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We have been getting a lot of questions lately about what is the difference between the Hill DT table and all the other cable pull type traction tables. So I put together some of my thoughts on paper for the ”Network” to consider. Let me know what your thoughts are, feedback is always valuable and appreciated.

Traction is NOT Decompression.

A little background on me which might explain my clinical perspective, I integrated non-surgical axial spinal decompression treatment into my practice in 2008. Since then, I have treated hundreds of patients with a comprehensive decompression protocol. Having been in practice for over 28 years, I can truly say the results have been amazing.

More and more people are seeking this treatment as an alternative to surgery and other invasive medical treatment. As I explain spinal decompression to patients, one of the most frequent questions I am asked, other than how much it will cost is, “What is the difference between traction and decompression?”

Currently, I believe there is a lot of confusion due to misinformation and a lack of understanding about what true spinal decompression is and how it benefits a patient. Many doctors and therapists make no distinction between the two treatments. Moreover, few in the medical community understand the significance of a comprehensive spinal decompression treatment protocol. Even many equipment sales and training personnel say that decompression therapy is traction. Based on the results I have seen over the years, this is far from the truth. Stating that decompression is traction is like saying a flip phone from 2002 is the same as a 4G Smart phone. Yes, both devices will make a phone call, but that is where the similarities end.

You could also make the argument that a CT scan is in fact an x-ray evaluation. Yes, the CT uses radiation, but it is much different than a plain view x-ray film that might be taken in a medical or chiropractic facility. So, what’s the difference? The difference is the technology of the equipment used.

Pulling a patient in opposite directions with a set of cables attached to their spine, as with traction, IS NOT the same as a patient directly captured to a table that is monitoring decompressive force in millisecond intervals. Straight line or axial traction has been around as a back treatment for a long time. Unfortunately, traction treatment has had a poor record of treating chronic low back pain or similar conditions. If one considers the study done by Anderson & Nachemson, intervertebral disc pressure actually was found to significantly increase under traction. This is an inconvenient truth for those who argue that decompression is traction and traction is decompression.
In 1994, Gustaro Ramos, MD, was able to establish that decompression treatment could significantly reduce intradiscal pressures. Decreased pressure in the intervertebral disc leads to, by its very nature, a “phasic physiological” change that can bring about positive outcomes in patient care.

As more research and case studies are published, the body of evidence shows that, coupled with a comprehensive approach, decompression IS different than traction. The primary difference between axial traction and spinal decompression is the progressive logarithmic computer application of force that overcomes the patient’s muscle contraction. In 1997, a study authored by C. Norman Shealy, MD, PhD, clearly demonstrated that better outcomes were noted when patients were treated with decompression vs. traction.

I have seen the difference firsthand when using a traction-based strap or cable pull system prior to using our current direct patient capture logarithmic system. Patients’ number one complaint from the traction based system was muscle spasm, guarding or painful splinting of trunk musculature post treatment. No doctor or therapist wants to see a patient become more acute after his or her treatment. Once we began using the Hill DT system, our patients rarely, if ever, complained of an increase in spasms or pain after their treatment. In fact, many of our patients fall asleep during their 20-30 minute treatment!

More research should be done to determine the full scope of what is occurring during decompression treatment. There is a lot of good research already speaking to the immediate and long-term positive benefits of this therapeutic approach. However, most of us that treat patients each day with long term, chronic or acute neck and low back pain would agree that patient results speak for themselves.

Hopefully this will help those of you in the ”Network” who are being confronted by the argument that decompression is another way of saying ”traction”.

Dr. Tim

Dear Doctors of the Hill DT Network,

I am not sure how well known this is but North Carolina BCBS has just recently made changes to their coverage for spinal fusion surgeries. The short story is after reviewing the last 10 years, there has been a near zero success rate in outcomes for people with degenerative disc disease or disc related conditions. Hence, they will no longer consider spinal fusion a reimbursable procedure for these conditions. They will continue to reimburse for fusion surgery for other diagnoses like cancer or fracture. Interesting that the insurers are maybe starting to realize that surgery is not the answer for these kind of issues. I have not read the entire report, but at first blush it looks like an opportunity for us to continue to share the message on the efficacy of non-surgical spinal decompression. Also, if you were following the news, all the injections that people are getting for back pain isn’t without serious risks as well. We are the best hope people have at getting real results, keep up the good work!

Dr. Tim

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We have a lot to be thankful for, especially considering that we are seeing so many patient’s get their life back through non-surgical axial spinal decompression. Keep up the great work my colleagues!

Dr. Tim

We would like to update all of you on an audit type case study we are currently conducting in our office of all decompression patients that have started treatment since January of 2011 through June of 2012. The study will be on around 200 patients. Preliminary results are very exciting and we will be presenting the full scope of what we find as soon as all the data is collected. We hope that some of this information will help the network better communicate what patients should expect going through their treatment plan using the Hill DT table. More to Come!

Dr. Tim

Just back from Singapore and Dubai and I am pleased to say that the trainings seemed to run very smoothly. All the Hill DT users are off to a great start and we look forward to hearing their success stories! A hearty welcome to all of our new doctors joining the network. We are growing both exponentially and internationally. I believe a total of 26 people went through the training programs, very exciting!

I would like to add a tip on the cervical capture that I discovered while in Dubai on one of our newest tables. The head piece has a removable pad that cushions the head on the cervical capture head piece. If the head is pulling out of the cervical capture pause the table and lift the patient’s head and remove this pad and lay in it’s place the thin black pad that comes with the table. The thin black foam strips are great back-up pads if your patient’s head is sitting too high in the capture piece. This seemed to solve the problem that I have observed with a few other set-ups that I have noticed during some of the training sessions.

Overall the new capture has been very well received and the patients really seem to prefer it.

Dr. Tim

Dr. Mark Kestner and his staff just completed their training this past Friday. They are located in the wonderful community outside Nashville, Tennessee known as Murfreesboro. We wish Dr. Kestner all the best as he begins the process of integrating results based decompression into his already successful practice.

Dr. Tim

Just completed a great training program with Dr. Hayes and Dr. De Kraker yesterday. The doctors and their staff were very excited to launch their integrative results based decompression practice. We are looking forward to hearing about their success with the Hill DT table in the Greenville, Michigan area. Keep us posted!

Dr. Tim

We had another great training with Dr. Heit and his staff this past Friday. They are very excited to bring the Hill DT Solutions results based decompression system to their community. We wish them all the best as they launch this addition to their practice. Dr. Chapp and I are very confident that they will enjoy much success.

Dr. Tim

Just wanted to wish everyone a very festive Holiday Season and a successful new year.

To all our friends checking in from Germany: Ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und alles Gute zum neuen Jahr 2012!

Dr. Tim