Named after its developer, James M. Cox DC DACBR, Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction and Decompression is a gentle, non-force chiropractic adjusting approach. Here, you will read about its treatment place in healthcare, effects, benefits, and protocols used on a specifically designed treatment table as well as view demonstration videos of the treatment itself.
63.7% of chiropractic physicians report using flexion-distraction in their practices.
(1 - page 15 of 16 in this PDF) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic provides this powerful spinal manipulation and decompression technique, a fusion of chiropractic and osteopathic principles. This combo offers a
non-surgical alternative first line treatment to a more intrusive surgery for relief of pain in the neck, arm, back and leg, especially for the 1 in 4 patients who are 95% of the cost of healthcare dollars for back pain: the disc herniation and stenosis cases. Cox® Technic's effectiveness for these more involved conditions makes it an initial conservative, non-surgical approach for less extreme conditions of back and neck pain as well.
THE EFFECTS
Cox® Technic is a gentle distraction (stretching) adjustment of the spine to achieve the following advantages for the patient with back or extremity pain:
- Increase the intervertebral disc space opening
- Decrease the pressure within the disc to aid healing of disc herniation
- Increase the size of the nerve openings in the spine to reduce pinched nerves
- Restore range of motion to spinal segments
Cox® Technic Cervical Spine Effects
Cox® Technic Thoracic Spine Effects
Cox® Technic Lumbar Spine Effects
The disc is pressing on the nerve. Note that as the disc herniation reduces, the pinched nerve can be relieved.
*These are animations of the goal of Cox® Technic Flexion-Distraction and Decompression: reduced irritation of spinal elements enough to relieve pain and help you regain your quality of life. The amount of decrease in size of the herniated disc necessary for pain relief varies from 0% to 100% for each individual patient.
THE HEALING BENEFITS
The above changes in the spine may permit the following healing benefits to patients with back pain or pain down the arms or legs:
- Stimulation of circulation into the intervertebral disc which can aid in absorption of the pain-causing chemicals while increasing the absorption of nutrients into the disc to aid healing and inflammation of the disc has been reported as necessary for successful outcome with
spinal manipulation.
- Dropping the pressure inside the disc creates a force inside the disc to reduce the bulging of herniated disc material.
- Stenosis patients benefit by the increase in the size of the nerve openings which is the area of nerve compression and pinched nerves.
- Range of motion spinal manipulation restores more freedom of movement while also stimulating nerves in the extremities, spinal cord, and brain to produce chemicals that reduce pain and create a sense of well-being.
- As these above changes occur under chiropractic treatment with Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction spinal manipulation, pain in the extremity can drop by centralizing or isolating the pain to the low back and hip area.
- This reduction of pain in the extremity by its moving out of the leg and into the back and hip area is a sign of healing and is called centralization of pain.
- Back pain reduces as the nerve compression and chemical irritation decreases and normal movement of the spine returns.
- A study reports that it takes three months to allow healing of herniated disc and stenosis caused pain. Some patients receive full relief of pain and some as much relief as possible, necessitating continued observance of rules of exercise, proper ergonomics of lifting, and continued monitoring of care.
THE TABLE
You will notice, as most patients do on their first visit, the special table used for Cox® Technic. It is known as The Cox® Table or a flexion distraction table. Its design allows a gentle tractioning of the spine to reduce intradiscal pressures, to increase disc height, and open the spinal canal area as well as re-establish individual normal spinal segment ranges of motion.
THE TREATMENT
Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction and Decompression is applied especially for each area of the spine. To see its gentle, effective application, please see the
See It In Action page.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS OF COX® TECHNIC PROTOCOLS
lumbar spine protocol I - pain extends below the knee
lumbar spine protocol II - pain does not extend below the knee and/or 50% improved
cervical spine protocol I - pain extends below the elbow
cervical spine protocol II - pain does not extend below the elbow and/or 50% improved
thoracic spine
side-lying position for lumbar spine - for pregnant back pain patients and patients who are in too much pain to lie on their stomachs or just prefer this positioning
CONTACT OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
Schedule an appointment with OrthoIllinois Chiropractic today to feel this gentle, safe, effective, non-surgical treatment of spine pain.