American Academy of Pain Management
Rosenthal R and Russo I. The Treatement of 100 Cases with Articulating Traction Decompression & Specific Patient Posturing: Presented September 8-11, 2008 at the 19th Annual Meeting Clinical Meeting, Nashville, TN

"Traction decompression is superior to ordinary traction for pain reduction and restoration of spinal integrity.  Because of the Antalgic-Trak's positioning capabilities and its 'range of motion' technique, clinicians can position the patient's spine in a manner to reduce the stress on tissues and combine these features with traction decompression.  The multi-axis feature allows for coupled movements, simulating 'ball and socket' motion allowing for a variety of postural combinations.

100 patients with acute and chronic low back pain or neck pain, with or without radicular component (arm or leg pain), were treated using the Antalgic-Trak.  The outcomes indicated 95% success in eliminating pain or reducing the pain to minimal levels for a variety of spinal conditions."

A 1 year follow-up to this study was performed which demonstrated that 80% maintained their level of success.

Occupational Medicine
O'Hara K, editor. Decompression: A Treatment for Back Pain. Clinical Care Update. Occ Med 11(10); Oct 2004.

"Decompression has been shown on MRI examination to widen disc space height, while assisting the disc to optimally reposition itself; this triggers herniation shrinkage, which reduces or eliminates protrusions and pressure on surrounding nerves."

Journal of Neurological Research
Gose E, Naguszewski W, Naguszewski R. Vertebral Axial Decompression Therapy for pain associated with herniated or degenerated discs or facet syndrome: an outcome study. J Neuro Research 20(4):186-90; Apr 1998.

"We consider decompression therapy to be a primary treatment modality for low back pain associated with lumbar disc herniation at single or multiple levels, degenerative disc disease, facet arthropathy, and decreased spine mobility.  We believe that post-surgical patients with persistent pain or 'Failed Back Syndrome' should not be considered candidates for further surgery until a reasonable trial of decompression has been tried."

Journal of Neurological Research
Eugene S, Kitchener P, Smart R. A Prospective Randomised Controlled Study of VAX-D and TENS for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain. J Neuro Research 23(7); Oct 2001.

"For any given patient with low back and referred leg pain, we cannot predict with certainty which cause has assumed primacy.  Therefore surgery, by being directed at root decompression at the site of the herniation alone, may not be effective if secondary causes of pain have become predominant.  Decompression therapy, however, addresses both primary and secondary causes of low back and referred leg pain.  We thus submit that decompression therapy should be considered first, before the patient undergoes a surgical procedure which permanently alters the anatomy and function of the affected lumbar spine segment."

Journal of Neurological Research
Naguszewski W, Naguszewski R, Gose E. Dermatosomal Somatosensory Evoked Potential Demonstration of Nerve Root Decompression After VAX-D Therapy. J Neuro Research 23(7); Oct 2001.

"Successful reduction of intradiscal pressures with decompression therapy represents a technological advance in lumbar spinal treatment and is likely to affect both the biomechanical and biochemical causes of discogenic pain."