IDD Therapy Disc Treatment

Why choose IDD Therapy?

You may want to consider IDD if you have back or neck pain, or symptoms in the arms or legs, and you…

• have herniated discs or difficult spine issues
• find other treatments aren’t working
• need long-term pain relief
• hope to return to routine activities
• want to stop taking painkillers
• are thinking about surgery, injections or other invasive treatments.

The Back in Shape Clinic is a leading physiotherapist in Croydon. Our friendly, expert team aims to make you feel better as quickly and effectively as possible.

To book a consultation, ask us a question or find out how well IDD Therapy will work for you, call us on 020 8655 1664, and book to see Anthony Padgett.

“The biggest frustration in my job is knowing that there are people living in pain who we could help. Often patients think that there is nothing more that can be done, particularly when they have tried many treatments. By including IDD Therapy in our programme of care, we are able to offer patients with difficult spine issues such as herniated discs, greater options to get them out of pain.”
Clinic Director: Anthony Padgett, Head Physiotherapist

How long is a treatment?
Each IDD treatment session is comfortable and efficient, lasting one hour. We begin with 10 minutes’ TherMedic heat therapy to warm the tissues and get blood flowing to the injured area. You then have 26 minutes on the SPINA machine. After that we give you 10 minutes’ cold therapy. This calms the treated area before you leave.

Is the Therapy painful?
Absolutely not. While the process does use considerable pulling forces, the body finds the delivery of them comfortable. In fact, the treatment actually releases endorphins in the body – it feels rather good! So if you were picturing a torturous-looking rack like the traction machines of old, you can relax! Some patients find the treatment so relaxing that they actually go to sleep!

How much does it cost?
We bill each session as a one-hour physiotherapy treatment. Booked as part of a course of treatment, the price is £70 in line with standard treatment charges.

How many treatments do I need?
This is an important question. The team assesses this and discusses it with you in your first meeting. That’s because it really depends on the duration and severity of your condition. People with mild back pain often experience symptomatic relief within a few sessions…
Typically, though, a course lasts between 12 and 15 sessions over 4 – 6 weeks. Obviously, those with longer-term problems need a longer course of treatment. For patients with serious spine issues, such as those facing surgery, we base the original protocol around an intensive course of 20 treatments.

Why do I need a course of treatment?
In much the same way that your body requires more than one exercise session to adapt and become fitter / stronger, addressing the causes of back pain takes gentle adaption. While we’d all like a faster fix for chronic back pain, the reality is that it takes time to heal…
That’s because ongoing neck or back issues cause your spinal segments to become stiff and immobile. The discs in the spine, however, depend on movement for their hydration and nutrition. Undoing the compression and immobility of injured discs requires somewhat more force than that which one can achieve with manual therapy. In other words, we need to progressively increase the pulling forces. To that end, IDD Therapy uses a course of very precise, computer-controlled treatments to open and mobilise spinal segments.

What’s the difference between IDD Therapy and Traction?
In a word: precision. While traditional, mechanical traction generally stretches the lower back, it can’t specifically target injured spine segments… IDD Therapy, however, targets, decompresses and mobilises specific spinal segments. It applies sufficient force long enough to have a greater therapeutic effect. Think of IDD Therapy as a combination of the objectives of manual therapy and the benefits of precision traction.

Should I bring an MRI?
If you have an MRI, bring it with you. An MRI helps confirm the nature of the disc problem and the spinal level we want to treat. That gives us a picture of the protocol offering the best chance for success. If you don’t have an MRI, though, we can discuss this and arrange one if necessary.

Do I need to get undressed?
No, you remain fully clothed throughout. Just wear normal, comfortable clothes: trousers, leggings or a loose fitting tracksuit.

What about exercise?
Initially, there is no exercise – your body simply adjusts to the treatment. Later, there are some simple exercises: nothing too strenuous! And no, we don’t just send you on your way with a sheet of exercises!

Will a spinal injection help my pain?
Spinal injections are given to help ease inflammation which is a cause of pain. Unfortunately, they don’t treat the compression of discs or stiffness or the other /causes/ of pain in the spine… At best they create a window of comfort for rehabilitation; they’re not a long-term solution for most patients.

I’ve had surgery. Can I still have IDD Therapy?
Yes! The only conditions are that the surgery was carried out at least 6 months ago and that there are no implants in your spine. Talk to our team if you’d like to discuss your spinal history. The Back In Shape clinic is in Shirley Road, Croydon, and you can call us on 020 8655 1664.

How many treatments have been carried out in the UK?
In the past six years the UK has seen over 40,000 treatments carried out. Where available, IDD Therapy is now the first choice non-invasive disc treatment if manual therapy is not working. There are over 1,000 clinics internationally providing IDD Therapy, including surgeons, physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors.