the intervertebral disk and there is prominence of the facet elements due to facet arthropathy."

Diagnosis: Lumbar Disc Displacement

Low Back Pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 5-6/10

Low Back Pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 0/10

Patient: Female Age: 54 Weight: 131 Height: 5' 1"

Presenting Symptoms: Low back and left leg pain; neck pain with right arm paresthesia; occipital headaches - 3 years duration

Complicating Factors: Fibromyalgia and L-4 Grade II Spondylolisthesis.

Past Medical Treatment: Epidural steroid injections and lumbar spine nerve ablations

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, but non-beneficial

X-ray Findings: C5-6 and C6-7 discopathies with anterior and posterior body spurring. L-4 Grade II Spondylolisthesis.

Diagnosis: Lumbar Disc Displacement and Cervical Disc Displacement

Neck Pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 6/10

Neck Pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 3/10

Low Back Pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 7/10

Low Back Pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 2/10

Patient: Male Age: 56 Weight: 310 Height: 5' 11"

Presenting Symptoms: Low back and left leg pain - 2 ½ years duration

Complicating Factors: Obesity

Past Medical Treatment: Physical therapy

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, but non-beneficial

Lumbar MRI Finding: "Degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 is complicated by minimal right-sided bulge." "Shallow left paracentral protrusion at L4-5 barely indents the ventral thecal sac."

Diagnosis: Lumbar Disc Displacement and Sciatica

Low Back Pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 7/10

Low Back Pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 1.5/10

Left Leg Pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 7/10

Left Leg Pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 0/10

Patient: Female Age: 47 Weight: 172 Height: 5' 5

Presenting Symptoms: Neck, arm and low back pain of 21 months duration after a lifting injury at work.

Past Medical Treatment: Cervical ESI

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, but of limited benefit.

MRI Findings: The cervical MRI revealed a C4-C5 central disc extrusion. The lumbar MRI revealed a 2 mm L3-4 disc bulge and a 5mm L4-5 disc protrusion.

Diagnoses: Lumbar Disc Displacement and Cervical Disc Displacement

Neck pain rating at the initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy 3.6/10

Neck pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy 2.4/10

Low back pain rating at the initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy 5.8/10

Low back pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy 3.5/10

Patient: Male Age: 39 Weight: 187 Height: 5' 10"

Presenting Symptoms: Intense low back pain after 45 MPH motor vehicle accident - 3 weeks duration

Past Medical Treatment: None

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, but non-beneficial

Diagnosis: Lumbar Disc Displacement

Lumbar pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 7.5/10

Lumbar pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 1.7/10 - 23 days later 0/10

Patient: Female Age: 42

Presenting Symptoms: Intense low back and neck pain of 3 months duration after sustaining an on-the-job injury.

Past Medical Treatment: None.

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, but of limited benefit.

Lumbar MRI Finding: MRI revealed an L4-L5 "Posterior disc bulge up to 2.5 mm right and left posterolateral without focal disc hernia."

Diagnoses: Lumbar Disc Displacement and Cervical Disc Displacement

Neck pain rating at the initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy 5.0/10

Neck pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy 1.6/10

Low back pain rating at the initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy 8.2/10

Low back pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy 2.8/10

Patient: Male Age: 53 Weight: 214 Height: 6' 2"

Presenting Symptoms: Acute low back pain and left leg pain/weakness requiring the use of a cane to walk.

Past Medical Treatment: ESI and pain medication

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: None

Lumbar MRI Finding: "L4-5: A central disc herniation is identified with leftward extrusion into the proximal lateral recess. This measures 2.0 cm in transverse dimension, 6.0 mm in AP dimension, and 1.4 cm in craniocaudal dimension. This likely causes compression of the traversing L5 nerve root. Mild spinal canal narrowing results."

Diagnoses: Lumbar Disc Displacement and Sciatica

Lumbar pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 9/10

Lumbar pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 0/10

Patient: Male Age: 42 Weight: 202 Height: 5' 8"

Presenting Symptoms: Neck pain with numbness and tingling into both upper extremities of

10 years duration.

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, but of limited benefit.

Diagnoses: Cervical Disc Displacement and Bilateral Brachial Paresthesia

Neck pain rating at the initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy 7.0/10

Neck pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy 0/10

Patient: Female Age: 24 Weight: 165 Height: 5' 8"

Presenting Symptoms: Intense low back pain "all day, every day" for 18 months duration.

Past Medical Treatment: Active and passive physical therapy.

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, but of little benefit.

Diagnosis: Lumbar Disc Displacement

Lumbar pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 8/10

Lumbar pain rating after 25 sessions of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 3/10

Pre Spinal Decompression Treatment MRI Finding: "Mild loss of height and moderate decreased signal compatible with disc [L5-S1] degeneration is seen. Additionally, a right paramedian protrusion is found, and abuts the right S1 nerve root."

Post Spinal Decompression Treatment MRI Finding: "The current study dated 08-08-06 is compared directly to the previous study dated 07-13-05. Careful evaluation of the right para central disc protrusion at L5 reveals the protrusion to be smaller with the signal intensity on T2 images being lower with evidence of septations within the residual protrusion probably representing some degree of healing." [Emphasis added]

Patient GE: Male Age: 43 Weight: 179 Height: 6' 1"

Presenting Symptoms: Low back pain of 20 years duration. Very sharp at times.

Complicating Factors: L-2 and L-3 old compression fracture (1997) with flexion deformity of L-1 on L-2.

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, many years ago.

Diagnosis: Lumbar Disc Displacement

Lumbar pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 5.8/10

Lumbar pain rating after 20 sessions of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 0/10

Pre Spinal Decompression Treatment MRI Finding: "Broad base posterior central contained disc protrusion at L4-5 lateralizing to the left displacing the transversing left L5 nerve posterolaterally…"

Post Spinal Decompression Treatment MRI Finding: "Mild posterior bulging of the disc at L4-5 with linear bright signal between the PLL and the annular fibers that is suspect represents resolution of the previously diagnosed posterior central disc protrusion that was displacing the transversing left L5 nerve posteriorly…" [Emphasis added]

Patient MH: Female Age: 43 Weight: 183 Height: 5' 4"

Presenting Symptoms: Low back and left leg pain of 5 months duration

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Yes, but non-beneficial.

Diagnoses: Lumbar Disc Displacement and Sciatica

Lumbar pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 7.8/10

Lumbar pain rating after 20 Spinal Decompression Therapy sessions: 1.7/10

Left leg pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 8.5/10

Left leg pain rating after 20 Spinal Decompression Therapy sessions: 0/10

Patient CL: Male Age: 29 Weight: 198 Height: 5' 11"

Presenting Symptoms: Chronic low back pain of 6 years duration with acute low back pain of six weeks duration. Pain would not allow the patient to sit for any time or walk for any distance.

Past Medical Treatment: Flexeril, Vioxx, and consults with primary care provider and orthopedic surgeon.

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: Multiple doctors of chiropractic without benefit.

Lumbar MRI Finding: "Left paramedian disc herniation is present at L4-5."

Diagnosis: Lumbar Disc Displacement

Lumbar pain rating at initiation of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 6.2/10

Lumbar pain rating at the termination of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 0.4/10

Patient JF: Female Age: 52 Weight: 145 Height: 5'5"

Presenting Symptoms: Episodic midline lower back pain with radiation of "deep ache" into her left buttocks and entire left lateral hip of 5 years duration. One day prior, she "reached for something and had the worst pain of her life."

Past Medical Treatment: Physical therapy in the past.

Recent Chiropractic Treatment: None

2001 Lumbar MRI Finding: L4-5 and L5-S1 disc herniations

Diagnosis: Lumbar Disc Displacement

Lumbar pain rating prior to Spinal Decompression Therapy: 9.9/10

Lumbar pain rating after 20 sessions of Spinal Decompression Therapy: 0.4/10

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