What is a Cervical Traction Device?
If you regularly experience neck and back pain, you are not alone. For many of us, walking around in some level of pain or discomfort is our normal. But is that normal? Not necessarily. While many times the pain may be associated with an underlying condition, oftentimes it may just tbe the compilation of poor posture, sitting in office chairs for hours on end, and gravity at work compressing our neck and spine.
For many, regular exercise and stretching can be helpful for alleviating some of this pain and discomfort, but for others it may not be enough. A common treatment used in physical therapy to treat neck and spinal pain Cervical Traction.
What is Cervical Traction?
Cervical Traction is a treatment used to help address and treat neck pain commonly associated with pinched nerves, tight muscles, or chronic neck pain. It is a simple treatment that works by gently stretching the spinal vertebrae and muscles to relieve pressure and pain around the neck and spine. This gentle stretching creates space between the vertebrae to release compression and relaxes the muscles.
Benefits of Cervical Traction
The goal of using a Cervical Traction Device is to reduce overall neck pain. When performed consistently, there are many benefits including:
- Increased flexibility and mobility of the neck
- Reduce pain and stiffness
- Relief from bulging or herniated discs and pinched nerves
- Muscle Relaxation
- Improved spine alignment
- Increased blood circulation
These are just a few of the many benefits of cervical traction therapy. If you feel that you may benefit from using a cervical traction device, we always recommend consulting a doctor or physical therapist first. They will be able to give you a proper assessment and recommendation for the best cervical traction device for you.
Types of Cervical Traction Devices
Once you have decided that you would like to try a cervical traction device, now you need to decide what kind of cervical traction therapy is for you. There are three major types of cervical traction:
Manual Cervical Traction
Typically performed by a physical therapist, manual vertical traction is done while you are lying down. The therapy will gently pull your head away from your neck and hold. They will perform this motion repeatedly for a period of time.
Mechanical Traction
Also typically done by a physical therapist, mechanical cervical traction involves a machine or system of weights that the therapist straps you into. The machine applies traction force to pull your head away from your neck and spine. There are many different types of machines and devices for this. We will go more into detail about these later in this post.
Over-The-Door Cervical Traction
Ideal for at home use, over the door traction devices work by attaching your head and neck into a harness connected to a weighted pulley system connected to a door by a rope. You can either use the over the door device while sitting, leaning back, or lying down.
Our Top Picks For Cervical Traction Devices
When it comes to cervical traction devices, there are many on the market which can make it tricky to decide which one is best for you. As we mentioned earlier in the post, we absolutely always recommend consulting your doctor to see if cervical traction therapy is right for you and which device suits you best.
With that being said, here are our top recommendations for Cervical Traction Devices:
1. Saunders Cervical Traction Device
Our top recommendation and best selling cervical traction unit is hands down the Saunders Cervical Traction Device. The Saunders unit provides safe, comfortable, and effective cervical traction and comes ready to use. It has a compact and lightweight design and stretches and re-aligns the neck and spine with a hand pump to achieve your desired level of traction.
The Saunders Cervical Traction Unit comes with an easy to read gauge and has 3 adjustable angles to ensure a personalized experience. This unit also comes with a convenience case for easy storage and travel.
Get the Saunders Traction Device here for $348.00.
2. Dynamic Wedge Cervical Traction Device
A unique traction device, the Dynamic Wedge Cervical Traction Device uses a combination of independent traction, heat, and electrotherapy to relieve muscle tension and provide traction in the cervical spine and neck area. With easy to read digital controls, you can easily set the device to provide either an automatic or manual treatment that suits you best.
Get the Dynamic Wedge Cervical Traction Device here for $179.00.
There are many things to consider if you are thinking of trying cervical traction therapy. Source Ortho proudly supplies the best cervical traction devices for sale. To shop through all of our available cervical traction units, click here.