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Cervical Traction for Neck Pain Relief: What are My Choices?
Okay so you have been diagnosed with a Military neck, which means you don’t have a curve in the c spine as seen on an x-ray. Your Dr has recommended neck traction. Perhaps you suffer from chronic neck pain and your Dr has tried all types of physical therapy. Maybe an MRI shows that you have a disc herniation in the neck or a disc bulge.
Cervical traction has been applied widely for pain relief of neck muscle spasm or nerve root compression. Traction occurs when a force is applied to a part of the body to decrease paraspinal muscle spasms by stretching soft tissues. Traction is also used to separate facet joint surfaces or bony structures.
Studies have shown that traction must be constant so that the muscles may fatigue and the strain falls on the joints. It generally takes 2 minutes of sustained traction before the intervertebral spaces begin to widen. Forces between 20 and 50 pounds are commonly used to achieve intervertebral separation.
Usually, patients have tried all other types of treatment such as heat/ice, medications, exercises, and finally they try neck traction .It can be part of a physical therapy session along with other things such as modalities of heat/ice and exercises. For many patients this gentle stretch in the neck for 10-15 minutes feels good and is very therapeutic. Traction of the neck has been around for a long time and these days. There are a lot of cervical traction units to choose from at the Neck Pain Relief Kit.
A traction unit is often recommended for patients who suffer from chronic neck pain and other serious conditions such as a disc herniation or a disc bulge in their cervical spine.
- Trac-Collar Neck Collar- this type of neck traction is great for a patient who needs to complete the neck stretch seated. It has two places where it inflates- on the right and on the left and one can vary the amount of traction. This traction force is more linear in nature.
- Pronex Pneumatic Cervical Traction Unit- this is the gold standard of neck traction and is often used in the offices of chiropractors and other health care professionals. It is often recommended after someone has tried an over the door type of traction unit, and they had jaw pain. Someone with temporomandibular joint disease may find that the pain is worse after using and over-the-door cervical traction device. Other times, the pronex pneumatic traction unit may be recommended if someone is not able to use a chin-strap because of distortion of the neck or chin (e.g., radical neck dissection). Overall, with the pronex traction unit, one get more pounds of pressure, and therefore more traction of the neck.
- Cervical Traction Posture Pump 1000- this is quite a popular neck traction unit and it Works to reinforces your cervical curve . Simple lie on the bellows, put the forehead strap on for extra extension in the neck. It is easy to Travel with, portable, lightweight and simple to use anywhere
- Overhead- Over the Door Neck Traction- this is the original neck traction. It consists of an over-the-door pulley support with attached weights. Sometimes they are actual weights, other times they are water bags that once can vary the weight.
- Arc4life's Cervical Traction Neck Pillow- A great neck support pillow that can be used in conjunction with a cervical traction unit. Arc4life recommends that one do 10-15 minutes of neck traction during the day, and use the traction pillow at night for optimal benefits. The special “V” in the center of the neck pillow gives a gentle stretch to the neck for added benefit and allows one to have optimal position while sleeping on their back.
- Saunders Cervical Neck Traction Device- another pneumatic neck traction device that yields great results. This cervical traction device can yield up to 50 lbs of pressure. It also allows for a traction angle of 15 to 25 degrees, which is much more comfortable for the neck. Unlike a over-the-door traction unit, the Saunders cervical traction device Pulls from the back of the head to protect the TMJ. It also has self-adjusting neck wedges for a better fit around the neck area. This is a much more heavy duty cervical traction unit and it weighs 12 lbs.
- Soothe-A-Ciser Neck Traction Cushion- this is a cushion that can be used for neck traction. The Soothe-A-Ciser neck traction pillow can be used by laying face up on the pillow, the weight of your head acts as a traction system, helping to alleviate tension headaches and neck pain by gently stretching the upper chest and anterior neck muscles.
To use the Soothe-A-Ciser at home, all you do is lay on it face up with your neck supported by the highest curve. Use 20-30 minutes a day or as recommended by your healthcare professional. This cushion is not to be used for sleeping. Many variations of the soothe-a-ciser have come along and they have also proved to be quite effective:
- Cervical Traction System with A foam Roll- this is similar to the Soothe-A-ciser traction system except it uses a foam roll under the neck. Simply fill the bag with water for a traction effect.
Stop Neck Pain With A Home Neck Traction Unit
Neck pain due to a herniated disc in your neck, bulging disc in your neck or even cervical degeneration can be excruciating. Just simply performing your activities of daily living can become a chore. Besides the neck stiffness, you may also have pain with numbness and tingling into your arms, hands or fingers, loss of neck range of motion, and muscle weakness. Your Doctor is probably going to give some non invasive treatment options. These may include: neck exercises, using a cervical support neck pillow or even doing a neck traction protocol at home. Doing neck traction in addition to other therapies can be very benefical for pain reduction and increase function in the cervical spine.
Once you have been examined, had a cervical x-ray or MRI, your Doctor may suggest cervical neck traction as a treatment option. This is a excellent, simple treatment that you can do at home. There are many chiropractors and physical therapists that also do neck traction in their office.
The goals of spinal neck traction are to decrease pain, improve the nutritional supply to the joints, relieve pain, stimulate joint fluid production, and increase your neck range of motion. All these work to promote better spinal function.
Who is a Candidate for Cervical Traction? Spinal Traction is a great alternative treatment for patients who suffer from:
- headaches
- herniated disc
- slipped disc
- bulging disc
- arthritis in the neck
- degeneration in the neck spine
- muscle spasms
- tightness in the neck muscles
- neck pain and stiffness
- numbness in the arms or hands
- tingling in the arms or hands
- weakness in the upper extremity
- joint stiffness
- nerve root compression
*** Note neck traction should not be used in cases of cervical instability, joint fractures, acute injury, traumatic injury, anything that could worse with movement ( always consult your Doctor to make sure you are a candidate for neck traction before starting treatment)
There are many neck traction devices on the market these days. At the Neck Pain Relief Kit, we carry effective, and simple to use Traction Units for patients with neck pain and discomfort. If you have used a neck traction device at your chiropractors office, or physical therapy sessions, then you have experienced the neck pain relief associated with spinal traction! Doing your neck traction at home is more cost effective in the long run. You are able to do multiple therapy sessions as needed in the comfort of your own home. You can also save money on expensive pain medications because this will help you find neck pain relief.
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