There are various methods of traction therapy, but one of the most common for lower back pain or sciatica, is for the patient to lie on a traction bed and to have have graded weights fixed onto the legs and a harness to the upper body to keep the patient in position. As the weights are applied the spine is pulled and stretched, The idea is that this makes the displaced spinal disc start to reposition itself. Also it is thought that muscles which are in tension will benefit by the stretching and that tension will be relieved.
The traction described is typical of that used by physiotherapists for lower back pain; and indeed traction should only be carried out by trained therapists due to the risk of damage if the wrong weight or excessive pressure is allowed. The therapist must decide the amount that the patient can support and be ready to stop the procedure quickly if it should prove to be causing discomfort or problems.
There are forms of home use traction which are available for purchase and these generally employ traction by means of inversion. The object here is to cause the patient to lie with the head lower than the feet or even partially upside down. The patient lies on a frame which is pivoted in the middle. The patient has straps attached to their legs so as to keep them in place; and the frame is then gently turned so that the patient is tilted at an angle and can begin to be inverted.
Of course there is no need for the patient to turn right upside down although that may be possible but is unlikely to be desirable and a more relaxed angle of the traction frame would be preferable. As the frame begins to raise the legs and to lower the head the weight of the body which normally presses the vertebrae of the spine together, works in the opposite direction and should help to open the vertebrae instead.
Anyone undertaking this form of home traction should be very careful. If there are health problems such as blood pressure or cardiovascular matters then there could be serious difficulties. And moreover the problems may be undiagnosed at present, but become evident during inversion. Really the presence of a trained therapist for traction is always more satisfactory.
Having considered the methods and ideas for traction, what then may be said as to the results to be derived from it? Whilst the theory is clear enough, in practice the use of traction is far from proven as a means of providing relief for low back pain and sciatica, and for what is known as a slipped disc (in reality usually a burst herniated or bulging disc). It has been a popular treatment but it cannot be said to be so much preferred now. Regrettably it has been found in many, if not the majority of patients, to be ineffective in providing satisfactory relief. It may perhaps be undesirable for some.
Typically many patients who present with sciatica do not enjoy any amelioration of their symptoms and sometimes say that they feel not better but rather in more pain after than before treatment. Even when the problem is a displaced or herniated disc the results are often similar. In other words little or no advantage and perhaps matters may be worse. Also some patients say that although there was a temporary relief from pain, soon after it returned and that the experience was not worth the trouble.
The conclusion to be drawn from this is that whilst traction still remains an option and may be felt to be worth attempting, the probability is that other types of treatment should certainly be tried and may have better chance of success. Also supervised traction with a trained therapist is decidedly to be preferred to self help especially bearing in mind the associated risks.
For more information about lower back pain and sciatica please visit lower-back-sprain
Please bear in mind that this article is for general information purposes only and is not medical advice about your health. If you have a medical condition or problem you should always consult your doctor as to the matter which may be more serious than you realise.
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