Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression – Innovative Spine Care with Dr. Troy on 93.9 KPDQ #27

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Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression  –
Innovative Spine Care with Dr. Troy on 93.9 KPDQ #27

Megan Ts:

My pain was on and off. I would go a couple of weeks, it would be fine, or a couple of months, and then I would go months at a time where it was just excruciating, and I spent a lot of time sitting around and not being able to do anything. I wasn’t able to play with my kids as much as I would have liked – things like that. I spent a lot of time making more than a couple of emergency room trips and nothing seemed to help. It was pretty miserable for about a decade on and off.

Mike Lee:
Welcome to Innovative Spine Care with Dr. Troy on 93.9. KPDQ
Mike Lee here with Dr. Troy M. Dreiling, Doctor of Chiropractic who serves as the Vice President of the International Disc Education Association, here in the masterclass certificate on non-surgical spinal decompression, and he’s triple certified in it.

Disc Centers of America Vancouver office is located at 3021 Northeast 72nd Drive, Suite 15 in Vancouver, Washington. That’s just South of Fourth Plain Boulevard. Call 360-727-0455 or chat live with an expert from Vancouver Disc Center at their website, vancouverdisccenter.com.
And that’s spelled as Vancouverdisccenter.com.
Today we are hearing the testimonial of Megan Ts, a patient of Dr. Troy at Vancouver Disc Centers of America.

Megan Ts:

My pain was on and off. I would go a couple of weeks, it would be fine, or a couple of months, and then I would go months at a time where it was just excruciating, and I spent a lot of time sitting around and not being able to do anything. I wasn’t able to play with my kids as much as I would have liked – things like that. I spent a lot of time making more than a couple of emergency room trips and nothing seemed to help. It was pretty miserable for about a decade on and off.

I was told that I would probably need to go to therapy eventually, to get shots, and maybe need surgery someday. Pain medications are risky, obviously, as there is the danger of becoming addicted. They’re bad for other organs inside your body, especially if you have to be on them your whole life.

I came across people who had received shots repeatedly, and who said they hurt. They work for a little bit, but they hurt to get, and then you eventually go back for another one and you eventually go back for another one. But they hurt, and they don’t work forever. And then I’ve talked to several people who had even gone all the way through and ended up having to have surgery. Many of those people had to have multiple surgeries and their backs still hurt today.

So, when I first started, I was in a lot of pain. My first week was rough just because I was already in a bad place. I remember sitting outside of work one morning and I was just in tears because I didn’t know how I was going to get up to steps.

About a week and a half into treatment I can’t explain what happened, but I just felt immensely better. I felt so much better all the time. And it was just one thing – it was great. Usually, when I’m on the decompression table, I just rest. I take a little nap and they come and wake me up when I’m done. Oh, it’s a lot better!

Little things that I didn’t even know before that I wasn’t able to do were now possible. On my son’s fourth birthday, I realized that, as I was helping him open presents while sitting on the floor. It never even occurred to me before, but I had never helped him open presents at his birthday parties before because it was too hard for me to get up and down off the floor.

So that was an eye-opening moment for me – that I was able to do that so easily. I’ve been <laugh>, I’ve been just in general a happier person. I’ve been in a better mood. It’s changed almost every aspect of my life because I just feel so much better.

Mike Lee:

Dr. Troy, the young lady was sharing her story. And after hearing about her back pain struggles, she mentioned being able to do the little things again. That comment really caught my attention. Can you explain what other types of “little things” you hear reported from the people you treat at Disc Centers of America Vancouver Spinal Decompression Center?

Dr. Troy:

Hey, Mike, that’s a great question and I’m glad to be on the show today teaching people about spinal health. But you know, it’s interesting because a lot of times we’ll see people that come in, and they’ll be in so much pain. But after treatment then they start feeling better and functioning better, and they forget what limitations they may have had.

Those are some of the things we like to document too, but simple things like that. The lady mentioned that she was able to sit on the floor and play or unwrap presents, opening presents with her child. And then she realized after she was sitting there for a while that, “Wow, I can do this again!”

I hear this stuff all the time where people are like, “Hey, I can put my shoes on again” or “My socks”, or “I went out in the garden for two hours and I didn’t have to take a break after three minutes” or “I was able to cook my family dinner, I took a bath, and I was able to shave my legs.”

You would think that would be a little thing, but if somebody’s in pain and they’re not able to shave or walk their dog, or like a lot of golfers, you know, they’re like, I just can’t golf. Even things like walking to the mailbox or being able to walk around shopping without having to sit down every minute or two.

