The Spinal Decompression Show

In this episode Steve Small sits down with Brett Gilbertson of spinaldecompression.com. Steve and Brett have known each other for some time, and over the years they’ve had many longconversations about Brett’s history with spinal decompression. This time they recorded it.

Brett’s late father was one of the pioneers of the field. A chiropractor who ran six of the original VAX D devices, he gave Brett a front row seat as a teenager to a treatment thatwas brand new and largely misunderstood. Brett talks us through what that experience was like and how it shaped his thinking. 

We look at the landmark paper by Ramos and Martin, the first study to measure pressure inside the disc during distraction, and what it really told us.

From there we follow how treatment protocols have evolved, through to IDD Therapy, and we tackle the common misunderstandings about how spinal decompression actually works and why it achieves such positive results for so many patients. 

Those misunderstandings are what led Brett to create spinaldecompression.com. The site helps patientsmakeinformed choices about their care by demystifying the treatment and being open about what it aims to do and how successful it is. It doesn’t pretend to be a cure all with 100% results.  

What it does show is that spinal decompression has a significant place in the middle ground of spine care,between conservative therapy and surgery. 

Dive in and enjoy. 

Links: 

Ramos G, Martin W. Effectsofvertebral axial decompression on intradiscal pressure. J Neurosurg. 1994Sep;81(3):350-3. doi: 10.3171/jns.1994.81.3.0350. PMID: 8057141. ⁠https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8057141/⁠

Contact Brett Gilbertson at ⁠https://spinaldecompression.com/⁠

Download an info pack about spinaldecompression at ⁠https://spinaldecompressionpodcast.com/⁠ 

Connect with Steve Small ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-small-steadfastclinics

Bulge, herniation, protrusion, extrusion. These words turn up on MRI reports every day, yet they’re often used loosely and patients walk away unsure what they actually have. In this episode Steve Small sits down with Osteopath Rob Shanks of Spine Plus and thecliniccoach.net to clear up the confusion.

Rob has been using IDD Therapy for over 15 years and has become a go to authority for clinicians who want to read and interpret MRI scans with confidence.

He and Steve work through the language around discs and explain why a bulge isn’t the same as a herniation, along with what really separates a protrusion from an extrusion or a sequestered fragment.

From there they move on to the scans themselves. What are we actually looking at on an MRI? What should reassure us and what should make us pause?

Rob explains the difference between exiting and traversing nerve roots in plain terms and shows how the position of the disc material links to the symptoms a patient describes.

They also cover degeneration, disc height and the other features that shape what a scan means for the person in front of you.

Finally they bring it back to IDD Therapy and spinal decompression, and discuss which presentations Rob would expect to respond well, which call for a more guarded view and where a surgical opinion makes sense.

Jump in. Some of it you’ll already know well, some of it you won’t, and it will certainly raise a few questions in your mind.

Resources

Rob Shanks, The Clinic Coach: https://thecliniccoach.net
Spine Plus: spineplus.co.uk
For more information and downloads on providing IDD Therapy spinal decompression: spinaldecompressionpodcast.com

In this episode Steve Small sits down with Brett Gilbertson of spinaldecompression.com. Steve and Brett have known each other for some time, and over the years they’ve had many long conversations about Brett’s history with spinal decompression. This time they recorded it.

Brett’s late father was one of the pioneers of the field. A chiropractor who ran six of the original VAX D devices, he gave Brett a front row seat as a teenager to a treatment that wasbrand new and largely misunderstood. Brett talks us through what that experience was like and how it shaped his thinking. 

We look at the landmark paper by Ramos and Martin, the first study to measure pressure inside the disc during distraction, and what it really told us.

From there we follow how treatment protocols have evolved, through to IDD Therapy, and we tackle the common misunderstandings about how spinal decompression actually works and why it achieves such positive results for so many patients. 

Those misunderstandings are what led Brett to create spinaldecompression.com. The site helps patients makeinformed choices about their care by demystifying the treatment and being open about what it aims to do and how successful it is. It doesn’t pretend to be a cure all with 100% results.  

What it does show is that spinal decompression has a significant place in the middle ground of spine care, between conservative therapy and surgery. 

Dive in and enjoy. 

Links: 

Ramos G, Martin W. Effects ofvertebral axial decompression on intradiscal pressure. J Neurosurg. 1994 Sep;81(3):350-3. doi: 10.3171/jns.1994.81.3.0350. PMID: 8057141. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8057141/

Contact Brett Gilbertson at https://spinaldecompression.com/

Download an info pack about spinal decompression at https://spinaldecompressionpodcast.com/ 

Connect with Steve Small https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-small-steadfastclinics

Steve Small sits down with osteopath Michael Brown of Cram Osteopaths in Glasgow. Michael is passionate about IDD Therapy and here he discusses different patient presentations and differences between protocols. A great way to learn from an experienced practitioner as we delve into treatment tension and so much more.

