Spinal Traction in Chiropractic Medicine

Chiropractic spinal traction therapy is a method of stretching and mobilizing the spine using hands-on or mechanic force. Alleviation in pain is sought with therapeutic spinal traction by loosening tight and/or constricted muscles around the spine, and to help decompress intervertebral discs in order to relieve pressure on the spinal nerve roots, which is a major cause of back and spine related pain.

As with other chiropractic treatments, spinal traction may or may not help alleviate your pain, often times with chiropractic treatment what works on one patient may not be right for others.

Your chiropractor will evaluate your condition and determine if traction, and in what form, is right for you.

There are several types of spinal traction, lumbar or cervical, and whether it is done manually or with a traction device:

繚 Manual cervical traction is performed with the patient lying on the table in the supine position while the chiropractor holds the patients head and gently pulls or turns the head.

繚 Mechanical cervical traction is a device that consists of a head harness and pulley system that utilizes weights to apply the force. The patient may use this device while sitting, lying flat, or in a reclined position. This method of traction is often done at home by the patient themselves after having been properly instructed by the chiropractor in the correct technique.

繚 Manual lumbar traction is performed by the chiropractor by having the patient lay on the treatment table and then gently pulls on the ankles or by putting the patient's legs on the chiropractor's shoulders whereupon they grasp the patient's thighs and pull, or a waist harness may be utilized to apply the force.

繚 Mechanical traction may be performed by use of a split table style traction device that consists of a computer controlled two level table that the patient lays on and grasps two handles while the lower level of the table applies the force by means of attachment of a waist harness. However, when the spine is in a state of deterioration, such as from osteoporosis, spinal traction is not a treatment option. Other conditions that would exclude a patient from utilizing traction include pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, hernia, and in some cases TMJ. Some mechanical spinal traction devices are considered experimental at this point and so your insurance may or may not pay for this treatment.

Spinal traction therapy is often used in conjunction with other forms of chiropractic treatment and physical therapy for maximum benefit.