A New Florida MRI Study of Spinal Decompression Is Making the Rounds. Here Is How Ocoee Readers Can Size It Up
Researchers at the University of South Florida reported small but measurable changes on MRI after a course of non-surgical spinal decompression. The findings are interesting, and they come with limits that every savvy reader should know before sharing the headline.
By Alena Wiese
Someone scrolling on a lunch break may see a post claiming that a decompression table can reshape the spine, with an MRI image attached. Friends comment, a relative with sciatica asks whether it is real, and within a day the claim has traveled further than the study behind it.
Here is the plain answer. A new study did find that people treated with non-surgical spinal decompression had slightly larger spinal canal measurements and lower pain scores afterward. But it was a small retrospective study with no comparison group, so it cannot show that the treatment caused those changes or that it works better than other care.
The paper, published online Sept. 29, 2026, in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, analyzed 36 patients treated with the DRX9000 device. Pain on a 0 to 10 scale fell by an average of 3.4 points, from a baseline of 5.6.
What Did the New USF Decompression Study Find?
The study found improvements in both symptoms and several MRI measurements after about 20 decompression sessions. Researchers affiliated with the University of South Florida reviewed records from 36 adults, 20 women and 16 men, with an average age of about 56. Patients received a median of 20 sessions, each lasting 28 minutes, and had MRI scans before and after treatment, a median of 141.5 days apart.
The numbers were modest but consistent. Oswestry Disability Index scores improved by 10.8 points from a baseline of 17.3. Spinal canal cross-sectional area increased 2.9%, from 170.9 to 175.8 square millimeters. Disc volume decreased 4.0%. The authors concluded that decompression was associated with larger canal dimensions and improved symptoms, while calling for more research on whether the changes last and matter clinically.
Florida sits at the center of this research. Imaging came from USF’s Tampa program and from chiropractic practices in Daytona Beach and Punta Gorda.
Source: Structural Remodeling of the Lumbar Spine Following Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression: An Automated MRI Study, Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, September 2026.
What Does the Study Not Tell Us?
The study cannot tell us whether decompression works better than exercise, physical therapy, other chiropractic care or simply waiting. Without a control group, there is no way to separate the treatment’s effect from natural recovery.
It also cannot show that a bigger canal means less pain. A 2.9% change in canal area is measurable, but the study was not designed to prove that the imaging change explains the drop in pain. Imaging and symptoms often do not line up neatly in back pain, and the months between scans leave room for improvement from time, activity changes or other care.
Other limits matter too. The sample was small. It was retrospective, meaning researchers looked back at existing records. MRI settings varied across facilities, and long-term follow-up was limited. Readers should also note the funding: one author received Florida High-Tech Corridor funding matched by Excite Medical, the manufacturer of the DRX9000, and the paper discloses that relationship. Industry support does not make findings wrong, but it is a reason to wait for independent confirmation.
What Does the Wider Traction Research Look Like?
The wider research suggests traction is often studied as one part of a combined plan, which makes single headlines hard to interpret. A meta-analysis published in March 2026 in Frontiers in Medicine pooled 12 randomized trials with 912 patients with lumbar disc herniation. Adding tuina, a form of Chinese therapeutic massage, to lumbar traction was associated with better clinical efficacy, function scores, and pain scores than traction alone.
The authors were candid about the weaknesses. Heterogeneity between trials was high, with I-squared values above 90% for most outcomes; funnel plots suggested possible publication bias, adverse events were rarely reported, and traction force and technique varied from trial to trial. The same lesson applies to the USF paper: what was compared, and how, shapes what a result means.
Source: Efficacy and safety evaluation of massage combined with traction for lumbar disc herniation: a meta-analysis, Frontiers in Medicine, March 2026.
What Does “FDA-Cleared” Mean for a Decompression Table?
FDA clearance means a device was found to be substantially equivalent to a legally marketed device; it is not proof that the device works better than other treatments. The FDA’s 510(k) database shows the DRX9000 True Spinal Decompression System, submitted by Axiom Worldwide of Tampa, received a substantially equivalent decision on May 26, 2006, under product code ITH, powered traction equipment.
Devices in this category are cleared, not approved, a distinction worth remembering when marketing says otherwise.
Who Might Be a Candidate for Non-Surgical Decompression, and Who Should Not Be?
People most often considered for decompression have ongoing low back or leg symptoms linked to disc problems and no signs of a serious underlying condition. The key is ruling out the cases where it is the wrong tool.
Certain symptoms call for prompt medical or emergency attention rather than a table-based treatment: loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, rapidly worsening leg weakness, fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, or pain after a fall or crash. Surgical decompression, which removes bone or disc tissue pressing on a nerve, remains the appropriate path for some of those situations and for severe nerve compression that does not respond to other care.
How Does an Ocoee Evaluation Fit Into the Evidence?
A thorough evaluation is where the research becomes practical. ReliefNow® Laser Ocoee, at 288 Moore Rd in Ocoee (407-877-7117), serves Ocoee, Winter Garden, and Windermere in West Orange County. Its listed services include non-surgical spinal decompression, Class IV laser therapy, regenerative medicine, focused shockwave, chiropractic care, and customized rehabilitation. Chiropractors at the location include Dr. Jeffrey N. Shebovsky and Dr. Kyle Learn.
Dr. Shebovsky, DC, holds Florida chiropractic license CH6499, earned a B.S. in biology from the State University of New York at Albany and a Doctor of Chiropractic from New York Chiropractic College, and has more than 30 years of clinical experience. He is the author of two books on chiropractic care and laser therapy.
An evaluation that reflects the evidence screens for red flags first, explains what the research can and cannot promise, and sets measurable goals. Tracking pain ratings, function scores, and daily activities over time gives a patient a clear picture of whether care is helping, and a reason to change course if it is not.
Reading the Headline, Then the Study
Non-surgical spine care is part of everyday conversation now, and that is a good thing when the conversation is accurate. The new USF study adds a Florida data point worth watching. The smart response is neither dismissal nor hype: read the sample size, look for a control group, check the funding, and ask what a result means for daily life. Those four questions travel well, whatever the next spine headline says.
ABOUT: Dr. Jeffrey N. Shebovsky, DC | ReliefNow® Laser Ocoee | 288 Moore Rd, Ocoee, FL 34761 | 407-877-7117 |
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any treatment program.
