Of theses two forms there are multiple kinds of traction devices and ways to do them. There is in office traction and there is home traction. A lot of the home devices are used in an office or by your therapist as well.
The first kind of traction is manual traction. This is where your doctor or therapist literally stretches you. He or she gently pulls on the head. Another way to do this is hanging upside down. Many of you have heard of inversion tables for the back. Well the neck gets stretches too. There is also over-the-door traction and something called the Trac-Collar. These are both devices that do the stretching.
Next we have that true neck traction. Something like the Posture Pump or Pronex is the way to go. You essentially lie on a soft bulb under your neck that you pump up to work the "C" curve in the neck and stretch out the neck.
Why does a person typically get recommended neck traction? Usually it because they were diagnosed with a pinched nerve. This may be causing neck pain or possibly arm and hand symptoms.
Solely stretching the neck will open up the foramen in the neck. These are the holes in the side of the spine where the nerves travel of of the spinal cord to the rest of the body. When we work the neck curve in as well we will automatically get this as well as keeping it that way.
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