Questions & Answers

VAX=D VERTEBRAL

AXIAL DECOMPRESSION

Q. What is VAX-D Therapy?

A.  Vertebral Axial Decompression, or VAX-D for short, offers a first choice

      non-invasive therapy for patients with disabling low back pain. Advances in medical

      technology has led to the development of the VAX-D Therapeutic Table.

      VAX-D Therapy applies clinically proven principles to relieve            pressure on vital

      structures of the lumbar spine that may be causing low back pain and peripheral pain

      associated with herniated lumbar discs, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, nerve

      compression and posterior facet syndrome. VAX-D Therapy is non-surgical and is an

      inherently safe procedure that is not just aimed at treating symptoms but is designed

      to alleviate the underlying problems that cause low back pain.    

Q.    How does VAX-D Therapy work to relieve pain and disability?

A.     VAX-D utilizes a patented hand grip method of restraining the upper body while the pelvic harness is secured on the patient and attached to the moveable tensionometer housing. The divided table provides for progressive distraction of the spine under controlled parameters determined by the computer logic controlled system. Decompression is achieved in the patient from the tenth thoracic vertebra through the lumber spine to the sacrum. Changes in intervertebral discs and facet joints of the lumbar spine exert pressures on vital structures resulting in pain, muscle spasms and inflammation.  The VAX-D Decompression Table relieves pressure and the factors causing pain through precisely controlled adjustments along the natural anatomical lines of the spinal column. It does so without applying undesirable twisting or rotational movements to the lumbar spine.

Q.    Is there any evidence that proves there is decompression of the intradiscal space during VAX-D Therapy?

A.     Yes! VAX-D Therapy has been proven to be equivalent to surgery in decompressing the lumbar spine in both clinical and major hospital studies and is not experimental. Radiological research studies were carried out in which fluoroscopic videos of patients with a myelogram were recorded while patients were undergoing VAX-D Therapy. Distraction of intervertebral lumbar spaces was observed on VAX-D Therapy, and the filling defect of a myelogram from a herniated disc was decreased. Films were obtained showing a myelogram displacement from a herniated disc at L4-5, change from a convex image of disc bulge to a concave image, created by decompressing the intradiscal space during VAX-D Therapy.

Q.     Where is decompression of the spine the greatest?

A.     The greatest amount of intervertebral distraction and subsequent spinal decompression is achieved at the L4-5 disc space and decreases gradually toward the upper and lower levels of the spinal column. Intradiscal pressure measurements on patients undergoing VAX-D. Therapy has shown that the extent of decompression measured in this area to be in the negative 150 mm Hg. Range. The relationship between the amount of tension applied and the changes in the intradiscal pressure, follows a polynomial equation with the threshold level being where the intradiscal pressure changes from a positive pressure to a negative pressure. This relationship and the precise control provided by the VAX-D Therapeutic Table enables the VAX-D Technician to focus the maximum spinal decompression to the level of the anatomical defect.

Q.     What conditions will VAX-D help?

A.     A recent study of over nine hundred patients showed VAX-D Therapy to be successful in 75% of these cases. The majority of patients with herniated discs at one or more levels, with or without sciatic involvement, achieve remission of disabling symptoms sufficient to return to functional levels of activities with a course of VAX-D Therapy. Most patients with degenerated discs also experience relief of pain and disability with a course of therapy but may require a maintenance program to remain in remission. Posterior facet syndrome readily responds to VAX-D Therapy.

Q.     What is the cost of VAX-D Therapy?  Will my insurance company pay for it?

A.     VAX-D Therapy is covered by most insurance policies either in part or in full. The VAX-D Physicians’ Network has arranged for a finance plan to cover any portion of the treatment that is not covered by your insurance carrier.

The cost of the treatment program is approximately $3,500.00. If you compare the cost of VAX-D to surgery you will find that VAX-D is less than 10% of the cost.

This huge saving does not include other costs that accompany the surgery such as prolonged physical rehabilitation. These savings are appreciated by our patients as well as their insurance companies and HMO’s.

Q.     How many sessions will be needed for my condition?

A. Most patients with low back pain syndrome achieve relief while undergoing therapy and require an average of one session per day, five days a week, for four weeks. This              comes to a total of approximately twenty sessions to attain remission of debilitating symptoms. The actual number of sessions depends on the severity of the patient’s underlying condition. For example, patients with herniated discs generally respond within fifteen to twenty-five sessions while patients with degenerated discs often achieve significant relief with the same number of sessions but may need ongoing therapy at regular intervals to remain pain free. On the other hand, patients with posterior facet syndrome usually achieve complete remission with fewer than twenty sessions. The more severe the patient’s overall condition the greater the number of sessions that may be required.

Q.     Are follow-up VAX-D Therapy sessions necessary?

A.   Experience has shown the majority of patients that recover on VAX-D Therapy   

       Generally remain in remission. However, some individuals whose lifestyle or work

       Environment tends to expose them to higher risk factors or who suffer from severe

       Disc degeneration have found that a maintenance program, consisting of one or two

       Treatment sessions per month on the VAX-D Table, offers a measure of protection

       Against disabling exacerbation of their low back pain syndrome. Patients in this

       Category tend to develop their own rhythm of maintenance visits that keep them

       Relatively free of pain.

Q.     Can VAX-D Therapy be used with or after spinal surgery?

A.      VAX-D Therapy has been used in conjunction with percutaneous discectomy with

Very good results. It has also been used as a follow-up therapy for patients that

Continue to complain of post-surgical low back pain. The impression gained in these trials was that the dual approach seems to offer an advantage. This was especially true in those patients that have more than one level of herniation in which only the major segment was excised percutaneously.

Q.     VAX-D seems to work so well, why haven’t I heard more about it?

A.      The VAX-D Table is an FDA approved medical device and the therapy has worked

On thousands of patients including hockey superstar Mario Lemieux, televisions’ Baretta. Robert Blake and world champion pole-vaulter Earl Bell.

VAX-D is too new to have become a household name. In addition, many family doctors are unaware of VAX-D and its efficacy for the treatment of serious low back pain. This lack of awareness is changing.

More and more physicians and healthcare providers are learning about VAX-D and the phenomenal results it has achieved in the various clinical studies.

The awareness of VAX-D Therapy seems to increase everyday and we expect VAX-D to be the standard of care for serious low back pain in the not too distant future.

Q.     How is VAX-D different from traction?

A.      Traction operates on a similar principle to VAX-D but is not as effective.

    Traction, in some cases, helps to stretch the lumber spine and can reduce the pressure

    On the back from 75 mm Hg to around 40 mm Hg. In many cases, however, traction

    Triggers the body’s normal stretch reflex and causes muscle spasms to occur that can

    Actually worsen the pain.

    VAX-D’s patented Program Logic Control allows distraction pressure to be applied at   

    Computer precise timings that do not trigger the body’s normal stretch reflex,

    Therefore preventing muscle spasm from occurring. This allows VAX-D to achieve far

    Greater levels of distraction than previously thought possible. Because of these

    Patented principles VAX-D has been clinically proven to reduce intradiscal pressure

    Into the negative realms of –150 to –200 mm Hg. This reduction in pressure creates

    A vacuum-like state within the discs that helps the back to mend itself, naturally.