Dr. Henry Teaches Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression Livestream

January 29, 2023

Dr. Luke Henry speaking at Parker University in Dallas, Texas 2019. Henry is an alumnus of Clemson University Computer Engineering with a minor in Mathematics.

Due to recent nationwide flight delays, Dr. Henry’s Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression seminar January 28, 2023 was changed from live in Chicago, Illinois to livestream. While disappointed at not being able to interact with colleagues in person, Dr. Henry wishes to thank the chiropractic physicians from Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Illinois for attending his 12-hour continuing education lecture.

While traction has been used to treat spinal disorders since antiquity, nonsurgical spinal decompression uses computer technology to gently lower pressure inside the spinal discs and relieve pressure on the delicate nerves. This novel physiotherapeutic procedure is performed using FDA cleared medical devices. Decompression initially was plagued with controversy, due to unscrupulous marketing but today it is supported by a growing body of scientific evidence and is becoming an established procedure taught at several chiropractic colleges. Indications include bulging discs, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, facet syndrome, sciatica, neck pain, and back pain. Many chronic pain sufferers are looking for an answer and wish to avoid pain medications, injections and surgery. Dr. Henry brought IDD Therapy to Greenville in 2012 and has developed a multifaceted treatment approach incorporating hands-on treatments, rehabilitation exercises, and low-level laser therapy. This evidence-based approach helps to significantly reduce chronic pain for most patients and is also appropriate for acute injury from auto accidents, work and sports injuries. While temporary soreness is possible, the treatment is very safe and gentle. Dr. Henry has served as a postgraduate lecturer for three chiropractic colleges and is a member of the South Carolina Chiropractic Association. His 2017 study on spinal decompression has been cited by researchers internationally. Henry gave seven lectures throughout the United States last year in association with Fetterman Events and National University of Health Sciences.

Doctors of chiropractic wishing to learn more about this procedure may register for one of Dr. Henry’s upcoming classes, with lectures planned for Raleigh, Asheville, Greenville, Knoxville, Florence, Dothan, and Atlanta in 2023. The Chicago program may be rescheduled, depending on air travel difficulties.

Dr. Henry practices at Henry Chiropractic Clinic, LLC at 1314 Pelham Road in Greenville, South Carolina, with a practice emphasis on acute and chronic back and neck pain.

Avoiding Tobacco May Help Prevent Back and Neck Pain

Dr. Luke Henry, DC

864-288-7797

As a chiropractic physician, I help people with neck and back pain, which is commonly the result of disease of the intervertebral discs. The discs are like shock absorbers between the bones in the spine. When they bulge, herniate or degenerate it can pinch or irritate the delicate nerves and cause terrible pain. The pain may localize to the spine or can radiate to an arm or shoot down a leg. There may also be numbness, tingling or weakness associated with a disc problem. Bulging or herniated discs may result from an injury, such as improper lifting, sports injury or an auto accident. Disc problems may also develop gradually over time from wear and tear. Family history may play a role but while you can’t change heredity you can have a significant positive impact through lifestyle. In my experience as a practicing doctor of chiropractic, almost everyone knows that smoking is bad for health and causes lung cancer, but what most of the thousands of patients I’ve treated didn’t know is that smoking also contributes to disease of the spinal discs.20% of American adults smoke, with 80% of those smoking daily. There is convincing scientific evidence that tobacco smoking leads to disc degeneration. Tobacco smoking causes DNA damage leading to premature aging of the disc cells. Nicotine is also a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it causes blood vessels to constrict and limits blood flow. Some authors have hypothesized that reduced blood flow may leads to disc degeneration by limiting nutrients to the discs. When the discs wear, it can cause neck or back pain. At my office we are well prepared to help patients with bulging, herniated and degenerative discs but I also expect patient to help themselves through lifestyle. Quitting tobacco eliminates the most common cause of preventable death. Quitting (AKA smoking cessation) reduces risk of cancer, helps with circulation and lowering blood pressure and will likely make you live longer. It’s not easy but there are resources to help.

Free Resources to help quit:
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov/

National Cancer Institute – Cigarette Smoking: Health Risks and How to Quit: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/quit-smoking-pdq

American Cancer Society – Guide to Quitting Smoking: http://www.cancer.org/healthy/stayawayfromtobacco/guidetoquittingsmoking/index

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – How to Quit: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/index.htm

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Tobacco Cessation: http://www.scdhec.gov/Health/TobaccoCessation/

References

Wang F, Cai F, Shi R, Wang XH, Wu XT. Aging and age related stresses: a senescence mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2016 Mar;24(3):398-408. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2015.09.019. Epub 2015 Oct 9.

Feng C, Liu H, Yang M, Zhang Y, Huang B, Zhou Y. Disc cell senescence in intervertebral disc degeneration: Causes and molecular pathways. Cell Cycle. 2016 May 18:1-11. [Epub ahead of print]

Ogawa T, Matsuzaki H, Uei H, Nakajima S, Tokuhashi Y, Esumi M. Alteration of gene expression in intervertebral disc degeneration of passive cigarette- smoking rats: separate quantitation in separated nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus. Pathobiology 2005; 72:146-51; PMID:15860932; http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000084118

Holm S, Nachemson A. Nutrition of the intervertebral disc: acute effects of cigarette smoking. An experimental animal study. Ups J Med Sci 1988; 93:91-9; PMID:3376356; http://dx.doi.org/10.1517/03009734000000042

Uematsu Y, Matuzaki H, Iwahashi M. Effects of nicotine on the intervertebral disc: an experimental study in rabbits. J Orthop Sci 2001; 6:177-82; PMID:11484105; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s007760100067

Mattila VM, Saarni L, Parkkari J, Koivusilta L, Rimpela A. Early risk factors for lumbar discectomy: an 11-year follow-up of 57,408 adolescents. Eur Spine J 2008; 17:1317-23; PMID:18682991; http://dx. doi.org/10.1007/s00586-008-0738-2

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/quittingsmoking.html