For patients dealing with disc-related back pain, herniated or bulging discs, sciatica, or degenerative disc disease, spinal decompression therapy offers a non-surgical, non-invasive path to genuine relief — one that addresses the structural cause of pain rather than managing symptoms. At Flowers Chiropractic, spinal decompression traction is available from day one, integrated into a comprehensive care model built around chiropractic adjustment as the foundation. Dr. Taylor M. Watkins, D.C. provides spinal decompression therapy for patients across Flowers Plantation, Clayton, NC, and the surrounding Johnston County region. If disc pain or sciatica has been limiting your life, call (919) 553-6711 or Schedule Appointment today.
What Is Spinal Decompression Therapy?
Spinal decompression therapy is a form of motorized traction that gently stretches the spine in a controlled, rhythmic pattern to reduce pressure within the intervertebral discs. By creating negative intradiscal pressure — a gentle vacuum effect within the disc — decompression therapy promotes the retraction of herniated or bulging disc material, restores the disc’s ability to absorb fluid and nutrients, and reduces compression on the spinal nerves that produce pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the back, neck, arms, and legs.
Unlike traditional static traction, which applies continuous pulling force, modern spinal decompression uses a computer-controlled system to alternate between distraction and relaxation phases. This cycling pattern prevents the muscles surrounding the spine from reflexively contracting against the force — the primary limitation of older traction methods — allowing the decompressive forces to reach the disc itself. The result is a deeper, more therapeutically effective stretch than static traction can achieve.
Spinal decompression at Flowers Chiropractic is performed using the Back on Track decompression chair — the same system used at the sister practices in the Flowers Chiropractic network. Patients are positioned comfortably and remain fully clothed throughout the session. There are no injections, no anesthesia, and no recovery period.
How Spinal Decompression Works
To understand how spinal decompression produces relief, it helps to understand what goes wrong in disc-related conditions.
The intervertebral discs are cartilaginous structures that sit between each pair of vertebrae, acting as shock absorbers for the spine and allowing it to flex, extend, and rotate. Each disc has a tough outer layer — the annulus fibrosus — and a gel-like inner core — the nucleus pulposus. The nucleus pulposus is largely avascular: it does not have its own direct blood supply. Instead, it receives oxygen and nutrients through a process called imbibition — the absorption of fluid from the surrounding tissue that occurs as load cycles on and off the disc through movement and posture change.
When a disc herniates, the nucleus pulposus pushes through a tear or weakness in the annulus fibrosus, creating a bulge or protrusion that can press directly on the adjacent spinal nerve root. The resulting nerve compression produces the familiar patterns of disc-related pain: low back pain radiating into the leg (sciatica), neck pain radiating into the arm, and the numbness, tingling, and weakness that accompany nerve root irritation.
Degenerative disc disease occurs when the disc loses its hydration and structural integrity over time — the nucleus becomes desiccated and the disc height decreases, reducing the space available for the nerve roots exiting the spinal canal. The result is a spine that is mechanically compromised and neurologically irritated.
Spinal decompression addresses both scenarios. The negative intradiscal pressure created during decompression gently draws herniated material back toward the center of the disc, reducing direct nerve compression. The alternating distraction and relaxation cycles stimulate imbibition — restoring the fluid and nutrient exchange that degenerative discs have lost. Over a course of treatment, the disc’s structural environment improves, the nerve compression resolves, and pain diminishes or disappears.
Conditions Treated with Spinal Decompression
Herniated Discs
A herniated disc — also called a slipped disc or ruptured disc — occurs when the nucleus pulposus pushes through the outer annulus. Depending on the location and direction of the herniation, it can compress the exiting nerve root, producing sharp, burning, or electric pain that radiates from the spine into the arm or leg, often accompanied by numbness and weakness in the affected limb. Spinal decompression therapy is one of the most effective non-surgical interventions available for true disc herniation, and it is frequently recommended as a first-line treatment before surgical options are considered. Learn more: Back Pain
Bulging Discs
A bulging disc is a precursor to herniation — the disc has expanded beyond its normal boundary without a full tear of the outer annulus. Bulging discs produce similar symptoms to herniation, though often less severe, and they respond well to spinal decompression. Addressing a bulging disc before it progresses to a full herniation is one of the strongest arguments for early intervention with decompression therapy.