And here’s a big one – and this is bigger than a little thing. People say, “I’m just sleeping better”.  So, these are some of the things that we catch people improving on, but they didn’t realize it happened because, you know, healing tends to be a slow process. Sometimes we do see huge miracles, but usually, it’s a slower process because a lot of these disc problems that we see, tend to be more repetitive micro traumas that happen over time. It’s for that reason a lot of people come in saying, “This problem’s been developing for years”.

Mike Lee:

In Megan’s testimonial, she was sharing about how she was suffering from back pain on and off for more than a decade. She talked with many people in her tribe about how others have handled back pain. So, Dr. Troy, could you explain to our listeners this phenomenon?

Dr. Troy:

Yeah, I see this a lot with patients. A lot of people, for some reason, come to us as a last resort. They might initially go to their primary care physician, and that’s how it starts. They say, “My back hurts”. Or, you know, maybe “I’ve got pain in my leg, it hurts to move, bend, cough”.

So typically you’ll see a general practice doctor, who’ll prescribe some type of medication, whether it’s a muscle relaxant or painkiller, or anti-inflammatory. And then if that doesn’t work, they might go back and change the medication. Then a lot of the general practitioners, you know, they say, “We’ll try physical therapy”.

I’ve seen many times where people have disc issues, and they do physical therapy and it actually exacerbates them because they’re not reducing the pressure on the disc. And then, if that doesn’t work, they go back, and they might get shots, epidural injections, or they might do radiofrequency ablation where they burn the nerves.

And then obviously surgeries are a last resort if you stay in the standard medical community – surgery is in the wheelhouse. And this happens over, and over, and over again. That’s why I like to get on the radio and tell people, “Hey, there are alternatives to the traditional medical model!” And that’s why I’ve spent the last almost 30 years studying the spine and studying the disc.

We consider ourselves here at Disc Centers of America, to be disc specialists with a nonsurgical approach. And it’s quite interesting because the guy who developed our decompression equipment, that is, our ACU spine table, was actually a neurosurgeon. His average patient had had over four back surgeries. Finally, he was like, I don’t know what else to do with these people. We have got to figure something out. So, he developed IDD therapy; spinal decompression.

Mike Lee:

That’s fascinating, thank you. Dr. Troy, the patient was reporting that after about a week and a half of treatment, she started to feel better, and she also mentioned that she would take a nap on the table and rest. She also felt happier and in a better mood. And it really seems to me like the care you provide at Vancouver Disc Center truly helps disc issues significantly. Do you have any other thoughts on that?

Dr. Troy:

Yeah, it’s quite a miracle. 10 years ago, I personally had two disc tears and three herniations, and decompression therapy really got me back on track. So that’s what got me into this field.

But it’s, it’s kind of interesting because people think want to act like they’re a French Fry. You know, you drive up to the hamburger stand, and you order through the drive-through, and then you pull up to the drive-up, open the window and they give you your French Fries and it’s one and done.

But healing takes time. You know, I always say the road to healing is always under construction. But I’ve found that patients, usually within two weeks or so, give or take, start to feel some changes in a significant manner. And it’s amazing to see people who respond after a week or two and they go, “Man, I’m starting to notice the differences”.

And I must tell you, some people are skeptical, which is understandable, but the treatment that we provide is gentle. And just like what Megan was saying, you know, falling asleep on the table is commonplace. I see people taking a nap all the time because it’s quite relaxing. Decompression therapy is rehydrating the discs and it relaxes the muscles, so people can kind of let go and fall asleep. I hear patients snoring all the time on the table.

Mike Lee:

That’s funny! Dr. Troy, earlier you had mentioned IDD or Disc Hydration Therapy. What is that, and how can people come to Vancouver Disc Center to see if IDD can help them out?

Dr. Troy:

Yeah, good question. IDD therapy is a term used by North American Medical, which is the manufacturer of our AcuSpine table. And IDD stands for “Intervertebral Differential Dynamics”. So, basically, what you’re doing is you’re approaching the space in between the vertebra, which is the disc – and there are also two facet joints – and you are creating a type of pump mechanism, kind of like milking a cow. But in this case, you are milking fluid – you’re milking water, nutrients, and blood back into the disc and you’re pumping out the chemicals that cause pain, the inflammation. So in a nutshell, that is what IDD therapy is. North American Medical, if you have an IDD table, certifies you through extensive training, then they fly out a technician who sets up your table. They certify both you and train you and your staff on how to do IDD therapy.

I don’t know of any other docs in the Portland/Vancouver Metro area that are fully certified in IDD therapy. It’s quite impressive and there are over 5,000 of these tables across the country. Some of them are in orthopedic surgeons’ offices, while some of them are in different medical providers’ offices, located all over the world.

