Cervical Traction – Relieve Your Neck Pain

When it comes to neck injuries or poor alignment cervical traction is considered to be a conservative treatment that can be done in the confines of one’s own home or under the direct supervision of a therapist.  There are several reasons a person will opt to have cervical traction as the treatment of choice when suffering from cervical disc disease, osteoarthritis and for damage due to injury.   Chiropractic procedures can actually restore normal alignment of the spinal column which should relieve pain associated with the neck and shoulders along with the entire back.

Click Here To See Our Top Rated Cervical Traction Devices

There is also a continuous traction that is applied by an orthopedic physician that is a device with counter weights to keep a fracture of the cervical spine in place during the healing process.  These weights help to relieve chronic pain associated with cervical injuries by stretching the muscles and realigning the spine to its original and normal condition.  The stretching actually helps to release muscles knotting and allows a separation of the vertebrae.  In turn the pain related to the neck injury is usually caused by trapped nerves or pressure on them created by vertebral discs that are sorely out of line.

Due to injury or just too many birthdays, people have acquired a herniated disc in the neck.  This bulging of the disc can place pressure on the nerve roots and cause extensive and excruciating pain.  Cervical traction stretches the spine and in essence opens up the cervical foreman, a natural opening in the bone which allows the passage of nerves and blood vessels.  The cervical traction not only relieves pressure on these tissues but helps to overpower the painful muscles spasms coupled with this type of injury.

Cervical traction can be as minor as having a chiropractor realign the spine manually in an office visit to  having a halo procedure in a hospital where the surgeon essentially screws a  calibrated device into the skull thereby using the head as a base for which to attach heavier weights.  Using manual traction  that the human skin can afford to accept is fine for light weights but when the traction requires an excessive constant ‘pull’ from 25 to 40 pounds, the weights have to be surgically attached to the skull by hardware so the weights and pulleys can be firmly attached.

Indications for Use of Cervical Traction

  • Herniated Disc (when the cushion between the vertebrae is pushed out of place)
  • Radiculopathy (nerve pain or damage)Acute headaches due to stiffness due to muscles spasms
  • Pinched nerves
  • Spine immobilization to disallow movement in the patient
  • Slipped disc where the disc has actually shifted to the side

Contraindications for Use of Cervical Traction

  • Cervical or spinal  fractures
  • Postoperative conditions
  • Severe rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory disease
  • Malignancy
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Blood clotting disorders
  • Age related issues

This list is NOT comprehensive and there could be other grounds for using cervical traction and certainly other contraindications given by a physician.

There are many factors relating to the success of cervical traction as it relates to certain uses.

  1. Strength of pressure - There is a fine line between enough and too much.  The application of cervical traction must not be too forceful.  In turn,  the strength of pressure must be forceful enough to ease the pain in the affected areas.  Determining the strength of pressure should be a gradual application until the appropriate amount achieves the benefit sought.
  2. Direction of traction – Traction should be applied in a vertical manner to alleviate the pain and achieve relief by literally stretching the muscles and spine.  Vertical as in placing an imaginary string on the top of your head and being pulled toward the sky.
  3. Duration and Frequency – Depending on the injury and amount of pain involved, the duration and frequency is determined.  At the beginning, the duration and frequency will normally be longer to accomplish pain relief.  As the pain begins to settle down, the length of the sessions will be shortened and time between will  hopefully be  extended.

There are several types of cervical tractions devices.  All traction procedures make use of two opposing forces to relieve the tension incurred in the misalignment of nerves, muscles and bones.  The traction attempts to pull the head away from the body thereby stretching the muscles and opening the foramen.

Top Recommended Cervical Traction Devices

Below are the top rated neck traction devices that you can use to get relief for your neck pain.

NeckPro Cervical Traction Device

The NeckPro cervical traction device is leader in  ‘over the door’ traction devices.  The user stands in an upright position along side the door.  A strap harness is then applied under the chin and is attached to a weight that is suspended over a door with the use of pulleys.  This will stretch the neck upwards hopefully releasing the tense muscles.  Normally the amount of weight used in this technique is about 20 pounds but can be increased or decreased depending on the result.