Sciatica
Sciatica — the pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that travels from the low back through the buttock and down one or both legs — is most commonly caused by compression of the sciatic nerve roots at the lumbar spine, typically by a herniated or bulging disc at L4–L5 or L5–S1. Spinal decompression therapy directly addresses this compression by reducing intradiscal pressure and allowing the disc to retract away from the affected nerve. For patients whose sciatica is disc-driven, decompression is among the most targeted treatments available. Learn more: Sciatica
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is not a disease in the traditional sense — it is the natural process of disc aging, in which the intervertebral discs lose hydration, height, and structural integrity over time. While some degree of disc degeneration is a normal part of aging, premature or accelerated degeneration causes significant pain and functional limitation. Spinal decompression therapy cannot reverse degenerative changes, but it can meaningfully slow their progression and reduce associated symptoms by restoring the imbibition cycle that keeps disc tissue as healthy as possible given its condition.
Facet Syndrome
When disc height decreases — whether from degeneration, herniation, or chronic compression — the facet joints at the back of each vertebral segment are forced to bear a greater proportion of the spine’s load than they were designed to handle. The result is facet joint degeneration, inflammation, and pain — a condition known as facet syndrome. Spinal decompression therapy, by restoring disc height and reducing the compressive load on the facet joints, frequently provides significant relief for patients whose back pain has a facet component alongside the disc involvement.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal or the openings through which nerve roots exit the spine, most commonly caused by age-related degenerative changes including disc height loss, facet joint enlargement, and ligamentous thickening. It produces pain, cramping, and weakness in the legs that worsens with prolonged standing and walking and improves with forward bending or sitting. Spinal decompression therapy can help manage symptoms of spinal stenosis by gently opening the spinal canal and reducing the compressive forces on the affected neural structures. Learn more: Back Pain
Posterior Facet Syndrome and Foraminal Stenosis
Foraminal stenosis — narrowing of the intervertebral foramen, the opening through which the nerve root exits the spinal canal — produces nerve root compression and radiculopathy that can mimic disc herniation. It is most commonly caused by disc height loss combined with osteophyte (bone spur) formation at the facet joint margin. Spinal decompression helps by increasing foraminal height, creating more space for the compressed nerve root.
Neck Pain and Cervical Disc Conditions
Disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, and foraminal stenosis affect the cervical spine as well as the lumbar. Cervical disc conditions produce neck pain, headaches, and radicular symptoms into the arm — pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that follows the path of the compressed cervical nerve root. Spinal decompression therapy is applicable to cervical disc conditions as well as lumbar, and many patients with chronic neck pain and arm symptoms benefit significantly from a course of cervical decompression. Learn more: Neck Pain
What to Expect During a Spinal Decompression Session
Initial assessment. Before beginning spinal decompression therapy, Dr. Watkins will review your history, symptoms, and any relevant imaging — MRI in particular provides the most useful information for identifying the location and nature of disc pathology. The clinical exam includes assessment of neurological findings — reflexes, sensation, and motor strength in the affected extremity — to confirm that spinal decompression is appropriate for your presentation.
Positioning. For lumbar decompression, you are positioned comfortably in the Back on Track chair, which is specifically designed for spinal decompression traction. You remain fully clothed. A harness or support system positions the pelvis and lower spine for controlled traction. For cervical decompression, a cervical harness supports the head and neck in the appropriate position.
The session. The decompression unit cycles through alternating distraction and relaxation phases over the course of the session — typically 15 to 20 minutes. The sensation is a gentle, rhythmic stretching that most patients find comfortable and even relaxing. The force applied is controlled and progressive — sessions typically begin at a lower intensity and increase over the course of the treatment program as the tissue adapts.
After the session. Most patients feel immediate relief or a sense of decompression in the spine following treatment. Some experience mild, temporary soreness — particularly in the early sessions — as tissues begin to respond to the treatment. There is no recovery period. Patients leave the office and return to normal activity, with the recommendation to avoid prolonged sitting or heavy lifting on treatment days.
Course of treatment. Most spinal decompression protocols involve 12 to 20 sessions over four to six weeks, delivered three to five times per week in the initial phase. Dr. Watkins will determine the appropriate protocol for your specific condition and adjust it based on your response. Decompression therapy is most effective when integrated with chiropractic adjustment and, where appropriate, core stabilization guidance — the adjustment addresses the joint mechanics, the decompression addresses the disc, and core stability prevents recurrence.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Spinal Decompression?
Spinal decompression therapy is most appropriate for patients with confirmed or clinically suspected disc pathology — herniation, bulging, degenerative disc disease, or associated nerve compression — who have not achieved adequate relief from chiropractic adjustment alone, physical therapy, or anti-inflammatory medication. It is particularly appropriate for patients who want to pursue a full conservative treatment course before considering epidural steroid injection or surgery.
