Dr Ho's decompression belt is advertised as a simple and effective way to alleviate back pain and provide necessary support, but does it really work as good as they claim? And… Is it really worth the money or is it just another scam back pain product that is going to be a big letdown? Let's find out…
There is plenty of promotional material out there for this particular decompression belt, making it by far one of the most popular on the market. It is advertised as being good for people who drive for long periods of time, sit around for most of the day, cook, garden, and so on. Pretty much it is shown as an effective solution for mostly anyone with back pain.
While it does have its perks and is effective for some, this is not going to be an all-in-one solution. It is not going to be a cure-all that works for everyone, as you will see in this review.
Dr-Ho's 2-in-1 Decompression Belt Review
- Creator: Dr Ho (Doctor of Chiropractic and Acupuncture)
- Purpose: Back pain
- Benefits: Support, pain relief, healing, easy to use
- Recommended?: Yes, but not for everyone (more on why)
- Best Place to Buy: Click Here
Overview
As the name suggests, a "decompression" belt decompresses your lower back where the belt is put in place. Basically what it does is stretches your back and relieves stress on your lower spine, along with providing good support and improving posture.
This belt is very easy to use. It features Velcro for easy fastening and adjustment along with a small hand pump for inflation, which I will talk more about in a bit. It can easily be worn underneath clothing throughout the day. And you don't always need to have it inflated... Walking around with it on un-inflated will still provide some support which might be helpful.
One of the good things about this particular decompression belt is that it is backed by a leader in the back pain prevention industry, Dr. Michael Ho who is a doctor of chiropractic and acupuncture. He is the creator and his life's work has been devoted to musculoskeletal pain and self-care, much of it focused on the spine.
How It Works
It's pretty simple really… The belt features interior tubes that inflate with air and provide a vertical traction as well as support once they are fully inflated. Inflation is made possible by a small hand-held pump and expands the inner tubes by about 4.5 to 7 inches as they are blown up with air.
The picture above really shows what's going on here. As the belt inflates it compresses the back and expands vertically, pushing up on the rib cage and down on the pelvic crest, thus decompressing the spine and providing more space in between the individual vertebrae.
After it is fully inflated it maintains a rigid shape that also provides good support to keep your back sturdy.
It works like an inversion table...
Basically it does the same thing as an inversion table, which are well proven to do wonders for lower back pain. While it isn't going to provide as good of separation between the individual vertebrae as an inversion table, it does have some perks… perks like being able to walk around with it on, which you obviously cannot do when you are hanging upside down on an inversion table
But Does It Really Work?
Okay... I get it, I get it… In theory it makes perfect sense… The belt decompresses the spine and relieves stress/tension, which then relieves pain and so on. But what are people who have used this belt actually saying about it? Are they cheering with joy at the miracle it has performed or are they disappointed?
Well… If you read reviews online you are likely to find both types of stories. I have read reviews of people with herniated discs and severe sciatica pain that have experienced instant relief when using the belt… People who have blown through tons of money trying to get rid of their back pain and had incredible results… But then there are also those who have negative things to say about it.
Amazon is a good website to find real customer reviews when looking into products like this. While you can't trust every review you read, you can still get a good idea of what real users have to say about things.
There are plenty of good reviews that you will see when scanning through the hundreds of them, such as these two that I took a screenshot of…
And there also a fair amount of somewhat negative reviews, such as these…
Now I will say that there are more positive reviews than negative, but the bottom line is that this is NOT going to work for everyone, and in some cases it may even make conditions worse.
Whether or not you are going to experience relief from the belt depends on a lot of things such as what exactly the cause of your back pain is, where it is occurring specifically, and even things like the shape of your body and how well it fits.
Pros v Cons
Pros
- Provides relief and support - For most people it is more than likely going to provide some relieve due to the decompression of the spine. Support is also a good benefit that will relieve stress and pain.
- Small and portable - As mentioned earlier, this is something that you are obviously going to be able to wear around with you throughout the day. Inversion tables are great, but you can only use them as you hang upside down in one place while this is small and portable.
- Easy to take on/off - The Velcro is a nice feature. It is simple to get on and off as well as to adjust.
- 90 day money-back guarantee - If you don't like it for some reason you can send it on back and get your money back. You have 90 days to do this which is plenty. This just goes to show how much the manufacturer believes in their product.
Cons
- Expensive - The belt is fairly expensive. However, you might be able to get your insurance to cover it. I'll touch more on this in a bit.
- Can be uncomfortable - Some people are going to have no problem wearing this while others are going to be uncomfortable. There are many variables that determine this... things dealing with the shape of your body being at the top of the list.
- Won't help all back pain - This does what it says it does but it isn't going to be a cure-all. Hopefully it will help you but there is definitely not guarantee. At least there is that money-back guarantee though if it doesn't work.
Worth Buying or Not?
If you are considering buying this belt then just make sure you would know exactly what you are buying, because it is a bit expensive. However, if you have tried just about anything and think this has a fighting chance, it may be well worth it.
It is a back pain product that is worth further consideration if you have…
- Stiffness and tension in the lower back
- Bulging or herniated disks
- Scoliosis
...which is going to account for a large percentage of people with back pain out there.
In addition to relieving tension and stress on your lower back, one thing that is not talked about very much is that it can also help your lower back heal itself. By providing separation of the vertebrae it allows for better blood flow and delivery of nutrients, which very well could be the little extra boost that your body needs to heal itself. But again, this is just a possibility and depends on your situation and cause of back pain.
Where to Buy
The Dr Ho decompression belt can be purchased directly on Amazon here.
If you have Medicare or private insurance you could get it at little to no cost
If you do purchase it on the official website the good thing is that you can easily get it covered by Medicare or private insurance.
You will be able to submit a bit of personal information about yourself and the company will submit a request on your behalf to have it covered, which may be partially or fully depending on your insurance.
Something else you may want to look into buying to relieve back pain is Turmeric Curcumin, which has shown to be a powerful natural anti-inflammatory.
I hope you enjoyed this unbiased review and found it helpful. Questions or comments? Leave them down below in the comment section and I'll get back to you as soon as I can 🙂
I bought the Dr Ho Decompression Belt ( Size B ) in June 2020 . Within 3 weeks , I had returned it as it would not retain the pumped air ( Not the valve ! ) ,. Dr. Ho was good and
send me a replacement within a month . The second wouldn't hold air either . I have contacted Dr. Ho service complaining about a $250 belt that could have general structural
problems . No response , 24 hrs. later. I'm sure that I am not the soul customer that has had
this problem and I have had it twice. I would be curious for other customer experiences .