IDD Therapy


Diagnosed with a disc herniation or sciatica?

IDD Therapy Treatment is for herniated discs, slipped disc and sciatica. The physiotherapy & osteopathy team provide IDD Therapy for disc-related issues including back pain, neck pain and sciatica for patients in Gloucestershire.
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When you need more than manual therapy for a herniated or bulging disc, we offer IDD Therapy.
A lot of patients come to see us with back pain and neck pain. Nearly all the problems our patients come for help with can be resolved, often quite simply, with a variety of manual therapy and exercise techniques.
However, for some patients hands on treatment on its own is not enough to resolve the problem. This is particularly the case with certain spinal disc issues like a bulging or herniated disc as well as sciatica and nerve pain in the arms.

What is IDD Therapy?
IDD stands for Intervertebral Differential Dynamics (IDD) Therapy, or more simply IDD Therapy for short. Developed in the USA in the late 1990s, IDD Therapy is a targeted treatment which relieves pressure on specific spinal discs and gently restores mobility. We have an IDD Therapy machine (Accu SPINA) which patients lie on as part of their treatment. It is computer controlled and perfectly comfortable.
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By decompressing (taking pressure off) an injured or bulging/herniated disc and stretching the soft tissues, we can improve mobility in the spine and allow the body’s natural healing mechanisms to operate more efficiently. In so doing, we aim to relieve pain caused by muscle spasm and alleviate nerve compression and irritation caused by bulging discs.
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Watch the short video below to see how it works...

IDD Therapy for Herniated Discs, Slipped Disc, Radiculopathy and Sciatica
IDD Therapy with the Accu SPINA machine
As clinicians, we can treat most back and neck pain with manual therapies but for some conditions - particularly those which are disc-related - patients need something more to help their condition improve.
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Why choose IDD Therapy?
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Current treatment is not working
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Want to stop taking painkillers
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Seeking long-term pain relief
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Want to return to normal daily activities
Typical candidates for IDD Therapy are people who have back or neck pain and may have tried various other treatments without success. They may be taking pain medication and may be considering invasive treatments such as injections or in extreme cases, surgery.
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Want to know more?
Make an appointment to see one of the Active Therapy Team. We will assess your condition and give you a good understanding of whether IDD Therapy is suitable for you.
IDD Therapy treatment is one treatment tool we use and as part of your assessment we will advise you on the most applicable treatment for your individual needs.
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To book an assessment call the clinic on 01285 643080

We see a lot of spine issues at the clinic. When it comes to certain disc-related problems which refuse to budge, there is nothing more frustrating for a clinician than knowing what is causing a patient’s pain and not being able to do that little bit more to help them on the road to recovery.
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IDD Therapy gives us that edge to do more than we can achieve with our hands alone as part of a programme of care.
Stephen Haynes - Clinic Owner & Osteopath
IDD Therapy gives physiotherapists a precise tool to help people with spinal disc problems which up to now, we have tended to have to refer for pain management or even surgery.
In the past physios have used different mechanical tools, notably “traction” to try to alleviate back pain. The big failing with traction was that it was unable to precisely target and treat a specific injured spinal segment. With IDD Therapy, we can do that and this increases the scope of what we can f
do for patients with disc issues coming to see us.
If you are suffering with back pain, neck pain or sciatica, our combined osteopathy and physiotherapy team are here to help you. If you are interested to see whether IDD Therapy would be suitable for you, get in touch and we can take you through your options for assessment and treatment.
David Ede - Clinic Owner & Chartered Physiotherapist

IDD Therapy 2024 Feedback Questionnaire
As part of our ongoing commitment to evidence-based care, we sent out a survey to our 2024 IDD users. Below are the results of those that responded.

Pain Levels Before IDD Therapy:
The majority of patients rated their pain as 8/10 or higher.
29.7% rated their pain at 8, and 24.3% gave it a 10.
Pain Levels After Completing IDD Therapy:
A massive 43.2% rated their pain at just 1!
An impressive 80% rated their pain at 3 or lower.
And no one reported pain above 5. 🙌
These results show just how effective IDD Therapy can be in significantly reducing back pain.
Patients were asked whether they experienced a noticeable reduction in pain after completing IDD Therapy — and here’s what they told us:
70.3% reported a significant reduction in pain!
21.6% said they experienced some improvement.
Only 8.1% reported no change.
No one reported their pain worsened
These results reflect the real experiences of our patients and reinforce why IDD Therapy is a leading non-invasive solution for back pain.


Patients response about their back pain medication use BEFORE and AFTER completing IDD Therapy.
Before IDD Therapy:
48.6% were taking oral pain medication
10.8% had received steroid injections
40.5% weren’t taking medication
After IDD Therapy (of those who were taking medication):
44% completely stopped their medication
40% significantly reduced their use
Only 16% saw no change
No one required more medication!
These results show that IDD Therapy not only reduces back pain — it also helps patients rely less on medication. A huge win for long-term wellbeing and quality of life!
We asked our patients how back pain was affecting their ability to perform everyday tasks — both BEFORE and AFTER completing their course of IDD Therapy. Here’s what they told us:
Before IDD Therapy:
40.5% said their pain moderately interfered with daily activities.
37.8% experienced severe limitations.
13.5% were completely unable to carry out daily tasks.
After IDD Therapy:
40% reported no interference at all
42.9% said they were only mildly affected
Only 5.7% remained severely impacted, and no one reported being completely unable anymore!
That’s a major shift in functional independence! The Takeaway: Patients regain independence and return to normal function! — a clear sign that IDD Therapy can help patients regain control of their daily lives.


We asked patients which activities they were able to return to or perform more easily after completing IDD Therapy — and the results were incredible:
72.2% are now able to complete household chores more comfortably
72.2% have returned to physical exercise like walking or the gym
66.7% are back to enjoying hobbies and recreational activities
55.6% have returned to work-related tasks with greater ease
36.1% are more active socially
And one even said they can now compete in strongman competitions!
Only 2.8% reported no change — proving how impactful IDD Therapy can be for restoring daily function and confidence.

Did IDD Therapy meet expectations? — and here’s what they said:
62.2% said it EXCEEDED their expectations
29.7% said it MET their expectations
Only 5.4% felt it fell slightly short
Just 2.7% said it did not meet their expectations
These results show just how effective and well-received IDD Therapy is at Active Therapy Clinic — helping patients not just feel better, but often better than they imagined!

Would you recommend IDD Therapy to others suffering from back pain?
Here’s what they told us:
92.1% said “Yes, definitely”
5.3% said “Maybe, it depends”
Only 2.6% said “No”
These results are a strong testament to how effective, safe, and life-changing IDD Therapy can be for back pain sufferers.
Additional Comments & Feedback
..."I can’t describe how amazing it is to be pain free after years of various treatments. It feels like my joints have been well oiled and i have the freedom of pain free movement again.Thank you for introducing me to IDD"...
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..."If the problem was to return I would 100% ask for IDD straight away"...
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..."Simply amazing I was walking with 2 sticks prior to using it"...
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..."awesome treatment totally fixed me"...
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..."A very relaxing and extremely effective therapy , with long term results ."...
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..."although treatment completed i still attend every 6 weeks at my own choice more for maintenance reasons"...
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..."My consultant suggested IDD when injections didn’t help that much"...