How long does traction take

A physician can determine if the risks are worth the potential rewards based on your medical history. Before undergoing spinal traction, you must speak with your doctor to create a total-management physical therapy plan.

Spinal traction often works as an enhancement for other therapies. A physician may recommend at-home exercises before spinal traction. This is usually not required. The results of spinal traction include pain relief, proper spinal alignment, and decompressed joints.

Spinal traction stretches the muscles and bones in the back to combat the effects of gravity. Under the right circumstances, this could significantly improve the way you move and feel throughout the day. With the help of other physical therapies, many people find great success with spinal traction.

Treatment reduces pain and the body is more capable of healing itself. Some people only need spinal traction therapy for a short period of time. Others need it throughout their lives. Cervical traction refers to exercises your physical therapist can guide you through to help relieve your neck pain. There are also devices that allow…. Lower back pain and coughing often go hand-in-hand.

Chronic and forceful coughs on their own can even cause back pains. Paraplegia is a type of paralysis that affects the lower half of the body. We explain how paraplegia is diagnosed, symptoms, treatment, and more.

Microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure performed on patients with a herniated lumbar disc. The spine serves many important functions, including providing structural support.

Remember that traction does not take the place of neck exercises or postural correction in the treatment of your neck pain. Be sure to perform the exercises that your physical therapist has prescribed to treat your neck pain.

Active engagement in your exercise program is essential to help treat your neck pain and to help prevent it from returning once it has fully abolished. If you have neck pain, an over-the-door traction device is a simple, cost-effective method to provide traction to your neck at home.

Ask your physical therapist if over-the-door traction is an appropriate treatment for your specific condition. Dealing with joint pain can cause major disruptions to your day. Sign up and learn how to better take care of your body. Click below and just hit send! The efficacy of a home-mechanical traction unit for patients with mild to moderate cervical osteoarthrosis: A pilot study. Med J Islam Repub Iran. PMID: Your Privacy Rights.

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Cervical traction therapy can also alleviate the adverse effects of the following problems:. There are three forms of cervical traction therapy : manual cervical traction, mechanical cervical traction, and at-home cervical traction. The third can be performed at home for additional pain relief from spinal pressure and neck discomfort.

Your doctor or physical therapist will perform this method of neck traction. It involves the doctor manually pulling your head away from your neck to reduce the pressure on your spine. The doctor or physical therapist will hold the position for a period of time before releasing the neck and repeating the motions to achieve the desired pain relief. Similar to manual cervical traction, mechanical cervical traction is performed by a doctor or a licensed physical therapist in their office.

Instead of manually stretching the head from the neck, a harness or machine is attached to the head and neck. The system is then hooked up to a weight, like a sandbag, water bag, or traditional weights. The extra force helps expand the space between the head and neck, attaining the intended cervical traction.

There are a few options for at-home cervical traction. For those who find pain relief success with mechanical cervical traction at their physical therapy clinic, smaller, more manageable machines are available to purchase for use in the home.

Other options include over-the-door solutions that use a system of pulleys and ropes to suspend the head and relieve pressure. Finally, more portable methods exist that achieve the same desired effect without the heavy machinery associated with more traditional at-home cervical traction devices. You can complement your regularly prescribed physical and massage therapy with a cervical traction device that you can use at home or on-the-go to relieve chronic neck pain fast and protect your body against further damage.

Personal neck traction devices can be found at your local medical supply store or online. Figure out which method works best for your lifestyle and consult your physical therapist to see if incorporating cervical traction would benefit your therapeutic regimen.

The most common form of at-home cervical traction therapy is the over-the-door traction unit. It involves a complex system of pulleys and weights to create the intended separation of the neck and head. To reiterate, an over-the-door cervical traction device utilizes a harness that envelopes the neck and head, gently separating the two through the force of 10 pounds to up to 50 pounds of force.

Now that medical professionals are more accepting of the use of at-home medical technology, cervical traction devices have evolved out of the cumbersome and outdated form of the traditional over-the-door device.

The most innovative form of at-home cervical traction manual therapy is a sling-based device known as the Neck Hammock. It works similarly to mechanical cervical traction therapy in that it decreases spinal pressure and increases joint mobility but slashes the cost of effective at-home treatment of chronic neck pain. The Neck Hammock is more of a maintenance tool than a replacement for regular clinical visits to your doctor or physical therapist.

However, it can serve as a long-term solution for mild to moderate neck pain and tension headaches. In most cases, this sling-focused cervical traction device will deliver instant pain relief and can be made a part of your daily routine. The sling-focused cervical traction device looks similar to an over-the-door traction unit, but without the overwhelming system of weights and pulleys. Lying down flat on your back, place the Neck Hammock about two to four inches off the ground.

If you desire a deeper stretch, simply raise the hanging height of the device. The Neck Hammock features an adjustable strap to quickly and easily change the hanging height as necessary. If your body experiences any pain while using the device, lower the hanging height of the Neck Hammock to reduce the tension on your neck.