Prime Spine Wellness

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Non-surgical spinal decompression · Bethesda, MD

Were you told your next step is injections or surgery? There is a non-surgical option for the disc.

Non-surgical spinal decompression treats the disc itself. No needles, no drugs, no surgery. Dr. Rebecca Lee personally evaluates every case. We only accept cases we are confident we can help.
Apply for an evaluation
Compare with other care
See if you are a candidate for non-surgical decompression.

From patients

★★★★★
Rated on Google
Read all reviews
★★★★★
“I was on the path of pain pills, and steroid shots, before I was referred to Dr. Lee, so glad I changed course.”
I am much better and now greatly reduced morning pain.

C. W. Owen

Google review

After injections
★★★★★
“3 weeks later now, my grandpa is in a significant and incredible better condition.”
I took my grandfather to see Dr. Lee after I saw how bad he was from lower back pain caused by herniated/deviated disks and other conditions. It only took us 1 visit to decide on proceeding with the recommended treatment.

Henry A.

Google review

Herniated discs
★★★★★
“My lower back pain, which had been troubling me for a long time, is now completely gone.”
The therapy sessions and disc decompression treatments have been incredibly effective. They take the time to understand your condition and tailor the treatment to your specific needs.

Dickson

Google review

Low back pain
More patient stories

Why nothing has held

A damaged disc does not heal the way a muscle does.

You rested. You did physical therapy. You tried adjustments, medication, maybe an injection. Each one calmed the pain for a while, and none of them changed the disc, so the pain came back.

A disc has very little blood supply, and it is under load every time you sit, stand or bend. With no relief from that pressure, it cannot draw in the fluid and nutrients it needs to recover.

Non-surgical decompression takes the pressure off the disc gently and repeatedly as part of your program. That gives the disc the conditions it needs to change.

★★★★★
“The care and treatment with Dr. Lee has honestly been life changing.”
I have seen chiropractors my whole life and have had some temporary relief. Dr. Lee’s approach with multiple treatments targeted to issues found in x-rays has made a huge difference to the pain I have had in my lower back and shoulders for 20+ years.

Prime Spine patient

Google review

20+ years of pain

How it works

A gentle, computer-guided stretch for the disc.

You lie on a padded table, fully clothed. The table gently stretches and releases the spine in slow cycles. There is no twisting and no cracking. Most people find it comfortable.

You can drive yourself home and go back to your day.

1

Evaluation with Dr. Lee

Your history, a full physical exam with a muscle and nerve function assessment, and your MRI or X-rays. She looks at how the pain behaves, not just where it is.

2

Your plan, built from her findings

Dr. Lee builds your program from what she finds at your evaluation and from your goals.

3

Regular re-exams

As your care goes on, Dr. Lee re-examines you and adjusts your plan.

Is this you?

Is non-surgical decompression a fit for you? Dr. Lee decides at the evaluation.

Non-surgical decompression is usually considered when

  • Your pain has lasted months, or keeps coming back
  • An MRI shows a herniated, bulging or degenerative disc, or your symptoms point to one
  • Pain, numbness or tingling travels into a leg or an arm, or your neck pain reaches your shoulder or hand
  • Therapy, medication or injections did not give lasting relief
  • You have already had an injection or surgery and want to know whether non-surgical decompression is still an option
  • You have been told the next step is injections or surgery and want to know your non-surgical options first

How Dr. Lee decides

  • Your history: how long, what it feels like, what you have tried
  • A physical exam with a muscle and nerve function assessment
  • Your MRI or X-rays, matched against your symptoms
  • A screen for the conditions that rule non-surgical decompression out

You get a clear answer at the evaluation, either way. We only accept cases we are confident we can help.

How it compares

What each option does for the disc.

Rest and medication

Dulls the pain for now

Rest calms a flare-up, and medication eases the pain while it lasts.

Neither one relieves the pressure on the disc, so the pain comes back once your normal routine resumes.

  • Short-term relief. No change to the disc

Physical therapy

Builds strength around the spine

Good therapy adds support and gets you moving, and many people benefit from it. It targets the muscles around the disc rather than the disc. With an irritated nerve, the exercises can be hard to do.
  • Helpful support. No change to the disc

Adjustments on their own

Gets stiff joints moving

An adjustment frees up the joints of the spine and can ease pain for a time.

By itself, it does not relieve the pressure on a bulging or herniated disc. That is why Dr. Lee does not rely on adjustments alone.

  • Relief for a time. No change to the disc

Injections

Settles the irritated nerve

A steroid injection near the nerve can calm a bad flare-up of nerve pain.

The disc pressing on the nerve does not change, and you can only have so many injections.

