Knowing More About Your Cervical Pain and the Use of Cervical Traction Kit

A cervical pain is related with the pain in your neck joint due to the drying of the cushion between the joints primarily as a result of ageing. After 40 years of age the bones begin to show signs of depleting and there are chances of disks developing cracks as you grow older. This causes them to bulge or become herniated. This may also lead to developing of bone spurs or extra bony growths. The growth of a herniated disk and bone spurs can put extra pressure on your spinal cords and nerve roots causing severe pain. These changes over a period of time compress or press down one or more of the nerve roots. When the problem reaches an advanced stage it affects the spinal cord as well which may carry the effect to the arms and legs as well.



There may be several other factors also that make a person more likely to develop spondylitis. These include:

•     Having a job that requires heavy lifting or a lot of bending and twisting
•     Leading a stagnant life with very little or no exercise and being over-weight
•     Past spine or neck surgery
•     Severe arthritis
•     Ruptured or slipped disk

Symptoms of Cervical Pain:

 

• It may begin with a mild pain over the shoulder blade or it may spread to the upper arm, forearm, or sometimes even the fingers.
• The pain may accentuate after standing or sitting, at night, on moving the neck side wards or backwards or even when you sneeze, cough or laugh.
• Numbness or abnormal sensations in the shoulders, arms or sometimes legs.
• Headaches, especially in the back of the head.

Any symptom requires a visit to the physical therapist to help you deal with your pain in the neck and reduce it. He or she is likely to assess your neck condition and prescribe the various treatment required for it. One such treatment is the Cervical Traction.

How Does Cervical Traction Help?

Cervical Traction is a physical therapy that can help decrease the compressive forces in the neck, by taking off the pressure off the discs between the two vertebras in the neck. It helps to open up the spaces where nerves exit the spinal canal, relieving the pressure from the pressed nerve that is causing the pain. It also helps to stretch the muscles and joint structures that are around the neck. 

Cervical traction can be helpful in case of common diagnosis like;

• Herniated or bulging discs in the neck
• Spasms in the cervical muscles
• Arthritis that extends to the neck
• Strain in the neck

Different Types of Cervical Traction and their Application


Application of cervical traction needs to be first discussed with your physical therapist and then carried out. There are three types of cervical tractions; Manual Cervical Traction, Mechanical Cervical Traction, and Over-the Door Traction.



Manual Cervical Traction

The Manual Cervical Traction is carried out by your physical therapist who holds your neck and head in his hands, and then gives a gentle traction, or rhythmic pulling and resting force to your neck.



Mechanical Cervical Traction

This kind of traction works by attaching your neck and head attached to a harness while you are in a lying down position. This harness is attached to a machine that can provide a traction force, which has a control panel, so that the physical therapist can monitor the force needed.



Over-the-Door Traction

This traction can be used at home and involves strapping your harness to your head and neck while you are sitting in a chair. The harness is attached to a rope that’s strung through a pulley system over your door. After putting everything in place rightly traction force is applied by weights, a sand bag, or a water bag that’s attached to the opposite end of the rope.

A pulling force of about 20 pounds should be used when starting neck traction. A time period of 10 to 20 seconds is sufficient when applying rhythmic pulling and releasing which can be continued for 10 to 20 minutes. Each patient has a tailored problem so the advice of the physical therapist is a must as to how many times it must be done in a day and with how many pounds to be used as weight. This traction can be carried out at home too but with the proper training of your therapist.

Are There Any Risk Involved With Cervical Traction?

The treatment should be carried out under the strict guidance of your physical therapist. If your symptoms worsen during the treatment, notify to your physical therapist immediately. There may be adjustments required or discontinuation of the treatment also in some cases. In most cases it brings positive results with the release of the pain.