The P-SRT table is the result of many years of research and development of spinal and disk corrective protocol that can achieve predictable spinal disk correction and rehabilitation.

The P-SRT table is radically less expensive than today's computer-aided decompression tables. The P-SRT costs approximately $10,000 and comes with a $10,000 tax credit, qualifying under the American Disability Act. In essence, you can add the P-SRT virtually for free after you apply the tax credit.

How It Works

This table eliminates the need for expensive traction computers by harnessing the patient to a stationary traction device that anchors the patient in a fixed, decompressed position.

To apply decompression force, the table will raise up to 30° using the patient's body weight to determine the amount of distraction force. The patient can, therefore, monitor the amount of force based on his or her individual tolerance by adjusting the motorized table tilt. If more force is needed than the patient's body weight can provide, the motorized tabletop can slide away from the stationary harnessing device, adding to the decompression force to the desired level based on the patient's body weight and condition.

Whole Body Vibration

Marketing Program

The P-SRT comes with a marketing system that aids doctors' ability to create momentum with this unit. All of the materials are personalized to the individual practice. Some of the materials include:

• customized DVDs and CDs (for handouts);
• 9-minute patient education video;
• 5- and 7-minute video for various television needs;
• 30- to 60-second commercials (English and Spanish);
• 30-minute radio infomercial;
• radio scripts (for announcers to read as commercials);
• patient-education handouts;
• looping DVD for waiting room;
• newspaper inserts;
• direct mail programs;
• direct mail patient postcards;
• 10 Yellow Pages ad programs;
• MD referral scripts (to get more MD referrals);
• staff scripts (for training on phone calls); and
• press releases.

Another unique feature of this table is that, unlike today's decompression tables, it uses whole body vibration (WBV) to relax muscle spasms in the spine and body. Extensive research has been conducted over the last decades proving the efficacy of WBV for 1) quick and effective reduction of muscle spasm, 2) healing of injured tissues, and 3) increasing the strength of postural muscles supporting the spine by up to 25%. Using WBV has therapeutic benefits that will accelerate the rehabilitation of injured disk tissue as well as enhance spinal correction. No decompression table available today uses WBV, and it is patent pending.

The Protocols

Decompression tables often relieve the patient from discomfort, but after therapy, the patient returns in the same condition he was before the procedure. However, by implementing the P-SRT combined with The Pettibon System™ protocol, we are able to achieve unprecedented, lasting results with the rehabilitation of disks and most spinal corrective patients.

How does a traction table strengthen the spine to prevent a disk problem from coming back? It is true that spinal decompression using a table that causes axial distraction of the spine will give patients amazing, temporary pain relief. But if muscles that support the strength of the spinal curves and disk problems are the result of structural weakness of those spinal curves, the reality is that decompression without proper muscle strengthening and rehabilitation is actually just a very expensive Band-Aid.

The patient can monitor the amount of force based on his or her individual tolerance by adjusting the motorized table tilt.

Chiropractic has always been about addressing the cause of the symptom, not the symptom itself. Decompression without rejuvenation and rehabilitation does not address the root of the problem.

As a doctor who teaches rehabilitation for accelerated spinal and curve correction, I am continually fielding calls from doctors all over the country who have received patients or have patients returning to them that have spent thousands of dollars for spinal decompression therapy and have had their symptoms return within 3 to 6 months.

But decompression, in itself, is not a permanent solution. Spinal rejuvenation, with proper muscle strengthening and rehabilitation, is a lasting therapy. This protocol provides lasting posture correction in patients where other systems, including traditional chiropractic, have failed.

Billing

Another perspective of decompression therapy in your practice is a billing perspective that can create a potentially dangerous situation with medical and insurance reimbursement. Many table companies are recommending that you use exercise codes like 97110 or 97530 for the time a patient is on the decompression table. Every compliance officer I have spoken to regarding that recommendation flatly rejected this billing practice as legal. However, you can bill for spinal strengthening when it is performed separately from the decompression time, but not as part of it.

For a list of companies selling decompression equipment, check out our just-released 2007 Buyer's Guide.

Spinal rejuvenation may, in fact, be the wave of the future. But how we position ourselves on this wave is of primary importance. If we are effective in our ability to achieve muscular strengthening to aid in structural correction, we can achieve predictable disk rehydration and disk height restoration. If we provide predictable, lasting results in correcting the spine, we can establish ourselves as the leading spinal disk specialists throughout the country.

Fred DiDomenico, DC, graduated in 1987 from Los Angeles College Of Chiropractic. After 12 years in practice, he began teaching for The Pettibon System and now is one of the founders of Elite Coaching, a coaching system for chiropractors using The Pettibon System. Contact him at or (800) 696-9036.