USF Health patients now have access to a specialized device meant to reduce back pain, thanks to the donation by Excite Medical.

Excite Medical donated two devices – the DRX9000 and the DRX9000C – as treatment options that may prove helpful to patients not benefiting from other standard non-surgical options for easing back pain, said Nathan Schilaty, DC, PhD, assistant professor and the Lincoln Endowed Chair in Chiropractic and Biomechanics Research in the Department of Neurosurgery in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

USF Health’s Dr. Nathan Schilaty and Saleem Musallam, president of Excite Medical.

“Thanks to our industry partner Excite Medical, we can now offer patients a highly advanced non-surgical option for spinal decompression,” said Dr. Schilaty, who also directs the Center for Neuromusculoskeletal Research.

“In addition to providing patients with this treatment as another tool in our non-surgical arsenal, we are collecting data on the use of DRX9000 through evidence-based, peer-reviewed studies, which will better inform the medical community on its true efficacy. Earlier studies on DRX9000 are promising, and this additional data could not only validate its effectiveness but also provide the empirical data needed to expand availability and help more patients suffering with back pain.”

The DRX9000 and the DRX9000C were provided to USF Health as a gift-in-kind through a grant from the Florida High-Tech Corridor to provide clinical care and research. They are non-surgical spinal decompression devices cleared by the FDA to treat patients suffering from incapacitating lower back pain, sciatica, and neck pain caused by herniated discs, degenerative discs, and posterior facet syndrome. Decompression is currently available for spinal levels C1-T1 (cervical spine) and L1-S1 (lumbar spine).

“It is an excellent first choice for those with disc lesions as it is non-invasive and requires no medications,” said Saleem Musallam, president of Excite Medical. “Many patients can experience relief and excellent outcomes without undergoing surgery, avoiding the complications of surgery, and at a fraction of the cost of a spinal surgery.”

Patients of all ages could benefit from the DRX9000 & DRX9000C, although the treating physician may determine if there are exclusionary criteria from medical history. Even those who have had prior spinal surgery may be eligible for treatment at different levels of that previously operated.

Patients typically receive 20-24 treatments over six to eight weeks with each treatment lasting less than 30 minutes. As low back pain can accompany difficulty laying down or getting up, the table is power adjustable, which enables a patient to get on the table in a standing posture and then be gently lowered to a supine position for treatment. After treatment, it will assist them back to an upright posture. While the patient is undergoing treatment, they lay supine and are gently decompressed 18 cycles during the treatment session.

“It is gentle and relaxing,” Dr. Schilaty said, “and many patients will even often fall asleep, as they experience low-back pain relief.” Both the DRX9000 and the DRX9000C are in the USF Health Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare on the USF campus in Tampa.  

While the devices are cleared by the FDA, treatment may not yet be covered by some insurance carriers.

Call 813-821-8634 to learn more or make an appointment.