See more about Cram Osteopaths Here: https://www.glasgowosteopaths.info/

Interested to add spinal decompression to your practice? Download more info here https://spinaldecompressionpodcast.com/

Are you leaving your most powerful referral source in the dark about what you do? In this episode, Steve Small digs into oneof the most overlooked components of expanding your clinic’s community reach.

Local clinicians seeing exactly the sort of patients you can help don’t know about you. You’ll get a simple action plan for the patient arriving at that point in their recovery journey I call “Now what”.    This is where you come in.

About Steve Small: Steve heads up an international network of clinics providing IDD Therapy Spinal Decompression. He owned a clinic for eight years and helps clinics to develop their own specialist conservative spine care service.

Learn more about Spinal Decompression here:

https://spinaldecompressionpodcast.com/

Steve Small speaks with Ryan Rieder, chiropractor, former clinic owner and founder of DC Practice Growth. Ryan shares his journey from running a busy chiropractic clinic to coaching clinics and providing full service marketing support to practices across the profession.

The conversation explores what is changing in the clinic landscape, including recruitment challenges, increased competition and rising patient expectations. Ryan discusses the opportunities available to clinic owners who are willing to think strategically, build strong teams and develop clear systems.

A key part of the discussion focuses on spinal decompression and why more clinics are integrating IDD Therapy into their programmes of care. Ryan explains how decompression complements chiropractic, supports patients with disc related conditions and can provide structured, sustainable growth for clinics.

This episode is practical and reflective, offering insights for chiropractors, physiotherapists and osteopaths who want to strengthen their clinic, improve patient outcomes and build a more resilient business.

Useful Links:

Get access to Ryan's resources: https://dcpracticegrowth.com/

Download a guide to providing IDD Therapy:

https://spinaldecompressionpodcast.com/

Connect with Steve Small

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-small-steadfastclinics/

Steve Small walks through the real-world delivery of an IDD Therapy spinal decompression programme, covering the initial consultation, programme structure, what happens in a single session, outcome tracking, and the adjunct therapies clinics may use. A practical guide for clinicians looking to set up and manage spinal rehabilitation programmes with confidence.

Connect with host

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-small-steadfastclinics/

Info guide to providing spinal decompression

https://spinaldecompressionpodcast.com/

Exercise Software

https://www.rehabmypatient.com/

Infrared

UK Firzone sauna belt https://www.firzone.co.uk/

USA/Canada Thermotex Platinum https://www.thermotex.com/

Host: Steve Small
Guest: Stephen Barabas – VBS Medical, UK Distributor of K-Laser

In this episode, Steve Small is joined by Stephen Barabas from VBS Medical, the distributor of K-Laser, to explore how high power Class IV laser therapy works and how it can be integrated alongside spinal decompression treatments such as IDD Therapy.

We discuss:

• The mechanisms of action behind Class IV laser including photobiomodulation, cellular energy production, inflammation control and enhanced tissue repair.
• The difference between laser power outputs and why not all lasers are equal.
• How laser may help with disc related pathologies, including herniation, nerve irritation and inflammatory pain states.
• Protocol ideas and when to apply laser during a decompression treatment plan to complement disc rehabilitation.
• Clinical insights from Stephen’s work with clinics using both laser and spinal decompression to unlock faster outcomes and better patient compliance.
• Business impact and how adding laser to a decompression programme can increase treatment value and patient satisfaction.

This episode provides a clear and jargon free look at where laser fits in clinically and commercially for clinics offering or considering spinal decompression.

Useful links

Learn more about K-Laser: https://vbsmedical.com/
Download the Spinal Decompression Info Pack: https://spinaldecompressionpodcast.com

Connect with Steve Small:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-small-steadfastclinics/

Dan Smith is a physio and Clinical Director of Sports NSpinal Physio in Brentwood Essex.  Here Danshares his experiences, why traction went out of physiotherapy, why team workand rehab is so important, where and when to use IDD Therapy, the results oftheir own audit and Dan finishes with a pet peeve, some people saying all backpain gets better by itself …  whilst givingan injection which costs £$000s … just saying.

Sports N Spinal Physio https://sportsandspinalphysio.co.uk/

Download an info pack at https://www.spinaldecompressionpodcast.com/

In this follow-up conversation, Steve Small reconnects with Michael Fatica to explore one of the biggest challenges in spine care: the disconnect between Consultant-led interventions and the rehab patients desperately need before and afterwards.

Michael shares his honest thoughts on why so many patients fall through the cracks after procedures, injections, or imaging — and offers simple, practical solutions to help bridge that gap.

One standout idea: using a patient’s own phone to record them performing their exercises correctly in clinic, giving them a personal, on-demand reference to stay on track at home.

• Why interventions without structured rehab often fail patients

• The communication gap between Consultants and rehab professionals

• How small changes in clinic practice can improve patient outcomes

• Michael’s tip for using a patient’s smartphone as a rehab tool

• The need for proactive, progressive rehab plans alongside spinal interventions

Join the Back In Shape Program: www.backinshapeprogram.com

Clinicians: Download your free guide to providing spinal decompression: www.spinaldecompressionpodcast.com