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Spinal decompression uses a computer-controlled traction table to apply gentle, calibrated forces that create negative intradiscal pressure within the spine. That negative pressure allows herniated or bulging disc material to retract away from nearby nerves, increases the space within the disc, and promotes the flow of nutrients into damaged tissue. Unlike a chiropractic adjustment, it is a sustained, mechanical treatment delivered across multiple sessions and calibrated to your specific anatomy. At RxDecompress, every protocol is designed and reviewed by a licensed medical doctor, and each session is delivered under those physician-directed parameters.

The decompression table may look the same. The clinical model is not. At a chiropractic decompression clinic, a chiropractor designs and adjusts your treatment within the scope of chiropractic practice. At RxDecompress, a licensed medical physician evaluates your imaging, designs your protocol, and reviews your progress across the course of treatment. Clinical staff deliver each session under physician-directed parameters. That means medical interpretation of MRI, medical coordination of referrals when your case requires care beyond decompression, and the level of clinical oversight that comes with practicing under a physician’s license. Same technology. Different standard of care.

For most patients, no. The sensation during a session is a slow, controlled stretch — many patients describe it as relaxing. The machine alternates between traction and rest cycles to avoid muscle guarding, and the force is set by your physician based on your body weight, the segment being treated, and your clinical presentation. If at any point a session causes pain, the protocol is adjusted immediately. Clinical staff are with you throughout, monitoring how you respond, and your physician reviews each session before the next is delivered.

Decompression at RxDecompress is cash-pay only. This is a deliberate decision. Insurance reimbursement for non-surgical spinal decompression is unreliable and often forces the protocol to be limited to whatever the insurer will approve rather than what your physician judges appropriate. By staying cash-pay, we publish transparent pricing on the website, let your physician design the protocol your case actually needs, and avoid surprise bills. Many patients find the total cost lower than the deductible-plus-copay path through their insurance. HSA and FSA funds may apply — check with your plan administrator.

Most protocols run between 12 and 24 sessions over six to eight weeks, but the right number depends on your diagnosis, the severity of your condition, and how your body responds to the first several treatments. Your physician will recommend a protocol length at your initial evaluation based on your imaging and clinical presentation. After the first four to six sessions, your physician reviews your response — objective measures, symptom progression, functional changes — and adjusts the protocol if needed. We do not push the largest package. We recommend what the clinical picture supports.

No referral is required. You can schedule an evaluation directly. Bring whatever imaging you have — MRI, X-ray, or CT scan — and your physician will determine at the first visit whether decompression is appropriate for your case. If you don’t have recent imaging, your physician will tell you whether it’s needed before beginning a protocol. We also welcome referrals from primary care physicians, chiropractors, orthopedists, and other providers who want a physician-supervised decompression option for their patients.

Most patients with disc-related back or neck conditions are candidates, but not all. Decompression is most effective for herniated and bulging discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, facet joint syndrome, and certain types of spinal stenosis. Patients with severe spinal instability, fractures, advanced osteoporosis, certain metal implants in the spine, severe nerve damage, or specific tumors are not candidates. The only way to know is a physician evaluation. At your first visit, your physician will review your imaging, examine you, and tell you directly whether you’re a candidate and what a realistic outcome looks like — including, when appropriate, that decompression is not right for your case and what is.

We treat conditions where the underlying mechanism is mechanical compression of spinal discs or the nerves they affect. That includes herniated and bulging discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, facet joint syndrome, cervical (neck) disc conditions, and certain types of chronic back pain that have not responded to physical therapy or medication. We do not treat conditions outside that mechanical-compression scope, and your physician will tell you so at evaluation if your case falls outside what decompression can address. See our conditions page for the full list with clinical detail on each.

Surgery for disc-related conditions — discectomy, laminectomy, fusion — physically removes or alters tissue. It is a permanent, structural intervention with significant recovery time and inherent surgical risk. Decompression is non-invasive and non-surgical: it addresses the same mechanical compression by drawing herniated material away from nerves and increasing intradiscal space, without cutting or removing tissue. For many patients with disc-related conditions, decompression provides meaningful relief without the recovery, cost, or risk of surgery. For some patients, surgery is the right path — and your physician will tell you that directly. If your case requires surgical evaluation, we coordinate that referral.

Bring your most recent imaging — MRI, X-ray, or CT scan — on disc or available to share electronically. Bring a list of current medications, your relevant medical history, and notes on how your symptoms have evolved (when they started, what makes them better or worse, what treatments you’ve already tried). Plan for 60 to 90 minutes — the initial evaluation takes longer than subsequent sessions because it includes a full clinical assessment by your physician, a physical exam, review of your imaging, and design of your protocol if you’re a candidate. You’ll leave the first visit with a direct answer on whether decompression is right for your case and, if so, what protocol your physician recommends.