There seems to be much confusion as to what traction is. Traction is used to restore the curves in the spine. It is the best method to take a spine that has a flat curve or reversed curve and restore it back to normal. The spinal curves have been calculated and there are healthy ranges that it should be in. The spinal cord runs all the way down through the back portion of the spine know as the central canal and when the curves are not normal it can put tension on the spinal cord, which is not something that is good. The curves in the neck, thoracic region, and lumbar back can become less or more and there are a few things that speed the process up. There are car accidents that wreak havoc on the ligaments and tendons of the neck and cause for the curve to be altered. There is abnormal posture, which puts the wrong weight at the wrong areas causing all kinds of problems.
Traction is a way to restore the spinal curves. It is a way to basically stretch the ligaments so they are more able to hold the spinal curves. It takes time to change the shape of a ligament and this is where traction comes in. There is a weight that is applied at specific angles based of exam and diagnostic findings in order to cause what is know as viscoelastic creep. This is when the ligament is placed under stress for a period of time where it actually changes shape. In the cervical spine the traction is aimed at the anterior longitudinal ligament. If the curve is reversed the neck will be place in the opposite way and traction is applied. It takes at least ten to twenty minutes for the physical process to happen to the ligament and for them to physically change. There is much research currently being done by the best Doctors to work to bring patient’s pain relief and allow for healthy spinal motion. This traction is very different than the non-surgical spinal decompression, which is available in Los Angeles. Decompression therapy is used to create a negative pressure within the disc space while traction is used to change the shape and form of ligaments and tendon structures. Pain relief can be felt for car accident and whiplash victims if they are treated and a normal cervical curve is restored. If they have a herniated or bulging disc, then the decompression machine may be the best choice. Each case needs to be diagnosed properly and treated according to the findings.
