Low back pain affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, yet non-surgical spinal decompression (NSSD) has remained underutilised — largely due to limited peer-reviewed evidence and a lack of insurance coverage. A significant new study published in Military Medicine (Oxford Academic) is changing that picture.
What the study set out to do
Researchers from the University of South Florida's Department of Neurosurgery & Brain Repair and the Center for Neuromusculoskeletal Research designed a retrospective chart review to evaluate how effective NSSD really is across a real-world, community-based patient population. Rather than conducting a controlled laboratory trial, the team drew on de-identified patient records from clinics already providing NSSD treatment, capturing outcomes that reflect everyday clinical practice.
The study was authored by Shannon Schueren, Lauren A. Luginsland, Gina Ariza Medina, and Nathan D. Schilaty — all affiliated with the University of South Florida — and published in the September/October 2025 supplement of Military Medicine.
How the study was conducted
The research team surveyed 899 clinics equipped with NSSD devices (specifically the DRX9000®, manufactured by Excite Medical) to solicit participation. Of those, 24 expressed interest, and 9 verified clinics ultimately submitted de-identified patient data via an encrypted server. The study was also promoted at three national continuing education presentations attended by osteopaths, chiropractors, and medical doctors.
Three outcomes measured
- Pain intensity — how much pain patients reported before and after treatment
- Neurological function — changes in nerve-related symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and radiculopathy
- Activities of daily living (ADLs) — whether patients were able to resume normal daily function
This multi-clinic, community-based design is particularly meaningful because it reflects the patients actually walking through clinic doors — people with diverse backgrounds, varying severity of disc disease, and differing treatment histories — rather than a narrowly selected trial cohort.
What the findings showed
The results were strongly positive across all three measured outcomes. Patients showed meaningful improvement in pain scores, neurological function, and the ability to carry out everyday activities. The breadth of the findings — spanning pain relief, nerve recovery, and functional restoration — is notable because it demonstrates that NSSD's benefits extend well beyond simple symptom suppression.
Pain relief
Significant reduction in self-reported pain intensity following NSSD treatment
Neurological improvement
Improvement in nerve-related symptoms including radiculopathy and sensory deficits
Functional restoration
Patients reported improved capacity to perform activities of daily living
"These findings suggest NSSD is an effective conservative treatment for a diverse population with low back pain, addressing pain, neurological deficits, and functional impairments."
— Schueren et al., Military Medicine, 2025Why this matters for patients
One of the study's most important conclusions is that NSSD may offer a genuine, cost-effective alternative to surgery and long-term pharmacological treatment. The authors specifically highlight that broader adoption of NSSD could help reduce two of modern medicine's most pressing concerns: the risks of surgical complications and the dangers of opioid dependency.
For patients who have been told their only options are injections, long-term pain medication, or spinal surgery, this research is significant. It supports what many clinicians offering NSSD have observed in practice — that carefully applied spinal decompression can produce real, measurable improvements in how patients feel and function.
A call for wider recognition
Despite the positive findings, the authors acknowledge a critical gap: NSSD remains underutilised in mainstream healthcare, largely because it lacks insurance coverage in many regions and has historically had limited peer-reviewed research to support it. This study directly addresses that second barrier.
The researchers' recommendation is clear — NSSD should be considered a first-line therapy for low back pain, and healthcare systems should work toward broader adoption and coverage to improve patient outcomes at a population level.
They also point the way forward for future research: randomised controlled trials and long-term follow-up studies are needed to further validate these findings and establish the full clinical profile of NSSD over time.
What this means for our patients
This study adds important weight to an already growing body of evidence supporting non-surgical spinal decompression. At our clinic, we have long seen the positive outcomes this treatment can produce — and it is encouraging to see the scientific literature catching up to clinical experience. If you are living with low back pain, disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, or sciatica, and have been wondering whether NSSD might help, we encourage you to book a consultation to discuss whether this treatment is right for you.
Source: Schueren S, Luginsland LA, Ariza Medina G, Schilaty ND. "Retrospective Chart Review of Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression as a Therapeutic Modality for Low Back Pain." Military Medicine, Vol. 190, Supplement 2, pp. 134–140, September/October 2025. Oxford Academic. DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usaf116
Read the full study: academic.oup.com/milmed/article/190/Supplement_2/134/8256266