Elasto-gel Cervical Collar

The Elasto-gel Cervical Collar is the top rated neck collar that is available online. This collar functions using hot and cold therapy to the neck area while providing support. The Elasto-gel works to retain the temperature between 20-30 minutes at a time. This is the ideal product if you are looking for a non-invasive way to relax your neck after a lot of strain and stress. Users who are experience a lot of neck pain and spasms should give these cervical collar a try.

ChiSoft Neck Traction

The ChiSoft Neck Traction is a device that is used to relieve neck pain, neck tension headaches, pinched nerves in the neck, osteoarthritis, and other degenerative conditions by stretching the neck in a safe and effective manner. Through active use of this device you will train your spine to become straighter. The ChiSoft is a great option for people who spend a lot of time on the computer suffering from neck strain and tension.

Theraputic Neck Support (Just Relax Tension Reliever)

The Theraputic Neck Support is one of the top rated neck support devices on the market. If you are looking to find a device that can help relieve neck and shoulder tension, this is the product for you. The device is designed to be travel friendly and easy to carry around. This is a great neck support to help relieve tightness and soreness in the neck area.

Pronex Pneumatic Cervical Traction Device

The Pronex Pneumatic Cervical Traction Device device pulls the head of the patient while conversely pushing on the shoulders. This is a premium cervical traction that is one of the more expensive models that is available on the market. It is easy to use and provides a comfortable user experience. This neck traction device works to maintain the natural curve and alignment of the neck. The air inflated bellows are able to product up to 35 lbs of pressure.  These devices come with rotating head frames and soft cushions for comfort.

Final Thoughts

When choosing a neck traction device that is designed to put tension on your neck it is important to have clear instructions on their use and have had all contraindications cleared by a physician or chiropractor.  For a list of cervical traction products and prices take a look at the different online retailers that are available. Looking up customer reviews is a great way to gauge the overall quality of a specific device.  Be certain to obtain professional advice before attempting to correct muscles spasms and misalignment on your own.  All contraindications must be ruled out before treating yourself at home.

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Neck Pain Relief Can Change Your Life

Everyone has experienced neck pain at one time or another.  It can be brought on by sleeping in a odd position to sitting at a computer for too long a period.  A sudden stop in  a car as when someone hits it from the rear can cause all kinds of havoc in the neck area.  Sports injuries can be extremely debilitating to just causing non stop agony from muscles spasms.  Regardless of what has caused neck pain, if it isn’t taken care of it can completely change your life.

Acute neck pain will begin from an event normally.  This kind of pain can be very serious as it could indicate a fracture which in turn can cause spinal cord injury.  This must be taken very seriously and should have an expert determine the extent of the neck damage immediately.  Proper treatment is paramount in order not to cause further damage or central nervous system compromise.

Neck Pain Treatments

Chronic neck pain can be caused from muscles spasm, pinched nerves or slipped discs.  The disc that is the cushion between the vertebrae can actually shift position and impend nerves and blood supply by compression  of the cervical foramen (natural opening in the bone which allows the passage of nerves and blood vessels).  A physician can diagnose the problem by using diagnostic procedures such as x-rays and or ultra sound.

Physical therapy can help in relaxing the muscles that have seized up around the effected area.  Once the neck pain begins muscles start to spasm thereby creating  even more neck pain.  At this point there is  an action followed by a reaction which becomes a loop of never ending pain.   Until the compression of the vertebrae and release of the muscles spasms can be achieved, there is virtually no way to avoid staying in this circle of  misery.

Neck pain can be alleviated by several different modes of treatment.  Taking a hot shower while rotating the neck can sometimes achieve some relief.  This stretches the muscles in hopes of releasing the spasm created by poor sleeping habits.  Physical therapy or chiropractic intervention can also result in a very positive outcome.

Cervical Traction Options

If there are no fractures, medical professionals will sometimes suggest trying cervical traction as a approach to maintaining the health of your neck.  Cervical traction devices can be purchased online and be used simply in the confines of your own home on a regular basis if need be.  The over the door method is the most common and is easy to set up and use.  It is a system that uses weights and pulleys in conjunction with a chin strap to hold the head in place.  It is attached to the door and the user can direct the amount of pull or traction to be placed on the head.  Slowly and methodically the traction device pulls the head away from the body in a  vertical manner.  In response it releases the spasms  by extension and allows the vertebrae and discs to realign.  At this point, neck pain relief should be accomplished.

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