Candidates for spinal decompression at Flowers Chiropractic generally present with one or more of the following:
- Diagnosed herniated or bulging disc at the lumbar or cervical spine
- Sciatica or radiculopathy — radiating pain, numbness, or tingling into the arm or leg
- Degenerative disc disease with associated pain and functional limitation
- Spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication symptoms
- Chronic low back or neck pain with a suspected discogenic component
- Failed response to other conservative treatments
Spinal decompression is not appropriate for all patients. Contraindications include spinal fracture, spinal instability, spinal fusion hardware at the decompression level, severe osteoporosis, active malignancy, pregnancy, and advanced degenerative joint disease. Dr. Watkins will review your full clinical picture — including imaging when available — before recommending spinal decompression and will refer appropriately if surgical evaluation is indicated.
Spinal Decompression and Chiropractic Adjustment — Better Together
Spinal decompression therapy and chiropractic adjustment address different but complementary aspects of disc-related conditions. The adjustment restores proper motion to restricted vertebral segments, reduces nerve irritation, and addresses the joint mechanics that contribute to abnormal disc loading. Decompression therapy addresses the disc itself — reducing intradiscal pressure, promoting retraction of herniated material, and restoring the disc’s capacity to hydrate and heal.
Used together, these two treatments address the full clinical picture of disc-related spinal pain more completely than either can achieve alone. This integrated approach — decompression for the disc, adjustment for the joint, and where indicated, additional soft tissue work through myofascial release or electric muscle stimulation — is the foundation of how Dr. Watkins approaches disc conditions at Flowers Chiropractic.
Spinal Decompression Near Flowers Plantation, Clayton, Smithfield, and Beyond
Flowers Chiropractic is located at 14 Flowers Crossroads Way, Suite 106, Clayton, NC 27527, in the heart of the Flowers Plantation community. We serve patients with disc-related back pain, sciatica, and neck conditions from Clayton, Flowers Plantation, Smithfield, Selma, Wilson’s Mills, Archer Lodge, Knightdale, Wendell, and across Johnston and Wake County.
If disc pain or sciatica has been limiting what you can do — limiting how long you can sit, how far you can walk, or how well you can sleep — spinal decompression therapy may be the treatment that finally makes a difference. It is available here, in your community, without a trip to a specialist in Raleigh. Call (919) 553-6711 or Schedule Appointment online. Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Wednesday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM; Friday 7:00 AM – Noon.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spinal Decompression
Is spinal decompression the same as traction?
Spinal decompression uses the same principle as traditional traction — applying a distracting force to the spine — but it is considerably more sophisticated in how that force is delivered. Traditional traction applies a continuous static pull, which often triggers a protective muscle contraction that limits its effectiveness. Modern spinal decompression uses a computer-controlled, cycling pattern of distraction and relaxation that prevents that muscular reflex, allowing the decompressive forces to reach the disc more effectively. The clinical outcomes with true spinal decompression are significantly better than with traditional traction as a result.
Can spinal decompression help me avoid back surgery?
For many patients with disc herniation, sciatica, and degenerative disc disease, spinal decompression therapy is an effective conservative option that reduces or eliminates symptoms without surgical intervention. Surgery should be reserved for cases in which conservative treatment has been genuinely exhausted — progressive neurological deficit, severe and unremitting pain unresponsive to all conservative measures, or cauda equina syndrome. Spinal decompression is frequently the missing piece of a conservative treatment program that has not yet succeeded. Dr. Watkins will be honest about whether your presentation warrants surgical evaluation.
How many sessions will I need?
Most spinal decompression protocols involve 12 to 20 sessions over four to six weeks. The specific number depends on your condition, its severity, and how your body responds to treatment. Dr. Watkins will reassess your progress at regular intervals and adjust the protocol based on your clinical response. Some patients achieve their goals in fewer sessions; others with significant disc degeneration benefit from a longer program.
Will spinal decompression hurt?
Most patients find spinal decompression comfortable — many describe the rhythmic stretching as relaxing. Some patients experience mild soreness in the first few sessions as the tissues begin to respond to treatment. If you experience significant pain during a session, the intensity can be reduced immediately. The treatment is never forced past your comfort threshold.
Do I need an MRI before starting spinal decompression?
An MRI is not strictly required to begin spinal decompression, but it is strongly recommended when disc herniation or significant degenerative changes are suspected. MRI provides the most detailed picture of disc pathology available without radiation and allows Dr. Watkins to target treatment precisely and rule out contraindications. If you have an existing MRI, bring it to your first appointment. If not, Dr. Watkins will advise whether imaging is needed before proceeding.
Is spinal decompression covered by insurance?
Insurance coverage for spinal decompression varies by plan. Some policies cover it when specific diagnostic criteria are met — typically confirmed disc herniation or degenerative disc disease with associated neurological symptoms. Others classify it as investigational. The team at Flowers Chiropractic will verify your specific coverage before your first session and provide a clear picture of your financial responsibility. Self-pay options are available.