For a disc under pressure
Decompression Therapy
Pain radiating down a leg, or a back that won't settle even with rest. Decompression opens space between the discs and takes the pressure off the nerve, without a needle or an incision.
Chapter 01
Who ends up on the table
Decompression is usually the answer for herniated or degenerative discs: pain that radiates down a leg, shooting or tingling sensations, or mobility that keeps narrowing month over month. It's rarely the first thing anyone tries. It's what gets reached for after rest alone hasn't moved the needle.
Chronic back pain that isn't improving on its own, frequent neck pain that turns into headaches, and a range of motion that keeps getting smaller are the specific signals worth stopping and getting looked at, rather than waiting another few weeks to see if it settles.
The open decompression bay at the Germantown office, with cedar posts, planted dividers and leather tables
A gentle stretch, not a procedure
The table works by gently stretching the spine, creating space between the discs that takes pressure off the nerve running through them. It's non-invasive: no needles, no surgery, no incision. For a herniated or degenerative disc, that extra space is often what allows the surrounding tissue to actually settle.
It isn't a single session. A course of visits is planned around how the disc is responding, building the stretch gradually rather than forcing it in one sitting.
Why waiting rarely helps
Chronic back pain that hasn't improved with rest is the specific signal to stop waiting rather than a reason to try one more week of it. The longer a disc sits under uneven pressure, the more the surrounding nerve tends to react, which is why the pain often spreads down a leg rather than staying put.
The room this happens in
Decompression runs out of the Germantown office's own open bay, the lounge pictured above, built with cedar posts and planted dividers rather than a row of curtained booths. It's a room meant to be sat in for a course of visits, not just passed through.
A plan gets laid out before the first session: how many visits, how often, and what progress looks like along the way. Same-day appointments are often available, and coverage varies by plan, so it's worth a call to check your own before the first visit.
Chiropractic Memphis — Most major insurance plans accepted. Call (901) 861-1212.