Cervical Traction: Exercises and Benefits for Neck Pain (2023)

FAQs

What are the benefits of cervical traction? ›

Cervical traction helps to relax the muscles, which can significantly relieve pain and stiffness while increasing flexibility. It's also used to treat and flatten bulging or herniated disks. It can alleviate pain from joints, sprains, and spasms.

No matter how it's applied, cervical traction creates additional space between the vertebrae in your neck to reduce pressure and tension. It's used to relieve symptoms like pain from a variety of conditions and issues.

For 15 to 30 seconds. You can do this up to five sets. This towel traction stretch will help stretch

Duration of cervical traction can range from a few minutes to 20 to 30 min, once or twice weekly to several times per day. Anecdotal evidence suggests efficacy and safety, but there is no documentation of efficacy of cervical traction beyond short-term pain reduction.

Experts think that traction expands the space between the vertebrae, increases the movement of the joints and stretches the muscles and ligaments around the vertebrae. Side effects are generally few, but can include headache, nausea, fainting and injury to tissue.

Home traction exercises for the neck provided pain relief for this patient with cervical radiculopathy. This traction exercise seems simple, easy to learn, and reproducible. It can be done at home without involving any extra cost.

Using cervical traction should never be painful. If you have rheumatoid arthritis or have fractured your neck, cervical traction could make the condition worse. Also, if you experience any nausea, headaches, or dizziness, you should discontinue until you've had the chance to talk to your doctor or chiropractor.

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Continuous or intermittent traction has been regarded as an effective treatment for herniated cervical discs because it facilitates widening of the disc spaces.

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How do you decompress a neck nerve? ›

Cervical traction is set up after the induction of anesthesia. The weights applied for traction are approximately 5 kg or one-sixth of the total body weight.

Ideally, it is done at a 20-degree angle of flexion, but the examiner must explore all angles, including the extension of the neck and chin rotation, with a thorough assessment of each position.

Cervical radiculopathy, commonly called a "pinched nerve," occurs when a nerve in the neck is compressed or irritated where it branches away from the spinal cord. This may cause pain that radiates into the shoulder and/or arm, as well as muscle weakness and numbness.

Cervical stenosis is a common cause of neck pain. It happens as there are changes with the vertebrae of the neck and the joints between those vertebrae. Bone spurs begin to form, causing cervical spinal stenosis. As the bone spurs grow, the spinal canal narrows and put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.

Manual cervical traction.

This is done with your therapist using their hands to gently pull your head and neck away from your body. They hold your head for 10 seconds and then gently release. They might do it several times at different angles.

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.

Lie on your back in bed with your knees bent. Grab the top of the mattress or bed post. Gently pull to provide traction or un- loading. Lie on your back with your knees bent (figure A) or lie on your back with your lower legs resting on a chair (figure B).

At home cervical decompression with extension: Lie on your back, on a bench or firm bed. Slowly slide your head and neck off the edge of the bed. Use your hand to return to the starting position.

How Often to Do Spinal Decompression? Typically, you will undergo 2-5 spinal decompression sessions per week, for four to six weeks. That's 12-20 appointments before you can experience long-lasting pain relief.

Do chiropractors do neck traction? ›

During a mechanical traction procedure, your chiropractor will attach a harness to your head and neck as you lie flat on your back. The harness is hooked up to a machine that applies traction force to pull your head away from your neck to create an expansion, and consequently, relieve the compression and pain.

If you have cervical instability, you may be experiencing migraines, vertigo, or nausea. Fortunately, this condition is treatable, though not curable.

Chiropractic traction (also called “vertebral traction”, “spinal traction” or “cervical traction”) is one of the most widely used and accepted treatments for spinal, muscle and skeletal pain.

Definition/Description. Lumbar traction is the process of applying a stretching force to the lumbar vertebrae through body weight, weights, and/or pulleys to distract individual joints of the lumbar spine.

1) Bar hang-ups

If you have a pull-up or chin-up bar this is a great exercise to help reap the benefits of spinal decompression. This exercise literally is exactly what it sounds like; hanging yourself from a bar. By doing this it will allow you to decompress the spine and help alleviate symptoms.

In conclusion, lumbar traction is both effective in improving symptoms and clinical findings in patients with lumbar disc herniation and also in decreasing the size of the herniated disc material as measured by CT.

Traction has been prescribed to treat various spinal disorders, including radiculopathy, disk herniation, disk degeneration, foraminal stenosis, and nonspecific low back pain (Fig. 46.3).

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What happens when you decompress a neck? ›

By providing an axial stretch, pulling the neck and head upward, decompression is able to relieve pressure from the joints and discs of the neck, relieving symptoms associated with these conditions. As the disc is decompressed, blood flow is promoted to the disc, which allows for repair of the disc itself.

