DRX
Why I chose the DRX-9000 over back surgery.
14 February 2008Deciding to do the DRX-9000 Treatment.
By the time I heard about the DRX-9000 (Axiom Worldwide), I had already spent two years in pain. One year of the pain getting slowly worse, and one year trying to find a solution to the back and sciatic pain I was desperately trying to live with.
I had been to my family doctor, who prescribed pain pills, then more pain pills, and then at the third visit when he suggested MORE pain pills, I decided to find a new GP. My new doctor quickly referred me to the local Bone and Joint clinic in Charlotte NC. I had to start back at the beginning, but at least this referral came with a set of X-rays; unfortunately they didn’t show the extent of the damage in my back. My Doctor did his best, including referring me to a neurologist who finally ordered an MRI of my back.
It turned out after seeing the MRI that I had ruptured my L4 and L5 discs, toward the bottom of my spine. This accounted for the pain I had been getting. During the year that I was with the Bone and Joint clinic, I tried pain medications, steroid injections (these were so painful I could barely walk the day after each shot), Novocain injections, and a long course of physical therapy. I stretched and gently exercised my back every day, twice a day, trying to repair the damage that had already been done to my discs. Unfortunately during that time, not one of the therapists suggested I rest my back, or that I ice my back daily, they allowed me to carry on my normal activities which involved lifting my then 2 and 1 year old children, multiple times a day. Basically I was continuing to damage my back as fast as I was trying to heal it.
Finally, after a conversation between my sister and Dr. Paul at Fontana Chiropractic, I heard about the DRX-9000 machine. Dr. Paul had explained how the decompression therapy could help my back heal itself and avoid the ever closer, inevitable surgery. I found a location about 30 miles from my house, it turned out at the time it was the only place in our area with this particular machine. I made an appointment and went over there with my MRI results. This was by no means a quick fix, or a guaranteed treatment, I had to pass several different criteria with the chiropractor before he would schedule me time on the machine. He explained that the DRX was very effective at treating certain problems with the back; however it was important to note that it couldn’t be effective to all back pain sufferers.
My treatment consisted of 22 visits all together, 5 the first week, 5 the second, then 3 for two weeks, then 2 and then an additional treatment on a weekly basis until I really felt I no longer needed them. After about the third of fourth treatment I began to feel much relief from my pain, I went from around a 7 or 8 on the pain scale to a 4 or 5, I was ecstatic; it really seemed as if the treatment was working. However, part way through the treatment I made the mistake of taking my son upstairs to his room, he was angry and fighting with me as we made our way upstairs and it twisted my back awkwardly, I felt like the previous treatments had been a waste of time, thankfully although it did set me back, it only took a couple more treatments before I began to progress again.
Part of my treatment during the DRX regime was to have a 20 minute water massage before getting on the DRX, and then I would have 10 minutes of cold laser therapy after each treatment. I was also ordered to wear an ice pack and back-brace-belt at all times, for the duration of the entire therapy. I hated that belt; it was the most annoying thing in the world for me to wear that belt. However, as every good patient should, every morning I got up, put in the ice pack, and wore the belt all day long, I would ice for 20 minute rotations, and I did it for about an hour in the morning and several hours at night, changing out the ice pack, every 20 minutes. Even now, if I over-strain my back or have any pain, however slight, I go straight back to the ice and the belt, and the pain is usually gone within hours.
I was instructed to basically put myself on bed rest; in fact if I had not agreed to the complete down-time protocol, the chiropractor would not have started my treatments. I didn’t literally have to stay in bed, they obviously allowed me to do what I needed to do, however their rule was “think as if you are on bed rest, no vacuuming, no laundry, no carrying heavy shopping.” It was incredibly difficult as the treatments lasted almost three months, and I had two small toddlers. Prior to beginning the treatment we set the house up for success, I hired a babysitter to help me a couple of days a week, we got them both sleeping in big kids beds to solve the problem of lifting them in and out, I didn’t even lift them to change them, the most difficult part was car seats, I had to lift them in and out of those, but otherwise I lifted as little as possible to rest my back.
Every morning and every night I did gentle stretching exercises. By the end of my 22 treatments my pain level was a 1 or 2. This was a huge improvement from where I started and in just three short months. The last two weeks of my treatments were more maintenance and to check my continued progress, the chiropractor had given me an exercise ball and some gentle stretching exercises to strengthen my back, I had started walking with a goal to increase to one mile per day, and I was given a pair of specially fitted insoles for my shoes.
It has been a full year since I began my treatment, I haven’t needed to go back for any further treatments, but it has taken the rest of that time, being careful and re-building the muscles in my back to now be a point where I would say I am 98% better. I have also gained almost 2 inches in height. I do know from other people that if I had chosen back surgery the recovery would have been much harder, and much longer. Now I think before I swing my children up and around the room, I bend my knees when I have to lift something, and I ask for help when something is heavier than I think I should be lifting. Its easy to fall back into bad back practice but when you have been in so much pain its hard to sit or stand for any period of time, you learn to pay better attention to the signals your body gives you. I truly believe the DRX-9000 saved me from painful, lengthy, expensive, back surgery and the best part was that it was non-invasive; no recovery from an operation, no risky back surgery, all it took was a time and effort, and a solid commitment from me to recover my back to where it was before I ruptured my discs.
Even though we don’t live in Colorado, I am forever grateful to Dr. Paul for talking to my sister about this technology. Without his input and advice I would have carried on taking pain medication and injections until they no longer worked, and then the next step was going to be surgery. I encourage anyone who has sciatic pain, back pain or herniated discs to speak to their chiropractor regarding alternatives to surgery. The DRX-9000 might not be able to help everyone, but it certainly helped in my case.
To read a PDF report on the DRX-9000
For more information on the DRX-9000 call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at (303) 674 1500 to schedule a consultation or email office@fontanachiro.com
All those trips to Evergreen were a no brainer!
1 August 2006In my mind I was going to keep from getting old, but my body raised the white flag. I have VERY bad knees. I pushed very hard with my lower back to walk and climb stairs. I grew very hunched over. I dragged my legs when I walked. I was always falling. I had to analyze every activity before I did it. I dreaded going to sleep, within an hour or so, my legs would spasm and cramp. They would ache and I would squirm most of the night to find a comfortable position. Despite years of chiropractic adjustments, nothing would hold. OH, GREAT! Was it all downhill form here?
I heard about the DRX9000 and did my homework and found Dr. Fontana had a very reasonable rate. He made it affordable!! I had him do x-rays for my most recent condition which wasn’t looking too promising. I knew it was said that after 10 treatments I should be feeling improvement. I began treatments on April 3, 2006.
I was amazed after the first treatment; the pain in my legs was gone. And a good night’s sleep ever since!! With every treatment things got better and better. My shoulders were back in position. I could stand up straight (I was Taller Again!!) I could walk distances (no more dragging myself behind a shopping cart). I can bend over and get right up again. NO MORE PAIN!!
Now that my body is in a more normal position, I can exercise to support and keep it there. Ok, my knees are still bad, but to be given back a more functioning body in 5 weeks, all those trips to Evergreen were a no brainer!
My thanks. I love feeling like me again.
Susan B., Pine, CO