Traction Therapy in Chiropractic Care
Chiropractors specialize in providing treatments to remedy their patients’ body pain without surgery or medications. Most chiropractors’ treatments involve spinal manipulation and holistic methods to treat spinal alignment. One of those treatments is traction therapy.
Almost every person suffers from some form of back pain in their life. Problems can occur with lifting heavy objects, prolonged sitting, accidents, and sedentary lifestyles.
Traction therapy is quite simple. Doctors have used spinal traction therapy for centuries. The purpose is to reverse the force of gravity on the vertebrae and allow relief from the gravitational pressure of everyday walking and sitting. This therapy allows nutrients and oxygen to flow to an otherwise undernourished inner spinal canal.
What is Spinal Traction?
Spinal traction is decompression therapy performed manually or mechanically. The most common uses are to treat pinched nerves, herniated discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, and many other spinal conditions.
There may be some spinal conditions that are not appropriate for traction therapy. Those conditions may include fractures, tumors, osteoporosis, aneurysms, and metal implants.
In manual spinal traction, chiropractors use their hands to apply force on the joints and muscles in a pulling type action. This process widens the spaces of the vertebrae.
In some cases, chiropractors may use mechanical traction. Patients will lie on a table that stretches the spine, and chiropractors will attach ropes and slings attached to pulleys to the body. The table then mechanically relieves pressure.
There may be other types of treatments applied before or after spinal traction. These treatments may include electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and heat or cold therapies.
Some patients experience some joint soreness or muscle spasms after traction therapy. Patients can discuss any possible side effects with their attending doctor.
Chiropractors use spinal traction as a tool in a total-management physical therapy plan. Chiropractors’ use of traction is generally just a part of a holistic plan in patient care.
Traction therapy has been most successful when coupled with an exercise program designed specifically for the patient. Pain is often decreased when doctors advise patients to build core strength. When patients strengthen their spinal supportive muscles, their traction therapy treatments are enhanced.
Exercise programs include step-boxes, mats, and gym ball exercises. The main exercise prescribed by the doctors is walking because it is safe and does not involve forceful and twisting action.
Since spinal traction stretches the muscles and bones in the back, many patients have experienced significant improvement in movement. This relief of the gravitational pull has provided the patient’s bodies to realign and decompress joints.
Some patients only need one or two tractions therapy sessions. However, there are some patients who can benefit from this type of therapy throughout their lives.
As part of a total wellness plan for patient care, many people find their pain reduced and the body more capable of healing itself without surgery or medications.
Look to an Everett, Wa Chiropractor from Everett Spine & Rehab
We’re here to help you–whether you’re recovering from an injury or just want to feel better overall–our combination of physical therapy, chiropractic care and massage therapy makes us your one-stop shop for pain rehabilitation. Call us at 425-347-8614 or contact us now for an appointment at our Everett office.