Mechanical Traction / Decompression Therapy

Mechanical spinal traction involves the use of electronic traction units that exert a pulling force through a rope and various halters and straps. The tractive force results in a longitudinal separation and gliding apart of cervical or lumbar segments.

Purpose and Effects:

The main prupose of mechanical traction is to reduce signs or symptoms of cervical or lumbar spinal compression. There are several mechanisms by which symptom reduction is accomplished.

1. Gently stretching facet joints capsules. The direction of gliding depends on the angle of pull and the position of the spinal segments.
2. Increasing the inferior-superior dimensions of the intervertebral foramina, allowing increased space for spinal nerve roots.
3. Elongating posterior muscle tissue, decreasing its sensitivity to stretch and decreasing muscle guarding. 4. Improving blood supply to the posterior soft tissues and the intervertebral discs. Traction decreases the intradiscal pressure, and osmosis from the vertebral endplates brings increased blood supply to the disc.
5. Altering intradiscal pressure. Decreasing the positive pressure may reduce a bulging of the nuclear material.