  • Temporary. No change to the disc

Non-surgical spinal decompression

Relieves the pressure on the disc

Of every option here, it is the only one that works on the disc rather than around it.
  • Works on the cause, so relief can last
  • No needles, drugs or surgery
  • You stay fully clothed on a padded table
  • Every case evaluated by Dr. Lee herself
  • A program built from her full evaluation
  • Progress re-examined by Dr. Lee as you go
“As a physical therapist, I appreciate her walking me through her process and clearly explaining her treatment plan and goals.”
★★★★★
Google review · Prime Spine patient
The full comparison

From patients

Lynette: four herniated discs, six weeks of care.

“I could barely walk, chronic pain. My consultation was amazing. She had found the results of my MRI’s and had them on the screen when I arrived. She explained in full detail what my issues were and how they can be corrected. 4 herniated discs! Now 6 weeks in and I feel amazing… no pain, walking without limping. The sharp pains in my calf from the sciatica have gone. I’m smiling again!”
Google review · Lynette

The problem

Four herniated discs, sciatica into the calf, could barely walk

What she had tried

Six weeks

What changed

No pain, walking without a limp

★★★★★
“I no longer feel surgery is in the future for me.”
I had been released from my physical therapist who said they did all they could. My pain doctor said I maxed out on my epidurals. I was still experiencing discomfort as well as intense and consistent numbness and tingling. From my first appointment the numbness and tingling subsided.

Prime Spine patient

Google review

Herniated disc
★★★★★
“This practice reduced my daily pain level from 7 out of 10 to a 1 out of 10 and some days 0 out of 10.”
My back pain and sciatica were severe. Over 3 years the pain got worse and worse. I tried PT, pills, exercise and I felt little relief.

Minna

Google review

Sciatica
★★★★★
“The decompression table treatment has made a real difference for me.”
I have a bulging disc between L5 and S1, and I had been dealing with quite a bit of pain and discomfort. I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my pain, and I’m finally feeling more comfortable and able to move around with less discomfort.

Anney C.

Google review

Bulging disc
More patient stories

Questions

About the treatment

“I had never been to a chiropractor before visiting Dr. Lee, and I’m so glad I did. I was nervous during my first session, but her expertise and approach quickly put me at ease. After just five sessions, I’ve noticed a significant improvement.”
★★★★★
Google review · Prime Spine patient

No incision, no anesthesia, no injection, no drugs. You lie fully clothed on a padded table while a computer controls the pull. Dr. Lee screens every patient for the conditions that rule it out before any care starts, and she re-examines you at set points during care.

A session feels comfortable to most people, and some fall asleep. The pull starts gently and builds slowly, and the team adjusts the table whenever you ask.

Everyone is different. At your evaluation, Dr. Lee tells you what she would expect for your case and when your re-exam will be.

Traction and inversion apply one steady pull to the whole spine, and the muscles often tighten against it. The table used for non-surgical decompression is computer controlled. It works on one spot in your spine and cycles the pull on and off so the muscles stay relaxed.

An MRI or an X-ray both work. If you cannot get the images, bring the report, or email it to the office before your visit. No imaging yet? Come in for your evaluation anyway. If you need imaging, Dr. Lee refers you for it.

Park free in the reserved patient spots on levels 1 and 2 of the garage attached to the building. Look for the Prime Spine Wellness signs, then walk down to the building’s front entrance.

Yes. Most people keep working during their program, and the office plans your care around your day.

Insurance covers what it has a code for: short visits, medication, injections and surgery. It was never designed to cover a full program of care aimed at the disc itself, so most plans do not pay for a non-surgical decompression program. Dr. Lee builds your program from her full evaluation of your case, not from what a policy covers. Monthly payment options are available.

Yes. Non-surgical decompression and traction have been studied since the 1960s. See the research Dr. Lee points patients to →

It depends on the program Dr. Lee recommends, so there is no single price. She goes over the cost and monthly payment options with you at the evaluation.

Next step

See if you are a candidate.

One evaluation tells you whether non-surgical decompression can help yours.
Apply for an evaluation
Apply online. The office reviews your application and contacts you about the next step.

Prime Spine Wellness

(301) 272-2050

4833 Rugby Avenue, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814

EMAIL: PRIMESPINEWELLNESS@GMAIL.COM

Office Hours

MON 11 AM – 2 PM and 3 – 6:30 PM
TUES 11 AM – 2 PM and 3 – 6:30 PM
WED 11 AM – 2 PM and 3 – 6:30 PM
(Closed for lunch 2 – 3 PM)
THURS 11 AM – 4:30 PM
FRI 11 AM – 4:30 PM
SAT and SUN CLOSED
  • Free reserved parking on levels 1 and 2 of the attached garage. Look for the Prime Spine Wellness signs.
Existing patient? Call the office to move an appointment or ask a question.