Pain in the Back

Space-age technology bringing relief to back pain sufferers, By Eileen Stanbridge Sussex county - According to the National Institutes of Health, lower back pain is one of the most significant health problems facing Americans today, with more than 85 percent of people expected to experience some back pain during the course of their lives. For many, the pain becomes debilitating. Recently, a new non-surgical technology inspired by the space program has been developed to treat such pain. Doctors Andrew and Michael Grano of Advanced Spine and Disc Care of Sussex County are first in the county to offer the treatment through a machine called the DRX9000. The DRX9000 is the first non-surgical decompression system cleared by the federal Food and Drug Administration for cervical use. “Over ten years ago, NASA began to notice an unexpected result of space travel, astronauts who left with back pain would return without it,” said Andrew Grano. “It was discovered that when you travel through space, the effects of gravity are removed and you are in a weightless state. All the pressure is taken off your spine and discs and a negative pressure is created which sucks the herniated material back into the disc and allows it to heal,” he added in explaining the basic premise of the DRX9000. With a documented success rate of 86 percent the DRX9000 is most successful in treating herniated discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease and advanced arthritis, the doctors say. “This is a treatment that actually works and provides a painless alternative to surgery,” said Dr. Michael Grano. But, they warn, the process is not for everyone. “This is very specific to the individual patient ,and we have to have MRI and X-ray images before we can determine whether or not the DRX9000 will be of benefit to that particular person,” said Michael Grano. Once qualified, the patients typically undergo a series of 20 treatment sessions with each lasting between 30-45 minutes. The full treatment is usually completed within a four week period. The new machine is located at their Andover office on the Newton-Sparta Road, but there are three other sites, in Hamburg, Oakridge and Andover, where patients may find out if they qualify for the treatment. For more information, call: Hamburg, 973-827-0003; Oakridge, 973-208-5900; or Andover: 973-383-5533.