So, it’s pretty amazing technology. And if people want to come to see us, you know, I always tell them, call us (I know you’ll give them the number at the end of the show here), but they can always call or they can live to chat with us on our website VanouverDiscCenter.com.

Mike Lee:

Dr. Troy, I know recently you went on a vacation with your family to Maui and your oldest daughter had a scary moment in the ocean. Can you share with our listeners what happened?

Dr. Troy:

Yes, it was definitely a scary moment. We were having a good time out in the waves and my kids were boogie boarding, and I was in front of them. I was further out into the ocean and we were riding waves. Actually, I wasn’t on a boogie board, but my two oldest were.

My daughter decided to jump into the wave and it, with all her momentum and the momentum of the wave slammed her into the sand – so hard it broke the board. My son’s like, “Dad, dad, dad!”. So I ran over and she’s like, “I can’t get up. I hurt my back”.

So I had to lift her up and we got knocked over a couple of times by the waves and I’m kind of dragging her up the beach a little bit. There was a lifeguard there and he came over and they brought over their quad and they put her in it. She was starting to experience more pain and more pain, so it was kind of a scary moment because they were asking, “Do you want medical care?”

And I said, “No, not at this point because she’s, she has a history of back injury”. After about 20 minutes of sitting there, I ask her, “Can you get to the car?” And they’re like, “Nope”. So the ambulance came, put her in a board, put her in a stretch, with a neck collar, and, thank goodness, she could move her hands and feet.

But you know, we were worried about some sort of fracture or some sort of spinal cord injury. So, we went to the hospital which was about an hour away from the beach, so I got a nice long expensive Uber ride and ambulance. They did a CT and an MRI and everything came back normal. No fractures, no pathology. But she has a history of back issues and so she had actually an L-five disc herniation.

And it’s interesting because the neurosurgeon didn’t even comment to me on it. I actually found it on my own when I looked at the MRI because, you know, I’m certified in reading these things. She was in the hospital, and I said, once I found out everything wasn’t fractured, I said “She’s going home to rest”.

And it’s quite amazing because she bounced back the next day. I mean she was probably 80% better, but now we’ve got her doing IDD Therapy and she’s responding well and she’s 14. She’s kind of young, but I’m taking it really slow with her, and she hasn’t had any problems. She’s functioning better. She’s moving better. Her pain levels are down and it’s quite amazing. It’s only been a week since we started her on IDD therapy and she’s already improving. So, it’s kind of cool when you can be there and see what happens through the whole process – what the medics do, and then be able to treat the patient conservatively and help them get better.

Mike Lee:

Thank God you were there for your daughter Dr. Troy. That’s really scary.

Dr. Troy:

Yeah, it was. It was kind of a scary moment. But she’s better now and thank God for that.

Mike Lee:

Indeed. So, if anyone in our audience today wants to find out more about IDD disc hydration therapy, and if it’s right for them, how do they get into your clinic, Dr. Troy?

Dr. Troy:

Great question, Mike. They can simply call our office to schedule a consultation. I always tell patients “If you’ve had imaging, whether it’s an x-ray of your spine, CT of your spine, MRI of your spine, get those images on a CD”. We can help people get them, too. But if you have them and you call and schedule a consultation, we can review them with you, and that way I can see.

I like to see what’s going on with the structure because I don’t want to guess because we can pinpoint very specifically if it’s a disc bulge or a disc herniation stenosis. We can pinpoint with our equipment, the specific disc to treat. So that way we’re not just guessing and messing around, and we can get the fastest and best results possible for people. So, if they have imaging call our office, schedule a consultation, or you know, they can even live chat with us on our website at VancouverDiscCenter.com.

Mike Lee:
Thanks, Dr. Troy! The next five callers at 360-727-0455 will get an opportunity to come into Vancouver Disc Center for just $29 and get a spinal decompression screening, including a review of your existing MRI or other spine imaging. A review of your current health state to determine if you are a qualified candidate for their cutting-edge technologies, offered us $29. If you call now and pay via check or with a credit card to reserve your spot.

Call 360-727-0455 to schedule if you are suffering from herniated discs, sciatica, low back pain, spinal stenosis, neck pain, numbness, or tingling in your hands. Or if you know someone who is call 360-727-0455 or you can even chat live with them on the website, VancouverDiscCenter.com.

That’s VancouverDiscCenter.com. Dr. Troy, thanks so much for improving our lives.

Dr. Troy:
Hey, you are welcome. I’m glad to be on the show today, Mike.

Mike Lee:
And thank you for joining us on Innovative Spine Care with Dr. Troy on 93.9 KPDQ

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Disc Centers of America. A call to us can change your life.