Cox Technic

Named after its developer, James M. Cox DC DACBR, Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction and Decompression is a gentle, non-force chiropractic adjusting approach. Here, you will read about its treatment place in healthcare, effects, benefits, and protocols used on a specifically designed treatment table as well as view demonstration videos of the treatment itself.

 Cox® Technic is an easy distraction (stretching) adjustment of the spine to realize the following benefits for the patient with back or extremity pain:

  1. Increase the intervertebral disc space opening

  2. Decrease the pressure within the disc to aid healing of disc herniation

  3. Increase the size of the nerve openings in the spine to reduce pinched nerves

  4. Revitalize range of motion to spinal segments

SPINAL DECOMPRESSION

Cox Technic is well documented with biomechanical and clinical research studies to reduce back pain and neck pain and drop intradiscal pressures. It is effective. A team of chiropractic and medical researchers and research-center based as well as private-practice clinicians design the studies, participate in them, and publish the outcomes of these multi-disciplinary, federally funded, multi-facility, randomized clinical control trials using the published protocols documented in textbooks and journals. 

Biomechanical Outcomes 

Spinal decompression via Cox Technic biomechanically allows for lumbar spine intradiscal pressure drops to as low as -192 mmHg and increases in intervertebral foramen nerve opening area by 28% and disc height by 2mm. Spinal decompression via Cox Technic creates cervical spine intradiscal pressure drops of as much as 168 kPa which is about 1260 mmHg. Cox Technic spinal decompression takes pressure off the spinal discs and nerves.

Clinical Outcomes

Chiropractic spinal decompression with Cox Technic results in back pain relief for lumbar spine back pain patients in an average of 12 visits and 29 days. In the 1000 cases study, 91% of participating chiropractic patients found relief in less than 90 days, keeping back pain sufferers from crossing over into the more expensive as well as life-altering category of chronic pain. This type of spinal decompression reduces radiculopathy (leg pain) commandingly compared to medical conservative care, primarily physical therapy. Further, patients cared for with spinal decompression as Cox Technic needed less care and reported less pain in the year following the study than did the PT patients.

Effectiveness and Cost of Chiropractic Spinal Decompression

Dr. Tenckhoff offers chiropractic spinal decompression as spinal manipulation in the form of flexion distraction (aka Cox Technic). It is a technique which recently published reports detail as being less expensive than 2% of the total cost to treat a lumbar herniated disc and costing 40% less than medical doctor originated care for back pain. 

THE HEALING BENEFITS

The above changes in the spine may permit the following healing benefits to patients with back pain or pain down the arms or legs:

  1. Stimulation of circulation into the intervertebral disc which can assist in absorption of the pain-causing chemicals while increasing the absorption of nutrients into the disc to aid healing and inflammation of the disc has been reported as necessary for successful outcome with spinal manipulation.

  2. Dropping the pressure inside the disc creates a force inside the disc to reduce the bulging of herniated disc material.

  3. Stenosis patients benefit by the increase in the size of the nerve openings which is the site of nerve compression and pinched nerves.

  4. Range of motion spinal manipulation restores more freedom of movement while also stimulating nerves in the extremities, spinal cord, and brain to make chemicals that reduce pain and create a sense of well-being.

  5. As these above changes occur under chiropractic treatment with Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction spinal manipulation, pain in the extremity can reduce by centralizing or isolating the pain to the low back and hip area.

    • This reduction of pain in the extremity by its moving out of the leg and into the back and hip area is a sign of healing and is called centralization of pain.

    • Back pain reduces as the nerve compression and chemical irritation decreases and normal movement of the spine returns.

  6. A study reports that it takes three months to allow healing of herniated disc and stenosis caused pain. Some patients receive full relief of pain and some as much relief as possible, necessitating continued observance of rules of exercise, proper ergonomics of lifting, and continued monitoring of care.

THE TABLE

You will notice, as most patients do on their first visit, the special table used for Cox® Technic. It is known as The Cox® Table or a flexion distraction table. Its design allows a gentle tractioning of the spine to drop intradiscal pressures, to increase disc height, and open the spinal canal area as well as re-establish individual normal spinal segment ranges of motion.