Can Lumbar Traction help my back pain?
We get it: back pain can be a real pain in the—
Well, you know. It’s a vicious cycle: muscle spasms cause pain, pain causes more muscle spasms…
Fortunately, lumbar traction was popularized in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and remains one of the most common modalities for treating back pain and leg pain. Confused about that last one? Yes, leg pain can sometimes be a pinched nerve referring from your spine!
Lumbar traction can relieve bulging discs, herniations, pinched nerves & sciatica
Bulging disc? Herniation? Lumbar traction elongates the spine, which creates a slight negative pressure in the disc. This can reduce a disc bulge and provide significant paint relief.
Pinched nerve? Sciatica? Lumbar traction can definitely help—it’s one of the most common cases for using this type of treatment.
Those with disc degeneration will also get temporary relief from lumbar traction, because the stretch temporarily removes compression from the nerve. When paired with postural changes and specific stretches, this treatment approach can provide an opportunity for those who suffer from disc generation to get out of the vicious cycle of pain and muscle spasm.
What does Lumbar Traction look like?
Sometimes lumbar traction is manual: the physiotherapist will use a traction belt and/or their hands to pull on a patient’s legs. We also provide mechanical traction, which is a machine attached to a treatment table that alternately applies and releases the traction force at preset intervals.
