Expert: Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman - 1/8/2008

Question
Dr Leatherman,

I am in the middle of thirties and have neck problems for more than ten years but never sought chiropractor treament before. I heard of the DRX 9000c system is a new technique and decide to visit a chiropractor. From the X-ray the doctor said my cervical lost its curve and is straightened,some calcium piles on the edges of the vertebrae but no herniated discs. He suggested a one-year plan with chiropractics plus weighted head balance.
he won't recommend the DRX now and said if the one-year plan does not work well then I can try DRX.

I would like to know if the DRX works for me and also I appreciate if you can give some suggestions for my case.

Thank you!

Angela

Answer
Dear Angela,

The DRX 9000 is just a glorified traction machine which is good for herniated disks, but doesn't work better than any of the other "decompression machines" on the market...they are basically all the same.  Other names you might have heard of are Accuspina, Lordex, Chatanooga, and Spinal Aid. The concept behind these units is not new...traction has been around for years, and "Spinal decompression" has been as well, but it is just in the last 5-7 years that it has been advertised so heavily. As  amatter of fact many chiropractic state boards have set strict limitations on advertising the effectiveness of decompression for neck and back pain.

Now, anyone who tells you that they need to treat you for a year, and then see what happens must not be too confident in their skill level.  Not to mention it shouldn't take that long to regain the lost structure in the neck unless it is completely reversed with degeneration.

On average, traction protocls should be performed in 9-12 week periods for 36 visits...either 3 or 4 times a week.  At the end of that period a follow-up lateral x-ray of the neck should be taken and measured for progress.  It is only after that has been done that you should consider another course of traction.  

Realistically, if performed correctly, you should see appreciable resuls in that 36 week period.  I do this in my office with patients, and 90% of the time they only need one or two sessions to make a substantial change in the curve. This is called Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP).

Now if head balance weighting has been mentioned, this is a different protocol called Pettibon Technique.  It is similar to the CBP approach but with a slightly different application, and can be effective when done correctly.  The bottom line is that I would make sure that you check to see if your doctor has been certified proficient in these proceedures, or that he is actively working toward certification at this time.  The best way to do this is to go to the respective websites and see if your doctor's name and contact information are listed in their database of certified doctors.  

www.idealspine.com
www.pettibonsystem.com

Good Luck Angela.  Feel free to write back with any further inquiries.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net