Mechanical Traction
What Is Mechanical Traction?
Mechanical traction is when we use a machine to produce a steady and controlled traction or decompression force on the lumbar spine. This takes the pressure off the joints and the discs in the spine, giving pain relief for many lower back pain conditions.
What Should I Expect?
You will lie on your back on the physio bed and two velcro belts will be strapped around you - one around the lower ribcage and one just above the pelvis. Once you are comfortable, the traction machine is started and it works by gently pulling down the belt that is attached above the pelvis, whilst the belt below the ribcage is maintaining your body up the bed. This produces a gentle, steady pull on the lower back for the allocated time, all you have to do is lie back and relax!
Will It Hurt?
Mechanical traction shouldn’t hurt. All it is doing is stretching your back in a way that is difficult to do on your own, so it will just feel like stretching does. Most people find traction very relaxing but like when you try a new stretch for the first time, your muscles may feel slightly achey afterwards but this doesn’t last long.
Spinal Anatomy
The spine is made up of 32 bones (vertebrae) that sit on top of each other, each separated by a shock absorbing disc. From the moment we get up in the morning until we go to bed at night, there is a compression force going through our spine putting pressure on the bones, discs, and joints. If there is an injury to any of these structures such as a ruptured disc, the compression force can really aggravate the injury. Likewise, continuous compression on a joint or disc will eventually lead to wear and tear and arthritis. This is why the lower back is most commonly prone to degenerative changes as it is at the bottom of the spine with the most load above it, and therefore is under the most compression.
Injuries That Mechanical Traction Is Used To Treat
Ruptured disc (slipped disc)
Degenerative disc
Osteoarthritis
How Many Sessions Will I Need And How Much Will It Cost?
Mechanical traction is usually used in conjunction with other physio treatments so is included in the cost of a regular physio session. The number of sessions will depend on your diagnosis and the severity of your condition.