Benefits of Spinal Decompression

Each session typically lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. These spinal decompression sessions are painless and often relaxing as some patients fall asleep during the procedure. Many patients enjoy the sessions and find them quite relaxing.

If cervical spondylosis severely compresses your spinal cord or nerve roots, the damage can be permanent.

If your primary care doctor is unable to diagnose the pinched nerve, you may need to see a neurologist or orthopedist.

According to an article in the journal American Family Physician, most people will recover from a pinched nerve in the neck, and 88% of people will get better within 4 weeks and not require surgery. However, in more severe cases, nerve damage may not improve, and people may need more significant treatment.

Most often, traction uses devices such as weights and pulleys to put tension on a displaced bone or joint, such as a dislocated shoulder. The tension helps put the joint back in position and keep it still. Traction is also used to keep a group of muscles (such as the neck muscles) stretched to reduce muscle spasms.

Every back pain and neck pain patient is unique, with different degrees of problems associated with a bone or disc abnormality. A neurologist is trained to discover the causes of symptoms, as well as using EMG testing to assess the injury to nerves and whether it is reversible in the short and long term.

MRI scans which show soft tissues, such as nerves and discs, are generally preferred over CT scans which show bony elements. Advanced imaging can show exactly which nerve or nerves are being pinched and what is causing the nerve to be pinched.

Rarely, neck pain can be a symptom of a more serious problem. Seek medical care for neck pain with numbness or loss of strength in the arms or hands or for pain that shoots into a shoulder or down an arm.

C5, as mentioned earlier, along with C3 and C4, contributes to the phrenic nerve that innervates the diaphragm. Roots C5, C6, and C7 produce the long thoracic nerve, responsible for controlling the serratus anterior.

What nerves are affected by C6 and C7? ›

The C6-C7 disc is 6th cervical disc near the lower part of the neck, near the top of the shoulders. The nerve root that would be affected by the C6-C7 disc herniation controls the arms, the shoulders, the heart, the lungs, and more.

Cervical traction is set up after the induction of anesthesia. The weights applied for traction are approximately 5 kg or one-sixth of the total body weight.

Episodes of cervical vertigo go for hours, and the condition itself can last for years. Diagnosing cervical vertigo can be difficult. For one thing, some of its symptoms overlap with those of other medical problems, from inner ear issues to stroke to traumatic brain injury (concussion).

If you have cervical instability, you may be experiencing migraines, vertigo, or nausea. Fortunately, this condition is treatable, though not curable.

This review assessed the use of cervical pillows for neck pain. The authors concluded that there was insufficient evidence to determine the efficacy of such pillows for chronic neck pain.

Most often, traction uses devices such as weights and pulleys to put tension on a displaced bone or joint, such as a dislocated shoulder. The tension helps put the joint back in position and keep it still. Traction is also used to keep a group of muscles (such as the neck muscles) stretched to reduce muscle spasms.

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Cervical vertigo is caused by inflammation, trauma, or degenerative changes in the cervical spine or neck musculature. Symptoms may include dizziness and neck pain with head movements. It may be accompanied by tense and tight neck muscles, stiffness of the neck as well as referred pain to the head, neck, or arms.

Your cervical spine — or, your neck — plays a key role in balance and coordination. So, when this area of your spine is inflamed, arthritic or injured, it can make you feel dizzy, lightheaded and unsteady.

Poor neck posture, neck disorders, or trauma to the cervical spine cause this condition. Cervical vertigo often results from a head injury that disrupts head and neck alignment, or whiplash. This dizziness most often occurs after moving your neck, and can also affect your sense of balance and concentration.

Will an MRI show cervical instability? ›

Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging is sensitive to soft-tissue injuries of the cervical spine. When CT scanning and radiography detect no fractures or signs of instability, MR imaging does not help in determining cervical stability and may lead to unnecessary testing when not otherwise indicated.

With the application of the radiographic index method, cervical spine lordosis, the full flexion to full extension ROM, horizontal displacement, and cervical instability can be accurately illustrated.

Neutral position strengthening

Using one hand, place your fingertips on the back of your head at the top of your neck. Start to bend your head backward while using gentle pressure from your fingers to keep your head from bending. Hold for about 6 seconds. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Along with other types of chronic pain, neck and shoulder pain can be treated with a combination of natural therapies and healthy practices. Hot and cold therapy, stretching and strengthening exercises, and healthy posture are top recommendations.

Ideally, it is done at a 20-degree angle of flexion, but the examiner must explore all angles, including the extension of the neck and chin rotation, with a thorough assessment of each position.

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