The purpose of Traction is to stretch your neck.Your neck is make up vertebrae or bones that have discs between them that act like a sponge. On each side of the spine you also have nerves that exit out from your spinal cord. These nerves innervate everything in your body. The feeling in your fingers, what you feel, anything that you do really - these nerves are responsible for that.
With neck traction you pull apart the bones, allowing any pressure on these nerves and discs to be removed. That is kind of a basic explanation of what neck traction is. With traction you are also stretching the muscles and ligaments around the bones as well.Of course, neck traction is not for everyone, and I always mention to patients - check with you Dr to make sure you can do home neck traction.
Often times, patients will do neck traction at the physical therapists or chiropractors office. A few times a week, 15- 20 minutes at a time.
As with many products, there are many different types of traction units. I prefer the ones that put your neck into the C Curvature, or allow for a lordosis while you stretch. One example is the arc4life traction posture pump. There are many units on the market today, each one that caters to something different. For example, if you wanted to do seated neck traction, check out the trac-collar.
What does neck traction help with?
- neck arthritis
- disc herniation
- disc bulge
- neck pain
- tight muscles
- muscle spasms
Additional Reading Resources:
- Neck Traction Units that work to stretch your cervical spine
- A Pillow that does neck traction
- Cervical traction machines that work to give you relief
- What to look for when doing neck traction
- Putting the Curve back into your neck
- Information on the Posture pump 1100 for neck stretching made easy and comfortable
